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
I generally thought it was enjoyable. However, at times I was left alone in the office without my mangers supervision, and with no work to do. As a consideration, a shared document with work to do would be a good idea. Apart from this, it was pretty enjoyable and would recommend to everyone.
Although my colleagues didn't ask for support or even give me work, they were kind to me and made me feel part of the team. I didn't get work to do from them, but they would always chat to me or offer me snack throughout the work day. I sat on a table with full-time staff, which was nice as it got me in the routine of things fast.
This one I would rate extremely highly. My manager met me at the door the first day of the internship, took me upstairs and had a casual chat about everything. She then took me downstairs to meet the people I would be working with. For the first couple of weeks, she made sure that I was given adequate support when doing the work, and that I didn't feel as if I was left in the dark. I can't personally say what the other interns felt. However, given the positivism in their response, I can say this is the general consensus of a lot of interns.
In the first few weeks I was not that busy at all. But as it went on, my responsibilities grew. Especially with the personal project and the CSR group project to deal with, I had to keep busy towards the last few weeks, as a way to keep on track with everything.
I was given extreme responsibility for just one event. That event dealt with planning a seminar that would take place in September and October. I understand why the responsibility was low, but having a larger scale of things to do would have been a nice addition. This did not feel like too much pressure which was nice.
It gave me first hand experience with the banking/financial industry. This experience is unique in that case, and has a great opportunity for a graduate scheme. I believe that this will make me push even harder for that degree in hopes of achieving that graduate job. All-in-all it was a great experience.
The Company
The atmosphere around the office is generally positive. People don't socialise as much as I thought before coming in, but that's not a bad thing in the end. People just do their work and get things done. I'm not discouraged by it in the slightest, and I don't think anyone else coming in would be either.
I think it was extremely well organised. In my case, I had a desk to sit at throughout the whole internship, and everyday I would come in and go straight to the same place. In the beginning of the internship, we had open days which briefed us on what was to come. We also have an end of internship event, which I am sure will wrap things up nicely and tell us what we should expect if a graduate job is offered.
This is such a unique chance. I remember them saying that 150 interns were selected out of something like 10,000 applications. They are investing not only a salary, but a valuable position in me. I think it is a great chance to see what the job and company are like.
Flexi Time
Subsidised Canteen
Sports and Social Club
Subsidised/Company Gym
National Travel
Financial Bonus
Company Parties/Events
Above 25 days holiday
Future prospects are very appealing. Not only is the salary fantastic for straight out of university, but the experience of a graduate job is even better. Therefore, employment with the Royal Bank of Scotland would be a great opportunity. It is also appealing because of all the extra benefits of working here, such as a discount on gyms and working in the centre of town.
The Culture
Yes. The social scene was especially enjoyable. Being in Edinburgh, it was easy enough to go out and enjoy the city. The fringe is also on, and going out then with all the interns will be great. Socials are sometimes held during the week, which does not make any sense. They should always be held on the weekend.
The cost was around £500 per month living, and socialising was around £100 or less per week. Going out is not the cheapest thing around this area. However, it is much cheaper than London. The living costs are fine and not a problem either. This is the price you have to pay to work in the centre of town.
Im from the area that I worked. But in Edinburgh (area of work), the nightlife is insane. Although it might not be as crazy as places like leeds and Manchester, it is good fun. They're plenty of good clubs to go to and tons of bars if that kind of stuff isn't your thing. Don't be discouraged if you think the nightlife is bad - its not.
Yes. I didn't participate in the Ping-Pong challenge and the scavenger hunt as its not my type of thing. But most of the interns did, and from what I can gather, they enjoyed it a lot. So they're activities outside of work. However, I think they should be more social events and not things like Ping-Pong which everyone cant participate in.
Details
Internship (1 Month+)
Scotland
July 2018