Risk Intern Review

I really enjoyed working at my internship, I found the work challenging but very insightful. I gained lots of knowledge which provided me with insight to my area and other areas of the business which helped me to understand my role and purpose within the company. Everyone in the company was exceptionally helpful and ensured that I was enjoying and understanding my work.

My colleagues made me feel very valued and although I have only known them a short time I feel that I have become part of the team. I regularly participated in team meetings and outings and my opinions and thoughts were valued in these. There were monthly meetings where I could explain to the rest of the team my current projects and findings which ensured everyone was up to date with each other’s work and could offer tips and advice when needed.

My Manager provided weekly one to one meetings where we discussed any issues or problems I was having. If I had a problem and I needed to discuss it before these meetings then I had no problems with asking my manager or buddy for advice. The support provided was excellent throughout most of my internship. The one exception to this was during a two week period where both my manager and buddy were away and my replacement manager was very busy.

I was given a long term project throughout my internship which kept me busy most days. There was an occasional lull in my work when I was waiting for my manager’s approval but I generally had smaller pieces of work to complete in the meantime. During my buddy and manager’s holiday I started to run out of work but I managed to fill my time by talking to people in other departments and using the online financial training modules available.

During my internship I had one large project which I completed largely by myself. Hence I had some responsibility to ensure my work was correct and accurate, however if this wasn’t the case I’m certain my manager would of picked up any mistakes. As such I never felt like I had a huge responsibility since the project never depended entirely on me. I was given a smaller job of updating a dashboard while my buddy was away which needed to be completed the day before she arrived back. This was a nice change from my project as it felt like I was actively contributing to the company and that I was solely responsible for a piece of work.

At the start of my internship I learned how to use a program called SAS. My manager created some problems for me to work out and the training provided was incredibly useful as it is a program used by a wide variety of banks. I also had time to read through some financial courses on the Santander intranet which gave me a core knowledge of parts of finance that I’d previously had no exposure to.

The office I worked in was extremely friendly and I felt comfortable working there. In a few of my previous work experiences I’ve felt stifled in the office environment so this was a welcome surprise. Colleagues talk to each other as well as providing treats after being away which helps to break up the work provided and creates a positive environment.

While taking part in my internship I felt the work provided to me and the guidance given were perfect for the type of experience I was after. However I found contact with the HR team at the start of my internship stressful at times since they weren’t very helpful with any questions I had. They also divulged the lack of a graduate scheme over a telephone call, right near the end of the internship which I felt was in very poor taste as I, and my fellow interns, would have much rather received this information in person.

I was provided ample time at the start of my internship to learn how to use SAS. I was never rushed and they ensured I had a full understanding of the program before giving me work. They also allowed me to take financial training courses online, funded by the company itself, which helped my gain knowledge of other areas of the business.

There is currently no graduate scheme for the internship I partook in and so I’m unsure of whether I will continue on in this company. I have registered my interest in my department so if a full time job becomes available next summer I may attempt to get hired for this company since I enjoyed working here.

While I had limited interaction with other interns, aside from a charity project set up with them, I had a great social life with my colleagues. I attended a work party with them, regularly went out to lunch with them and also met with them outside of work for trips to the cinema and clubs.

Activities in Milton Keynes weren’t too expensive, especially compared to London. The room I rented was £450 a month which was within budget when considering the pay I received for the internship. Overall the cost of living is more than I’m used to, since I lived up north previously, but it’s manageable when considering the pay received.

The nightlife in Milton Keynes is very good. There are lots of bars and a couple of clubs as well as plenty of restaurants too. There’s also a huge cinema and plenty of other activities, if bars and clubs don’t interest you, so I never found myself bored while living here.

My department had sports teams that competed with each other and so there were lots of opportunities to take part in sports. I wasn’t made aware of any other types of activities that were available to me however this doesn’t mean there weren’t any. I didn’t go out of my way to look for any more since I was already overloaded with the amount of activities I had!