This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.
Rating
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The Role
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The Company
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The Culture
- 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?
- 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?
- 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?
- 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?
- 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?
- 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
- 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?
- 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?
- 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
- 10. What were the perks on your work placement?
- 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?
- 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?
- 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?
- 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?
- 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?
The Role
The environment was challenging, fast and dynamic. At the same time I felt I could ask any of my colleagues for help at any time.
I was given important responsibilities from the start of the internship and my colleagues would come to me for help in different tasks and including me in conferences and calls.
I underwent training for the first two weeks of my internship to acquire the necessary knowledge on the company and the product. After that for whatever doubt or question I could go back to my colleagues. Also, I received feedback from my colleagues on the work I would submit either to them or directly to clients.
There were days in which I didn't have time to for a break but that was all due to the pressure we were under to deliver to clients. I believe that in such a short period like the internship it is better to do as many things as possible in order to learn the most. Also, the fact that the working hours were always between 8 and 6 with rare exceptions allowed me to leave at a good time to do other activities.
During my internship I was assigned clients to follow along with my "tutor" but, after her departure to visit foreign clients, I was given full responsibility and had 1on1 meetings with them as a full time employee would.
I have a much broader understanding of the financial markets, portfolio management and investment decisions than before I joined the internship. The possibility of being in contact with actual portfolio managers and the seminars offered by the company were key in this.
The Company
The environment was extremely friendly with people always available to help me. Apart from that, the fact that there were literally people coming from every corner of the world allowed me to feel a part of a community that was truly multicultural. It was a real pleasure to come to work everyday even in the most hectic of times.
The work placement was very well organized with weekly meetings in which I and my manager would talk about the work load and new projects I would be working on. Also, the fact that in any case I could always find something to do by asking the remaining part of my colleagues if they needed help allowed me to never live a dull moment during my internship.
The company organized seminars and conferences to keep me updated on the most relevant themes of the financial markets. Also, the fact that I was in constant communication with management from New York and Singapore/Hong Kong for my projects made me feel a valued member of the team. Regarding personal development, I was constantly shadowing members of my team and non to understand what a full time employment would really mean while developing the necessary abilities to work full time in the company.
Subsidised Canteen
Sports and Social Club
International Travel
Financial Bonus
Company Parties/Events
Staff Sales/Staff Shop
Working from home
I look forward to hearing from the company for future employment and will enjoy working here if I ever get the chance
The Culture
We were constantly invited to events in which we could meet both our internship colleagues and full time. In particular, the organization of a summer party event was just the perfect trampoline to start the internship from.
London is an extremely expensive city and the area in which the company office is is one of the most expensive. However, the salary given to interns was very competitive and this allowed me to maintain a very good living standard.
London has one of the most extravagant, joyous and ecstatic nightlives I have ever experienced.
Yes, just the sporting activities on their own allowed me to meet a variety of different people from departments I would have otherwise never seen.
Details
Internship (1 Month+)
Banking, Information Technology, Sales
London
September 2017