Summer Associate Review

Very much so, it was challenging but I have learnt lots. I got the opportunity to learn about all the different parts of the company and it was very much encourage to spend time shadowing in other areas, which gave some variety to the whole experience. There was also lots of opportuities to have fun and we had a corporate responsibilty day which was very enjoyable

You are given real work to do that has a useful purpose, making you feel valued, your opinion is sought and never discounted just because you are an intern. I was always thanked for any contribution I had made even in emails to directors, so you really are given credit for any help you can offer.

There was great support from a variety of different places. I was assigned a 'Grad buddy' and a buddy within my team to check how everything was and help with any problems that arose. I had weekly meetings with my manager to make sure I was getting on fine with all the work assigned to me. Somebody who I was helping with another piece of work sent regular emails to check that I was getting on fine and if I needed any guidance on what to do next

Very busy but not overly so, Constantly had things to do, I had one project that lasted for eight weeks but several things on the side to do as well. My line manager was always checking that I had enough things to do but making sure I was not overwhelmed. If i ever needed anything else to do all I had to do was ask and somebody would have something I could help with

A fair amount, obviously with a job that can have market sensitive information and the potential for things to go wrong, meant that what I did was checked and changed at times, but overall especially with my eight week project, I was given a lot of individual choice and was just given guidance once the project was nearing completion

I had the chance to do some work on a statistical package allowing me to learn more statistical and analytical skills, which will be very useful in the coming years at university. I have also improved my researching and writting skills from my project. I have also developed my personal skills from meeting so many different people and being in a variety of meetings.

Very friendly and relaxed. Flexible with timings as long as you got your work done. I was always invited to any drinks or events that were going on in my team. everyone had time to answer any questions or meet with you to give you help or even just a chat about how the internship was going. I was made to feel very welcome from the first day, everyone made an effort to introduce themselves and ask about my backgroud which was very welcoming.

Overall it was well organised, during our induction we were told how the internship would work and introduced to our managers. there were a few times when neither I nor my manager was entirely sure what we were meant to do regarding objectives and monitoring for the internship, but we made it work for us, it was very adaptable which was good. Due to the natuire of the work and the timing of my joining (the week after the Brexit vote) it meant my overall project was not yet finalised but I think to some extent that was down to the fast changing nature of the work the team had at that time.

Anyone who I asked for help or to explain anything was more than keen to do so, other than our induction training there was no compulsory training to do during the internship, However we were given acces to a variety of talks, both internal and external and given multiple opportunities to work for a few days in other areas of the business. It was also made clear to us that there are lots of learning opportunities on the grad scheme but many of them are unavailable to interns due to time constraints.

Very, they made it very clear all along that there were jobs for all of the interns if we did well, which helped to take away any notion of competition between the interns. The grad scheme is very appealing as there are so many learning opportunities and both internal and external secondments giving you an opportunity to experience several different areas of the industry. combined with the welcoming and friendly environment makr it a very appealing place to work in the future.

We had a very friendly group of interns. We had a drinks event planned by the company on the first friday but then we went out together at least once a week and often more time. As well as drinks we met up for coffees in the mornuign before work and went bowling one day. Overall the Social scene was very good but it was mainly that way because we made an effort to do things.

I did not live in London whilst on my Placement but commuted from my family home about one hour away, traveling in from outside was significantly cheaper than staying in London. Socialising in Canary Wharf was not cheap but we found a few places with drinks deals and went out for food at restaurant chains so it was not prohibitively expensive for anyone involved.

Relatively good, most bars shut at 12:00 so there is plenty of time after work and it is easy to get into other parts of London to stay out later. There is a good variety of bars, pubs and restaurants meaning there was something for everyone, it was always busy, especially on Thursdays and Fridays so there was always a good atmosphere wherever we went

I personally did not get involved with much outside of the office due to having to commute home after work, but other interns joined sports teams and went on outings with the company. All activities open to full time staff were open to the interns. We did join a company wide bowling trip one evening with a few intern teams.