Credit Sales and Trading Intern Review

I really enjoyed all aspects of my internship. Throughout my time I had a lot of exposure to my department, and I was also encouraged to spend time speaking with other areas of the bank. Within my main rotations I was given relevant and important work, and was trusted with the responsibility of doing it independently. The work was challenging however it was possible to complete everything in reasonable hours.

Everyone I spoke to was extremely friendly and willing to help, which made for a very pleasant environment. I was allowed to take the initiative on projects that were useful to the team, and my findings were well valued. I was regularly included in conversations, and wasn't treated like 'just an intern'. There was a general feeling that my work was important, and the time I was putting in was appreciated by the team.

Everyone I spoke to was very supportive. My manager was more than willing to take time out and answer any questions I may have. Everyone explained what they did, and were very approachable if I had a question or a suggestion. Management provided a good timetable which guided me well towards different areas, and they were always available if I needed them.

On a daily basis I had a lot of work to do and was very busy. There was no expectation that I should work late, and if I worked well during regular working hours I could usually complete what was expected of me plus any other extra work I chose/was allocated in the time. Although I was busy, the work was interesting and the time passed very quickly.

Throughout my placement I was given a lot of responsibility. Once I had been given a project I was trusted to work independently and get it done. The projects were genuinely useful to members of the team, which posed as a challenge, but also made completing the projects very rewarding. If I had any questions at all, my supervisor was always willing to help me out in ensuring I was working well.

The atmosphere was very friendly and open, but at the same time exciting and dynamic. Everyone worked well together and integrated me very quickly. Although it was a very professional environment, it was easy to just chat with employees when they were free and get to know them. I felt very motivated sitting amongst the employees.

It generally ran very smoothly - HR organised the training and general internship very well, and within each rotation my line manager had a good plan for me for the duration. The weeks were broken up with good socials, talks and video conferences that made the time fly by. At the beginning we were given all the information we needed for the 10 weeks, so I knew what to expect and when, so I could plan accordingly.

I was trained for a week at the beginning of the internship which gave a very good, detailed overview of a lot of finance/economics. I then was taken to Bloomberg where I was trained on how to use everything, and then given access for my internship. I feel like the company really invested in me and provided as much training as I requested.

The intern class was quite small compared to other banks, so the social scene among the interns wasn't massive, however the graduates/analysts regularly took part in social events with us which was great fun. HR organised a lot of social events for the interns to come together, so although the class was small we did socialise a lot which was good fun.

There were lots of opportunities to take part in activities outside work. I regularly received emails about sports events going on every week and any social events that were going on. The work/life balance was very good, with a lot of encouragement to take part in Charity events and inter-bank competitions on a regular basis.