Project Manager - Group Transformation Review

I really enjoyed my internship - actually a lot more than I expected. It was pretty slow to start with as I was settling in and getting my head around new concepts and systems, but that was also due to the fact that the project I was working on was new to the whole team so they were still getting their heads around it and didn't have much work to give me. By the end of my placement I was fully involved in the project with responsibility for producing certain outcomes on a weekly basis, so really enjoyed it! I would recommend it to anyone else who is interested in working for the bank as it gives you a real insight into what it would be like to work for them permanently.

I felt really valued by my colleagues throughout the whole process. They were always really supportive and positive around the work I was doing, offering me help and advice as needed. I was thanked on a weekly basis for the work I was doing by my line manager and other colleagues, both in the team and out of the team. There was also room for making small mistakes in the work I was producing without any reprimands - the colleagues understood that I was new to the job and offered constructive criticism to help me develop, which again made me feel valued and cared about.

I was given good support and guidance when needed, but found it difficult to receive instant support at times as my line manager and other colleagues were always very busy in calls/meetings, and often not in the same office as me (often based in other offices or working from home due to agile working). It would have been better if I was based around other people who were working within the same project as me more often, as it would have enabled me to receive support and guidance quicker. Some things I felt would've been better understood if explained in person, but often support was given via telephone or internet conference which I found a bit difficult, especially during my first few weeks when I was new to all concepts and systems. However my line manager and other supporting colleagues were always available at some point every day for me to give them a call for help if needed which was good.

Towards the start of the internship I found myself with not a lot of work to complete - but as mentioned previously this was more due to the fact that I was still getting my head around new concepts/systems, and the project I was working on was new to the whole team so they were unsure of what work they could give me. In my mid-internship review I made sure that my line manager knew I felt I didn't have enough work to do and didn't have enough responsibility, so he decided on some work I could do on a weekly basis that I would have complete responsibility for producing. By the end of the placement I had a really good balance - I had lots of responsibility and certain outcomes I needed to produce each week, so I was busy on a daily basis.

Again, towards the start I didn't have much responsibility as I was working on a project that was new to the rest of my team and therefore they were still getting to grips with it and didn't know what work to give me. By around 4/5 weeks in to my placement, I had lots of responsibility as I had outcomes that I had full responsibility of producing on a weekly basis that were making a difference to the team.

The skills I have developed will assist me in my degree studies and beyond as I have acquired transferable skills that will be valued by any employer and can be used in my studies. For example, I have developed skills in the following areas: communication (written and verbal); public speaking; working independently to a timescale; working in a team; working with others who are not located in the same space as you (via telephone/online conference); networking; learning to use new systems; learning to understand new concepts and apply them to the work I am doing; events management (planning team meetings etc.).

The atmosphere was good - all colleagues were really friendly and I experienced no negativity throughout my time at the bank. However, people tended to be very busy so the office was rather quiet and you didn't find people chatting to other colleagues very often (but this was expected and understandable).

The internship seemed to be well set up and my line manager was very keen to ensure I was getting the most out of my time here - he consistently asked my opinion on the work I was doing throughout to make sure I was happy and had enough to do. He made sure I was getting what I wanted out of my internship, rather than just what he wanted out of me, which was really good. However I think my internship could have been better organised at the start as I didn't have much to do - even though the project was new to all and they didn't seem to know what work I could do towards it, it would've been helpful for this to be considered before I arrived so I had something that I could have had full responsibility for and been working on so I didn't have gaps in my days for the first 4 weeks.

The company really seemed to invest in me - constantly providing support to help me learn and develop my personal skills. There was access to online learning platforms that enabled me to learn new skills that I was interested in developing and my line manager gave me time each week ('development hours') to use these platforms. I was also able to visit other areas of the bank that I was interested in to learn about what they did, which was really good. Colleagues I was working closely with consistently asked me if there was anything else I'd like to get involved in or anything more they could do to support me, which in turn helped me to develop new skills and proved they were invested in me. The intern development programme which was sent out every 2 weeks was also really good in terms of learning new skills.

Future employment prospects are really appealing. This is my second internship with the bank and I definitely would like to work for them when I complete university next year. They are really supportive and keen for you to develop and progress in your career. There are also lots of benefits in working for the company which attract me. From a woman's perspective, the fact they are so keen on equality and don't expect less of you for being a woman is so refreshing.

I struggled with the social scene as I was commuting from Sheffield to Leeds/Halifax on a daily basis, so couldn't do much after work. I am aware that my fellow interns who were living together in local student accommodation had a really good social scene - they did things together during the week and every weekend. I attended a team event after work one Friday which was really nice and enabled me to get to know my team better out of a work setting.

I didn't live in the area in which I worked as I commuted from Sheffield to Leeds/Halifax every day - this was pretty expensive due to the cost of petrol and parking in Leeds (£8.25 parking per day!!!). However the company will reimburse me for some of this at the end of my internship which is really helpful.

I didn't live in the area I worked in so didn't go on any nights out during my time on the internship in Leeds. However, I am aware that Leeds night life is very good as I have been on a few nights out in the area previously - it's not too expensive either so would definitely recommend.

I didn't come across any opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work, but that is probably because I didn't live in the area I was working in and commuted in each day. The only activity outside of work that I was invited to was for a few drinks with my team after work on a Friday.