Internal Audit intern Review

I really enjoyed the internship, it has been a great 10 weeks. The time has went really quickly and doesn't feel like summer is almost over. Although I am disappointed I have to leave, I am looking forward to using the skills I have learnt to further my university studies and future career.

I felt really valued by my colleagues in both the Edinburgh and London offices. Colleagues really made me feel as part of a team and valued my opinion and discussions. Everyone has been really friendly and treated me as a proper colleague as opposed to 'just an intern' which has been really lovely.

I was supported greatly by my line manager and graduate 'buddy' throughout the ten week internship, and even before I started it (phone calls before it began to offer guidance). Whenever I had any issues I felt comfortable asking them for help, support and guidance, both work and non- work related.

I was quite busy with work every day. I had some team specific work, phone calls, and emails etc. I also had an intern project to complete alongside other interns in my group which kept us busy during the ten weeks. Similarly, I took part in the HBP charity challenge so spent a lot of time raising money for charity too.

I was given some responsibility with team projects related directly to my area. I also had a great deal of responsibility in regards to the Charity Challenge, as I organised and held a number of fundraising activities. In regards to the project work, I was responsible for a lot of tasks that had to be completed.

I know that the skills I have developed over the ten weeks, such as communication, IT skills, excel skills, etc. will assist me when I return to university and back to studying again. The training I have received from colleagues will also benefit me when I begin work in the future.

The atmosphere in the office was really pleasant, friendly and encouraging. Colleagues spent some time getting to know me in the first few weeks which made it easier for me to feel comfortable when coming into work each day and week. The office never felt overly dull (except on a Friday when most people worked from home!) :)

The internship overall was really well set up by senior staff and the leadership team. It felt really organised and prepared from the very first week until the last week. I never had any issues with how it was set up or planned which was good as it prevented major faults.

The company really encouraged me to greatly develop my own personal skills and qualities through online personal training; both mandatory and optional training. I completed all of this given training that was offered to me from the beginning of week one. I found it really beneficial as I was able to develop myself as well as complete work.

I would definitely like future employment within the organisation. If successful, next year at the end of the internship, I may have the chance to get onto the graduate scheme which offers a 2 year full time job in the company.This is very appealing as I already have experience here and may present a full time permanent job.

There was a really good social scene amongst the internship students. We all spent time together both inside and outside of work as we lived in the same accommodation for the 10 weeks, so we could communicate often. We spent time at the festival events and also got coffee and lunch together at work.

Socialising in the city of Edinburgh was not as expensive as I had originally thought. Going out wasn't overly expensive if planned ahead. Edinburgh festival was also taking place so there were some cheap or free shows to attend which was really nice to attend after work or at the weekends.

The nightlife in Edinburgh was really vibrant. As it was summer and Fringe was happening, the city was always lit up and buzzing. This made going out and socialising really fun. The area felt really safe at night which made going out late and coming back late not so scary.

There were lots of activities to get involved in, such as charity challenge events, the Fringe Festival events and activities, shows, concerts, cinemas, restaurants, pubs, etc. This made weekends relaxing as I had opportunities to do non work related things and I got to clear my head after a week at work.