Group Audit Intern Review

Given that this was my first internship (and first foray into financial services) I did not know what to expect before coming. The internship exceeded what expectations I did have: it was well organised and run, the teams I worked in were helpful and patient and overall the experience was very enjoyable.

The colleagues I worked with (in two separate teams) during my internship were great. They were conscious of how little experience I had and made time to explain anything to me that I did not understand and made themselves available to me (1:1) so I could ask any questions that I might have.

Both of my managers during my time on the internship programme were very attentive. Having given me some desk work, or a project to get started on, they would check my understanding before allowing me to go and work. Both managers would check up on my progress and offer time and support to make sure I understood the task at hand.

How busy I was during the internship varied, as I assume it would in the real working world. On occasions, having finished one task, there would be a lull where my supervisors had to think of the next thing for me to do. Some days were very busy, given the whole team had deadlines so I was given more to do.

I was given a fair amount of responsibility. When I showed that I could complete a task easily or without much hassle, the team seemed more confident to give me more responsibility to complete similar tasks without much assistance. However, at times I was given odd jobs that were not very important (admin type jobs).

I think the skills that I have developed will certainly be helpful going forward in my working life (less so in my degree studies: there is little overlap between my degree and my work given that my degree is not a practical/ vocational degree). The 'soft' skills training will be massively helpful and applicable for the rest of my working life.

The atmosphere in the office was good: people felt very comfortable having a chat and a joke between themselves but also there were period of time were the office was much quieter, given that people were knuckling down to work. The people in the office were all friendly and willing to stop and chat which contributed to the good atmosphere.

The training at the beginning of our internship was very well organised, with respect to timings, activities and so on. My desk work was also well managed and organised by my supervisors: I knew what I had to be doing, at what times (to deadlines) and where etc. However, some aspects of communication were lacking: calendar invites or emails did not come through when they said they would and so on.

The beginning of the internship started with a whole week of cross divisional training: working on soft skills, personal brands and more technical knowledge also. We also received a training workshop on presenting skills which was in preparation of the assessed presentation we gave. We also received some division specific training, but this could have perhaps been more extensive, as this was more relevant to our day to day work.

At the end of the internship you will be told if you have been offered a place on the graduate scheme (or not). As far as I know, the chances of receiving the job at the end are good, with most interns in my division from the previous year/ cohort being offered the permanent job.

You could get as involved (or stay as uninvolved) in the social scene amongst the interns as you would like - there was always a group who were keen to meet up/ get dinner/ get a drink outside of work, so it was up to you whether you wished to go. There were a few organised activities in the office and also some informal team lunches and drinks after work.

I lived at home for the duration of the internship so I am not all that sure about the cost of living, but eating out and going for a drink after work in Canary Wharf was very expensive. However, saying that, this is no different than anywhere else in London so was hardly a shock.

I would not say that the nightlife in Canary Wharf is anything special - the area gets quite dead after work hours. However, the nightlife in London is great and varied to whatever tastes you may have, and London Bridge is only a short tube ride away so there was little complaint.

There are opportunities to involve yourself in charity schemes, the Bank is developing its corporate and social responsibility wing and encourages any charitable ventures that employees might want to pursue. We also had a CSR day which involved Tai Chi in the park and then an 'Apprentice' style competition across London.