Analyst Review

I enjoyed the work very much. I was always given more than enough work and it was challenging and substantial enough to keep me busy, and engaged for the entire duration of the placement. I worked closely with both junior and senior colleagues across all parts of my department. This gave me valuable insights into different functions of GTB.

I felt very valued by my immediate colleagues. However I have very serious concerns about the responsibility of HR and the Scholars team, as I discovered a substantial pay gap (for equal work) between scholars and interns. This sort of disparity is completely unacceptable and is giving me serious doubts about working at the group. I was essentially told to drop this matter and accept the fact that my scholarship compensates for this, this is even worse. The scholarship is merit based and also has literally nothing to do with the workplace.

My line manager always answered my questions or found the answer.

I was always busy. My work hours were beyond 9-5, however I never had a problem with this as I appreciated more the fact that I was trusted to execute time sensitive and impactful work. I must say that for all intents and purposes there was never a dull moment on the internship this summer, I was given enough work and was encouraged to find even more should I want to. The opportunities to work and add value were basically endless.

I was given substantial responsibility over my deliverables. Naturally some more random tasks did not entail any major responsibilities, however my main tasks made up large portions of projects that deliver value to the bank. For instance I worked with my Line Manager and did the majority of research on a standalone proposition for Financial Institutions. Specifically, this task was substantial research on government contracts, the idea of the proposition was to provide invoice financing for these deals, something which would be very profitable for the bank.

I was both training specifically in skills and also picked many up as I went along the internship. We received formal training in the areas of presentation skills, working capital, and excel. I have also been able to develop data analysis skills on excel, using several different functions individually and in tandem with others. I have also used Microsoft Visio, a software that allows accurate mapping of detailed flowcharts. This software was relatively easy to learn, however I have also been able to develop some introductory-level VBA skills within excel, enhancing my ability to deal with a large dataset.

I enjoyed very much the atmosphere of my office. My office has the right level of work ethic, while people do not take themselves too seriously. I have heard and experienced many office environments where a large number of people take themselves extremely seriously. The environment at GTB also had the benefit of being more casual on Fridays, not just in dress but also approach. There were some socials although I feel like there was definitely some room for improvement in that regard

Extremely well organised, always had work

The company, specifically my line manager, invested in me by allowing me to choose the work that I do. This enabled me to choose what skills I wanted to hone and which ones I wanted to develop. Also, it allowed me to play towards my strong suit and also to somewhat avoid tasks that I knew lay within my area of weakness.

The graduate scheme is an attractive opportunity. The salary is relatively competitive, at 38K basic, including a signing bonus and relocation allowance. Also included in the graduate scheme is a CFA qualification course. Added benefits are the rotational nature of the program and also facilities in place such as insurance, healthcare and other benefits of this nature.

Yes, there were some events

The area we lived in, Kings Cross, is quite an expensive one. However, we were able to find several places that are actually quite affordable. It can be difficult however to find a place if you are not from London or are not around people who know the city. However I would recommend going to Angel, there are several restaurants and bars dotted around where it is quite easy to walk home from. They are also quite reasonably priced

The nightlife in the area we worked is not really existent. However, in London, the transport links are so good that it doesn't really matter where you live. The only thing is that living in central London is essential to have a viable nightlife. Soho, Shoreditch, and Hackney were all places that are really fun to go to and that are actually reasonably priced and accessible in under half an hour.

Not with the bank.