Corporate Coverage Intern Review

I hugely enjoyed my internship at RBS for a wide variety of reasons. I have managed to learn a lot from my internship as everyone, colleagues and fellow interns alike, were more than willing to accommodate and explain if there is any questions which I have had. Coming from a Law background, I didn't struggle as much as I thought I would do in a financial institution. Everything has been fully explained and I have been given a lot of responsibility to complete the work which contributes towards the wider team. Overall, I really enjoyed my internship as it has been easy to settle in and the work involved were all those performed by a Graduate/Assistant which contributes substantially towards enabling others to succeed.

I felt valued by my colleagues from the very start of the internship. I remember on my first day, I attended a client meeting and was tasked with writing up the meeting minutes which had to be logged and recording into the system as part of protocol. This is followed through with completing various meeting agendas, relationship plans and client meetings which are all important responsibilities given to me. I feel valued through this, especially as I have been treated as part of the team and am expected to contribute rather than viewed as a temporary intern who will leave afterwards.

Throughout my internship I have been given a lot of responsibility and my Line Manager was absent for a proportion of the time due to client meetings and annual leave. Therefore, I haven't received substantial support or guidance for my daily work. However, this isn't a problem and I feel it is the right balance as I am able to seek help and support where needed - all my fellow colleagues in the team and the wider Bank are happy to sit and talk or give recommendations which really helped in my individual project. I felt comfortable that, where needed, I was able to get the support and guidance for any problems which I might be experiencing. It is just a matter of fact that I have managed all my work with relatively little need to ask for help or repeat instructions.

From the very start of the internship I was 'thrown into the deep end' and given a lot of responsibility. I hugely enjoyed this as it allow me to maximise what I can learn from the internship. However, there were a few weeks in between which I felt I was very busy due to the various deadlines approaching. I stayed late until 6pm on quite a few occasions but this wasn't really a problem for me as I lived nearby. Also, what I have experienced was probably more akin to the real working life which I prefer rather than just a 'intern' experience. Therefore, although I was busy throughout my internship, it was a good experience to have.

I was given a lot of responsibility throughout my internship as I have alluded to previously. I cannot rate this as 10/10 as I wasn't "running the show". However, all my work contributed towards the wider team and enabled them to better perform their roles or alleviate some of the work which they have to do. I felt that the work I was involved with gave me a lot of responsibility. I was also given a lot of autonomy over how I arrange my work days, provided that I meet any deadlines set. Further to this, I have been entrusted with a lot of client data which naturally brings responsibility.

I have developed a multitude of skills which I believe are essential in the workplace and can be applied or transferred in different environments. For example, I refined my analytical skills which are crucial to any profession - whether that is banking or law. I also developed finance-related skills such as reading a balance sheet, calculating EBITDA, calculating CFADs, etc... which, although not directly related to any other profession, brings skills which can be useful. It is also additional knowledge which I think is always great to have. My role in Corporate Coverage also enabled me to experience a lot of the relationship related skills - to build, maintain and strengthen relationships with clients and work colleagues. This is extremely important in life and again, isn't restricted just to banking, but can be applied widely.

The atmosphere in my specific division is very professional and everyone is very focussed on their work. I don't mind this, however, visiting other departments and offices, I realise there are offices which are more light-hearted and had a better social atmosphere. However, I don't mind this as everyone is professional and passionate about their work - that's the reason why our team is the best performing throughout the West Midlands which I feel proud to be part of.

The internship was poorly organised from a HR perspective. We had to attend the induction event in Edinburgh and had to travel back to our respective cities at the end of it. I had to travel from Edinburgh to Birmingham which took a long time due to delays and didn't managed to get back until 10pm. However, I was expected to be in for work the following day. It was far worse for interns working in London and quite a few friends didn't get back until 1 or 2am. However, aside from HR related inconveniences, the only other significant problem which I have faced was system access. It took a week and a half before I managed to get access to all the systems which enabled me to perform my role. This involved a lot of communication with IT via phone calls and emails

In the short time which I have been in the Bank and discussions with Graduates who have recently joined, I understand that the Bank is willing to invest a lot in training and development for their workforce. I understand that Graduates have a wide variety of certifications which they could complete - Charted Banker, CISI, CFA, etc... Personal experiences includes trips to the Trading Floor in London, REF in Manchester and Coutts in Birmingham offices. This allowed me to get a wider insight into the bank and also experience which departments I am most interested in. This has been extremely fun and informative as I hugely enjoyed Coutts and would love to spend a minimum of one rotation there.

The Graduate scheme is appealing as it provides a lot of training which would fully equip you and make you competitive in the job market. The only downfall would possibly be the lower remuneration packages in comparison with similar roles in other banks. However, the opportunities available in RBS which is currently undergoing unprecedented change is huge and could prove to be a valuable and lucrative opportunity not available elsewhere.

There hasn't been a lot of company organised socials, however, those which have happened are good as food and drinks are provided. However, quite a few of use have been gathering for football every week and we play with a lot of Graduates around the bank. This has allowed us to meet more people and is a useful socialising event as well.

Although I am based in Birmingham, it has been fairly expensive, taking into account the cost of accommodation. I have managed to retain a small proportion of my wages which would go towards my further education after the internship.

I haven't yet been out clubbing so cannot comment on the nightlife. However, I have been out for drinks in the early evening and Birmingham seems like a lively place. Possible downfall is that most people I see out in drinks are working professionals rather than people of similar ages.

There are limited opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work. The only opportunities are trips to various different departments in the Bank - London, Manchester, Birmingham, etc... which are more related to personal development.