Commercial & Private Banking Intern Review

I enjoyed it for the most part. I had a really good line manager, however I didn't receive as much responsibility from the line manager as I hoped to. This was partly due to the fact that they don't tell the line manager to, so I feel like some line manager's assume you have your own work to do. However, the internship was well structured and the induction was good.

I certainly did feel valued. There wasn't a moment when I felt like my colleagues were annoyed that I couldn't give much back to the team, however, they were certainly eager to be a part of my internship and help me flourish. Furthermore, I would also be a part of the events that they took part in, during and after work.

Myself and my line manager would meet up on a weekly basis (minimum) to see how I have progressed and what I can do to progress myself further. More importantly, there wasn't an opportunity when my line manager was free that he would not spend time to answer my questions or give me feedback on some of my ideas.

I could've been more busy. There weren't many times when I had too little time to complete work, I completed all of my work within my deadlines. There weren't moments that I was too busy to do anything, however I did want to be more busy, because some days would drag because of the lack of pressure.

I was only given responsibility over around four long-term goals throughout my whole internship. These goals were important and time consuming, however, I would've preferred to had a bigger impact on the team. I could definitely have had a larger responsibility, but even when prompted to, I either didn't have the right authority too or it would take too long to explain.

The skills I developed were very good. Prior to the internship I would've shied away from talking to any managers, but given that I was surrounded by them, I realised how relatable their skills are to my own. That is to say, this experience has removed the fear and awe that they know more than me.

The general atmosphere in the office was good. It wasn't like the atmosphere 15 years ago I'm sure of it, but everyone was really friendly, I wasn't aware of any tension, and everyone was really supportive of each other. Furthermore, people always made the time to ask how you are or grab water for you from the fountains. Good stuff.

The internship was pretty well organised, we all knew exactly what they wanted from us and how the 10 weeks was pan out. I would've preferred to know about which parts of the internship were compulsory and I would've liked to know more about what events we would be doing sooner into the internship rather than a week or two before, however other than personal preferences it was nearly seamless.

They invested in our personal training a little bit by making us do learning logs and such like that. However, they didn't create an iconic "team building" exercises with the other interns. This was slightly reflected in the fact that they made us sort our own project with one of the CSR events, however I would've liked to see some out of work team building exercises.

I do plan to join RBS given the recommendation to. I just prefer it over other competitor banks because of the values they prosper. Such a customer service drive shows that they have learned from the 2008 crash and I respect that change of heart. You can really see it in the work as well as the colleagues. Many of the line managers are very honest and respectful people and like that. That's the kind of line manager I like seeing in a Bank, post-crisis. I approve. The only thing dissuading me is the lack of international opportunities.

Yes there was. We met up with them a few times across the country. The induction really solidified some of our friendships and we plan to meet after the internship. The induction gave us a long enough opportunity to spend enough time with each other to start forming friendship groups. I approve of the hotels and networking events that they put on to allow us to very much do what we're doing.

The cost of living is pretty average for the North. Manchester is a somewhat cheap place to live. The wage they give you covers the costs of commuting or living in Manchester which is important to enjoy an internship as it allows you partake in the social activities too without a worry of finance. On Fridays we could get a free drink on the house at one of the local bars!

Lit af. The nightlife is popping in Manchester. The students love and so do my colleagues. So you didn't have to go far to find a strip full of students or a vibrant bar. The live music in Manchester is pretty decent too. Plus the MEN arena is in Manchester too, so if there's any concerts you'd like to go and see, it's not too far of a bus journey away.

There could've been more. There was three official internship events out of the 10 weeks I was there, which is satisfactory. You don't want to spend too much on socialising but there could've been one or two more. On a biweekly basis.