Investment Analyst Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my internship despite the fact that I was relatively inexperienced when I began it. It did not matter that I did not come from a financial background, as this internship focuses on what you can learn and how you can develop during the 10 weeks. It definitely exceeded my expectations.

I was always included in meetings and projects and really felt part of the team. My colleagues all made an effort to introduce themselves to me and to explain their roles within the organisation, so that I knew who to contact and when. I was regularly given positive feedback by my Line Manager and colleagues, which made me feel that the work I had done had been worthwhile.

My Line Manager and I had a weekly one to one meeting where we would discuss my progress and any concerns I had. He was always available to talk and even when he was out of the office he would be available on the phone or by email. I found my Line Manager to be very supportive because he took the time to explain some of the more complex concepts to me, without being patronising.

No day was the same. Some days, I would have several meetings and projects that needed immediate attention, whereas other days I would focus more on the Online Learning Modules provided and do some research of how my team operates. I did also take on the extra responsibility of leading some fundraising events, so was relatively busy.

I was given much more responsibility than I ever imagined! First of all, I volunteered to lead some fundraising events and after this my Line Manager appointed me as the Project Manager for a UK-wide project. At first, it was intimidating to be given such a large responsibility, but as the internship went on, I was grateful for having been pushed to see what I was capable of.

I believe the skills I developed will help me in any career that requires project management and decision-making skills. The link between the skills I developed on this internship and my degree are not so clear, but I can say that I will be able to manage my responsibilities in a much better way going forward, so juggling several modules at once will be no problem.

The atmosphere was generally calm, but that does not mean that people were afraid to have a bit of fun. There were plenty of other interns in my office so we tried to organise lots of social events together and there was always someone to eat lunch with in the restaurant.

The internship was well organised, with an induction day in London to introduce you to all the other interns, as well as a set of Development Webinars and key meetings along the way. I had development goals set towards the beginning of the internship and tracked my progress against them at the end of every week.

A lot of time and effort was invested in my training and development. I attended several Development Webinars which focused on the organisation's key values; I went to a induction day in London and also visited some of the organisation's suppliers to learn about how they operated and interacted with my colleagues.

Future employment prospects are extremely appealing! For me, this is because of the professional development opportunities available - for example I have the possibility to become a Chartered Banker. Also, the Graduate Scheme offers a real opportunity to make an impact in such a huge UK organisation. Aside from those reasons, the starting salary and employee benefits are also very generous.

Yes, there was always the opportunity to socialise with other interns. Most of the interns were given accommodation near to each other, so it was really easy to organise meals, nights out etc. There were so many of us that someone was always willing to join in with your plans.