Account Manager Support Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my internship and the work I was given. I was able to work on both the IB and Corporate sides of the bank which gave me a really good and balanced understanding of how the bank and financial industry works. The structure of the internship was great as I knew what to expect from a week so I could plan my time and complete the projects too.

My colleagues were extremely welcoming and always on hand for any questions I had. They found me work to do and guided me through any new processes I had to complete. I was then left to work independently which made my work feel important and necessary. My colleagues made an effort to understand what I wanted to achieve from the internship and helped me achieve those goals.

I had a weekly meeting with my branch manager and mentor to assess my progress and ensure I was getting what I wanted out of each week. This made it easy for me to ask to spend more time in certain areas or to find out more about a different task which I had previously completed.

Each week I had a specific area to focus on be that AMS, Corporate, Individual or training. As well as this, I had various projects to complete during my time. I had two branch projects to work on which were tailored to my interests as well as a branch management report.

As time went on, I was given more responsibility on a daily basis. In the first few weeks, I shadowed colleagues and was guided through processes whilst being watched. Towards the end of the internship, I was able to complete tasks independently and left to my own devices which made me feel like my work truly mattered.

I have gained very valuable experience of working generally as well as specifically in financial services. I have developed my ability to prioritise and manage my time as well as to work independently and as part of a team. I have also improved my communication skills both with colleagues and with customers.

The office had a good balance of chat and quiet. People were conversational but not overly so that you were unable to concentrate and work. Everyone is hard working and that was reflected in the atmosphere but it was by no means an unpleasant atmosphere to work in. I found the atmosphere to be as I expected from an office set up.

We received a structured programme at the start of the internship which outlined what we could expect from each week. We were also provided with a log book and glossary of terms which was useful for reflecting and development purposes. We had fortnightly conference calls with our mentor and 7 other interns so we could see how others were doing.

My branch manager got to know my aims early on which helped us to structure my programme accordingly. People were always on hand for any questions or issues I had from how to use a stapler remover to how mortgage processes work. This made it easy for me to develop across the board.

We were given talks by an area manager and an old intern which showed us how we could progress within the organisation. The program on offer for graduates appeals and has good progress potential within Handelsbanken. We know what to expect from future contact with the bank and have a HR contact.

I did not see the other interns often but did see them at the reflection day and also when we met up to work on our group presentation. The branches are not all nearby which made social meetings rare but we stayed in contact using messaging services and at the reflection day.

I stayed at home so just commuted each day and it was not overly expensive. There was a range of food outlets nearby and they were all very affordable. The cost of living is more expensive than at Uni but that was to be expected rather than a surprise.

n/a I didn't go out.

There were 2 social opportunities during my Internship however I was unable to attend them due to prior commitments.