SCCB Intern Review

The internship was very enjoyable, I was able to work with a range of people in my team and the department and able to learn a lot from everyone. Being able to shadow/find out more about other parts of the bank was a bonus too, as I was able to get a better idea of what I liked/disliked after hearing rumours about different departments.

My team were supportive and understanding looking for opportunities for me to get involved with work that I could be involved with. Colleagues also set aside time to go through work and give feedback as well as answer any questions for me. By allowing me to get involved in a range of projects and have a real responsibility I did feel valued by my colleagues.

There was always time made or someone available to help/offer support/answer any questions I had. They would offer to chat/go over anything I didn't understand/offer guidance with set work. Support was offered and if you needed it you would have to ask for it and time would be made for you.

Everyday I had something to work on/build on, sometimes I would be waiting to get information from someone but as long as I indicated I had the capacity for more work I would definitely have something else to work on. Others in my team were keen to get me involved in work/provide me with something to learn about.

I was given sufficient responsibility during my internship, having to chase people up and work to deadlines on a few projects. I was not given too much responsibility but was involved in a range of tasks which each had set deadlines to work to. Considering my experience I was given enough responsibility.

Working with lots of people throughout the bank having multiple projects meant that I had to manage my time reasonably well and prioritise tasks to suit my skillset and the deadlines. These are skills which will benefit me, going into my third year. Working in a strategy team I was frequently using powerpoint and preparing presentations, being exposed to other team presentations I have built on my powerpoint skills and presentation skills

Everyone in my office was very approachable, friendly and would work collaboratively when they needed to draw on other team members experiences. Team members would work independently but always seek other opinions when in doubt. Most people were quite diligent sometimes eating at their desk depending on how busy they were/demands of the business.

The internship was not too formally set up, but more based on what you wanted to get out of it. If you wanted to find out more about certain departments/divisions it would be down to you to indicate your interests to find the right person to organise a meeting with. My manager was good at asking me this regularly, organising a few meetings for me/putting me in contact with others. Work was not structured in a set way - down to the demands of the business/what you can offer support on, you are more judged on what you want to get involved with and how you do.

There was not many set training and development activities, more introductory talks on different parts of the bank. If you indicate what you want to develop to your manager, they should find a way to develop your chosen skill, maybe by looking out for times when you can present/get involved in work that calls upon a certain skillset.

Future employment prospects at Santander are appealing because the work environment/culture is suited to what I want (social, friendly, competitive). The graduate scheme seems like a great opportunity to broaden knowledge of banking and challenge yourself as you are a free resource and therefore have plenty of opportunities to immerse yourself in different projects.

Fellow students would regularly be around/ interested in meeting up after work at least once a week. This completely depends on the people you are around. But our group frequently went out for drinks after work. Luckily my team were also quite social and wanted to go out for drinks occasionally.

Costs of living and socialising in London are not cheap, this was one of the reasons why we did not socialise as frequently with other interns. But living and socialising was less of a problem as I only lived an hour away from work. So cost of living was not as much of an issue.

Nightlife in London was very good, we would be spoilt for choice if we could afford to go to all of the places, but if you plan to spend less in bars/pubs it is not too much of a challenge to not spend a lot. The nightlife was good but we did not really go to any clubs, mostly bars and pubs.

There were a few events organised through our charity project - football tournaments, rounders tournaments etc. There were also a few leaving drinks during the time I spent here on my internship which were good fun and a chance to meet other people from other parts of the business and socialize with fellow colleagues.