Business Analyst - Summer Intern Review

I really enjoyed my internship. I am currently on week 6 of 10 and I feel like I have been given such a breadth of opportunities. There have been such a range of things that I have been able to get involved in, inside and outside of my team. I really think I've gained a lot of transferrable skills through this placement.

My Line Manager is really supportive of me and wants me to be successful, and my team have been so generous with their time, and have been patient in explaining things to me if I don't at first understand. I feel really valued by them and in turn value them.

I feel 100% supported by my manager. She's asked me several times if there's anything she can do to support me that she's not already doing, and she put a day-to-day manager in place for when she is out of the office so I always have a point of contact in the team.

I feel really busy everyday, which is why the last six weeks have gone so quickly. I have had the opportunity to get involved with different projects and sit in on various meetings so my calendar can be very full at times. That said, I have also been given the time and space to work on my independent project on which I will be evaluated.

I feel I have been given quite a bit of responsibility during my placement. In my second week I attended a meeting on behalf of my manager which involved engaging with senior colleagues so I felt that was a great opportunity. I have also been able to contribute to various projects and I always feel that my opinions are listened to.

I genuinely think all the skills I have developed here are extremely transferrable and applicable to any career. I particularly think I have boosted my people skills, which is useful for my studies and later graduate job. The training I have received has really helped me with my confidence and business acumen and I will definitely take that forward into my career.

I really like the office - it is colourful and there's a little buzz of conversation, it has lovely views and big windows so a lot of light. There is definitely a feeling of separation between teams but I am happy to talk with my team and the other interns I have connected with.

Very well organised. We were told in advance what business area we would be working in, as well as who our line manager would be. My line manager contacted me before the start of the placement to get to know me and answer any questions I had which was really helpful.

I feel that anything I wanted to get involved in, whether it was another project or a seminar or training activity, my team were very on board with me doing that. My manager really encouraged me to get the most out of this placement and take as many opportunities as I can.

I don't yet know if I will be given a graduate offer, but I will be told on the last day of my placement. I would be very keen to take the job if it were offered to me, as I have really enjoyed the internship and love the culture and environment here.

I have made a lot of friends that are interns. Everyone is really lovely and friendly and keen to socialise which is great. It helps that a lot of people have had to temporarily relocate for this job, which means they don't know anyone and are eager to make friends.

It definitely isn't as expensive as living in London, but it isn't particularly cheap either - although it is possible to find really good deals for dining out/drinks etc. The cost of living is extremely expensive here for the month of August because of the fringe festival - my accommodation costs 700/week in August.

The nightlife is good here, there are a lot of options in Edinburgh for different things to do - from bars to restaurants to clubs. There's a lot of choice which is nice and I have had a good night when going out. It will be particularly good when the fringe festival is on.

There were so many opportunities to get involved with different events. I joined the gym, a netball summer league, and have done a lot of activities with friends and fellow interns outside of work. This has really made a good work life balance.