Research Assistant Review

Working on placement has been an enjoyable experience due to the type of work I was able to do and the colleagues I worked with. It is an inclusive place to work with a plethora of nationalities and cultures making it a friendly environment to work. The type of work was rewarding and challenging at times.

Being in a central bank i.e. more public sector oriented, placement students were given a significant amount of important work. A lot of importance was placed upon us at an early stage and made us all feel valued. Because we felt valued, we worked hard and did our best as we would always be recognised for our hard work.

The support and guidance I was given by not just my manager, but a lot of senior people meant that I was able to seek help when I needed it most. I was empowered to meet with people and network. If someone who was knowledgeable about a particular subject, I was encouraged to speak to them.

It is difficult to define how busy I was on a daily basis, but the work comes in peaks and troughs. There are some weeks where I found myself extremely busy and would have to stay later to finish work, but other times there was not too much to do.

The amount of responsibility that was given to me from the start had been quite great. It was a bit daunting at first, but once you get into the swing of things you learn to deal with the amount of responsibility. I think it helped being in a public sector role where the type of work I was doing was crucial to day-to-day activities.

The numerous skills and training I have received whilst on placement will help me tremendously in third year. I will be able to apply concepts and new ways of working in my studies. I will have a greater knowledge of financial markets and banking that I think will give me an advantage in third year. With regards to beyond, I can see myself applying for the graduate role to return back to the Bank after university.

The general atmosphere within the office is one of content and collaboration. It is an inclusive working environment and you feel comfortable to work in the area. Everyone is super approachable and happy to help where needed. There is never an unhappy atmosphere making you not want to come to work.

The placement was well organised with me knowing what team I was going to be placed within as well as the type of work I would be doing. The placement is quite flexible as they encourage you to take a couple of weeks and try out some new areas whilst having a main team.

When arriving at the Bank there is mandatory e-learning to be completed by new employees. They want you to understand the ways of working and the inclusive working culture they have. They offer a multitude of training courses which you are free to sign up for and you are encouraged to learn as much as you can on these courses.

The graduate programme that the Bank offers looks appealing where you stay in a role for about 18 months and then are encouraged to move to a completely different area. I think the most appealing part is that you are able to in effect do a completely different job than you were doing before and learn something new.

Yes, from the beginning everyone is put into the same boat and we went out weekly to try and get to know each other outside of the work environment. I have definitely met some people that I will keep in touch with even through next year that do not go to the same university as me.

As it is in central London, the cost of living and social events is quite high. However, I think that the quality of life and social events makes up for the steep price. Some may think differently, but in my opinion it has been worth it. Many places offered happy hours so that is something to consider.

The nightlife in London is as one would expect, bar none. Again, it is relatively expensive to go out, but especially with a salary it is manageable. There is always some event happening and there is never a dull night out in London.

Each area within the Bank has their own sports group and that can vary from football to hockey to basically any sport you can imagine. The Bank also has their own sports facility sight in south west London where many of the sports are played. This does not just include sports, but many societies that you would find in university.