HR Summer Analyst Review

I really enjoyed the internship and would recommend it. I had a lovely and supporting team, received a good amount of independence in my work tasks. Additionally there were lots of networking opportunities hosted for interns, and colleagues across the bank were very open to talking about their careers and work experiences

I felt very valued. My team clearly had a need for an extra pair of hands. I was given enough time to fully get to know the work and the team, yet I was given enough independence to carry out my own projects and help others ease their workload. I have heard the same from other interns - interns aren't placed unless there is a need for them.

I was given good support from my line manager through weekly catchups. They were always available to answer my questions and directed me towards the correct resources or colleagues to receive more help from. We also had open communication about feedback and improving performance, and my line manager was very understanding.

I was kept busy throughout the internship. Especially at the beginning where I was not so aware of the scope of tasks and what they actually are, there were times of stress about the workload. Most importantly, during these times my team and line manager were very receptive to my comments and tried to balance my workload. There was still good time to catch up with colleagues over coffee and lunch, and I did not feel too overworked.

I'd say the amount of responsibility was good - not too much but not too little. Also the timing of giving more responsibility was well thought out, as I received more responsibility towards the mid and end parts. At the beginning I was supporting existing projects and processes that involve multiple people, so there was less pressure.

The skills and experiences helped figure out what I want to study and concentrate more on in the future. Function and business-specific training will also be useful in future degree studies as case studies and examples. Additionally, the soft skills I developed in this internship, including teamwork, delegation, communication, will assist in degree courses and projects.

The general atmosphere was positive. Everyone was friendly to each other and it was easy to network and collaborate with colleagues across the office. There was a general atmosphere of working hard, but not in a stressful manner, as everyone seemed to be genuinely interested and motivated to do their jobs well.

The internship was extremely well organised. There was enough training in the first few days, and further training was well set up online. There were consistent communications about events and opportunities for interns, as well as weekly information sessions about different aspects of the function. This I have hear to be true across all the internships.

Very appealing, as there is a general push for lateral career movements and continuous development throughout careers. A lot of colleagues mentioned staying or joining the organisation due to flexible working opportunities and very accommodating policies on working only part of the week. This means that even though my interests change, I could stay within the organisation, and if my lifestyle changes, the organisation will support me.

The cost of living was alright. London is London, so high living costs and public transport costs are expected. The organisation supported this well through bonus, so it was not an issue. Socialising costs were as normally in the UK, but again, salary compensated this well so costs were not an issue.