Summer intern Review

I enjoyed my internship as it was my first experience working in a large bank in the UK. There is a good work life balance with friendly colleagues who are willing to give detailed explanations on their job scopes. It would be better if I had some rotations between different teams.

I feel valued as I was able to express and incorporate my own opinions and ideas into the project assigned to me. I was also able to discuss any questions and my ideas with my managers and other colleagues to get feedbacks for improvements. They were happy with the results produced.

I was given the full support. My tasks assigned to me was clear. And, if I had any problems, I could approach my manager or buddy directly, especially with the advanced function in Microsoft Excel. Other than that, I can ask them anything if I am in doubt or to gain more understanding of the working environment and culture.

Good work life balance in general. Not too busy at all. Sometimes, I will not have anything major to do for days. But for some days (exception), I will need to work for extended hours (half an hour to 45 minutes extra). There is not a list of things lined up for me if I have completed my work, so I will need to wait a couple of days to get the next major project.

I was given immediate responsibility on the first day to work on a major report consolidation project. Besides, I have the freedom and responsibility to organize meetings with my colleagues to get the information to complete my project. The projects I am working on will make a positive impact on the organization as a whole.

My skills on Microsoft Powerpoint and especially Microsoft Excel has improved tremendously for data sorting and reporting purposes. Besides, I was also exposed to Visio as well. These skills will definitely help me in the future as I am sure most organization will rely on these software. Communication and networking skills gained will also be crucial for any working environment.

It is quite a relax working environment with people joking at times. The free sitting arrangement makes it more fun. There is a good work life balance, with most colleagues heading home after their usual working hours. People are friendly to talk to and are willing to give explanations if I have any questions.

Initially it was organized. But later on, once I completed the task assigned to me, there was not much left. They did not have a list of things lined up for me. It mostly depends on what was coming up and managers have to think of additional work to give me. There was not any rotation in my division, where I would prefer one. The guest speakers organized for all was good.

In my opinion, personal training and development will depend on the division and department I am in. With a relax schedule and no rotation, there wasn't much of it. But, they did include a wide range of guest speakers and an induction week to improve my general knowledge and my personal branding.

No too sure as the bank is offshoring and near shoring. Besides, with the current economic condition and Brexit, cost cutting will be their main focus. Hence, the number of employees may be reduced. But, there may require new talents into my current division as well. So, I guess it all depends on how well I perform.

Yes there were. For the interns, there were social events throughout the internship to keep in touch with one another or to understand their experience so far. I also had breakfast on Fridays with my colleagues. Others will include having a joke with my colleagues or just having a chat with them.

The cost of living was still alright. Food was mostly quite affordable, with many cheap takeaway stores and supermarkets nearby. The easiest mode of transport was the tube or the bus so it was still acceptable. But the pubs right outside the office were very pricey and not affordable for students. Living nearby my office will be too expensive. Most people stay elsewhere and travel to work.

There are many pubs just outside my office. They will be crowded after my working hours, especially Fridays with people mostly having a drink. I didn't stay back till late or after 7pm, so I will not have any comment on it. But I have heard no complains so far.

Yes, there are some volunteering activities organized by the company. There are also some talks organized for employees. However, as an intern, my duration here is too short to explore all the activities or get involve in them. However, I have heard of fabulous volunteering activities from the past interns/recent grads.