Intern Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my internship mainly due to two things: 1) The people around me, my team and colleagues were so helpful and enjoyable to work with 2) The responsibility & importance of the work I was given provided for a steep learning curve and allowed me to get the most out of my internship

I felt extremely valued by my colleagues as they treated me as if I had worked here forever! I never felt people were talking down to me or treated me unfairly - In fact, people here are even more motivated to help new starters.

I had several people I could personally contact for support, including: 1) Graduate Buddy - Someone who has just graduated and knows how it is as a new starter from university 2) Line Manager - I worked very closely with my line manager and was there for any queries 3) People around me - Though everyone around you is not strictly in your team, they are still more than willing to help 4) My team - The people I worked on projects with were usually only a desk or an email away for guidance

The culture at Santander is quite relaxed and work-life balance is taken seriously here.

Being involved in a wide range of projects allowed for a great deal of responsibility since the work I did actually fit into my team's targets and their operations.

Obviously working at Santander equips you with sound knowledge of the banking industry and macro economy, as well as fundamental accounting knowledge (Profit/Loss, EBITDA ect..). For me, this will not directly link into my degree studies but would definitely help for a career in banking in the future. The soft skills such as teamwork, communication and interpersonal skills will definitely be helpful for any career. The ability to work in a team and resolve issues in a mature manner as well being able to explain processes with clarity are essential skills in any field.

The atmosphere in the office was relaxed but also hard-working at the same time. People are willing to have general convos throughout the day which helps refresh your mind and stay positive but only enough for everyone to get their work done as well. Overall, this supports Santander's rather relaxed culture as a place to work.

The internship was very well set-up. From the start till the end, I never felt that I had nothing to do. I was given an outline of the major projects throughout the 10 weeks and the deadlines for these. Not to mention, I was constantly told about the different people I could ask for help, if let's say someone was on holiday.

We were given mandatory training at the start which outlined the basics of working at Santander and a bank in general. This included; Fraud, health and safety, diversity and others. Otherwise, a lot of the skills required such as accounting and finance was learnt when necessary and whilst there may have not been any formal training, again people were always more than willing to help.

The future employment prospects are quite appealing at Santander. During the internship, candidates are assessed for the Graduate Scheme as well for a future position. This is reassuring not just for the job, but also makes sense when you have worked here for 10 weeks and really got to know the people, culture and colleagues.

Yes, we were all involved in a charity project throughout the 10 weeks which allowed us to work in a team and create some exciting events in order to raise some money. Moreover, this gave us a chance to get to know each other very well and go beyond just a working relationship with other students.

Working in Central London is most definitely not cheap! Whist I did not live out during my time, it goes without saying the cost of living here is expensive. However, in terms of socialising, picking the right place and time to go for a drink is essential in terms of cost.

The Nightlife in London is great! There are many bars and clubs around where I worked and taking the tube to another area is never too much hassle. Of course during the summer pubs and bars can get busy but again, picking the right time and place is essential for the and in terms of cost.

During our internship we were assigned a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) challenge where we had to raise money for two charities. This took part outside our normal working hours and was most definitely enjoyable since I worked with a group of other interns and came up with some good ideas!