Associate Review

I found my placement an enjoyable experience. I always had work to do so I was kept busy throughout my internship. I was given opportunities to get involved with things that I was interested in which made it more interesting for me. My team was supportive and always willing to share their experiences.

From the start of my internship I was given an equal amount of work to the graduate in my team - this level of responsibility from the start was a really good experience. My team were always willing to provide me with work but more importantly, they were willing to take the time to answer my questions. I was always encouraged to attempt work first and then my work would be reviewed with a colleague to help me understand how I could improve and develop. Their willingness to help me improve made me feel valued. The intern network was great. This provided opportunities to socialise and find out what goes on in other divisions.

I did not have much contact with my manager on a day to day basis. However, I had a team leader to supervise me. They would set me work and make sure I always had something worthwhile to do. My supervisor gave up lots of time to explain the industry, what the team did and technical details at the start of my placement so I could really get involved with work. Beyond setting work and giving advice, they were great at encouraging me to go and pursue placements within wider divisions to see what else was no offer.

At the start of my placement I was set objectives by my manager. These were my core focus whilst on my placement. However, I was always set extra side pieces of work to test my time management skills and just stay involved with current issues that came to the team. In addition to my objectives I set targets with my team leader such as securing shadowing days which also kept me occupied in the latter part of my placement.

I felt the work I was given to complete always had a purpose. It was needed to help the team deliver. My tasks had ranging levels of responsibility. Some projects I worked on alone whereas others I worked alongside colleagues. I got to attend firm visits, present to my head of department and deliver team projects.

I came into the internship with good excel skills. However, these have been developed greatly. My team continually pushed me to find quicker, more automated ways to use the excel through shortcuts and learning to automate more processes. This will help me when completing my dissertation. I was also encouraged to discuss the markets and current events on a regular basis. This will help me when I return to complete my economics degree.

During out placement, the office moved from Canary Wharf to Stratford and there was also a technology upgrade. Whilst the office atmosphere was generally calm there was a lot of change going which made things difficult for everyone. However, the people in the office are very friendly and willing to share. The social atmosphere is okay. The interns met for lunch most days and there were a few socials. Within the wider department, apart from team dinners or leaving drinks there is not much.

The placement is well structured. There are a 2.5 days of training for interns at the beginning of the placement which help settle you into the company and also get to know each other. I felt this was very helpful however, more could have been done to integrate the interns particularly in a year where we were split across 3 offices. In terms of monitoring your progress there is a structured review process. Objectives are set and these are reviewed at the mid point and final stages to see what you have achieved and how you could develop. It is worth noting that the division you request is not necessarily where you will be placed. Yet, if offered a graduate role, your internship division becomes your graduate division unless you request a change.

Mandatory training is completed at the start of the placement to help your understanding. There are lunch and learn sessions for the whole company but these are not well advertised. My development came from my teams and their willingness to challenge me. If my teams had not been so supportive I could well have had a very different experience.

At the end of the internship you complete a final review and this dictates if you are offered a graduate position or not. This is a direct entry scheme and therefore there would be no need to reapply. Having had a good internship here, this is very appealing to me.

Interns met for lunch most days and there was a decent sized group of interns always willing to meet after work. I got on well with my cohort and this definitely made my placement more enjoyable. Socials were a good chance to find out what other people were doing but also just get to know other people.

I lived at home on my placement and commuted to work. Drinks are expensive - however that is to be expected in London. With the new Stratford office, there is a staff discount card for shops and some food outlets which makes the high prices more bearable! There are also some cheaper bars around - these are fine as long as you have a good group to go with.

The nightlife in Stratford is okay. There are lots of restaurants but only a few bars. If you go further afield there are more bars but these are harder to get back from at night.

There are some opportunities for activities however, I felt our placement was too short to actually get involved in these. At most, I know some interns went to the gym or tried out the aquatic centre. There are lots of activities on offer but probably more if you're working for more than the Summer.