Female Technology Insight Review

I thoroughly enjoyed it. The only reason I am not giving it a maximum score is because I did not get to experience all three rotations that were planned. So, I ended up attending one of the rotations twice. Still, I really liked the fact that technology solutions has so many different roles and there is a lot of room for learning.

Everyone was extremely friendly and welcoming. We attended meetings and had access to lots of information. One of the employees I was shadowing was so open that she showed us her complete to do list for the week. She went through all the information in extreme detail and made me feel like I am part of the team already.

We got a lot of support in preparation for the assessment that happened at the end of the week. I felt completely prepared and knew what to expect in every stage of the assessment. I also got a lot of advice from employees from various sectors in terms of what skills to further develop.

I study mathematics, so the skills I developed do not directly correlate to my degree. However, I think I got a lot of guidance when it comes to programming. I spoke to one of the employees who has a PhD in mathematics and he was very straightforward on skill development and explained the programming that he does daily.

Considering that it was only three days long, I think it was extremely well-organised. We had enough time to learn about the business, received loads of information from the shadowing and had enough preparation for the assessment. Also, the assessment was divided into multiple parts, which were not on the same day. This made it less overwhelming and more manageable.

The HR team was great. They were laid-back, yet insightful. I am still in contact with most people from the spring week. We went for dinners during the week, and grew closer, which ended up in a very enjoyable work environment. The employees were very honest and gave us a lot of valuable advice.

This was only a three-day placement. So obviously there was not enough time to work on external training or development. However, after speaking to various teams, it was evident that there is a lot of training available - both externally and internally. People on the grad scheme came from different backgrounds, so it was obvious that training had to happen in order to get everyone on the same page.

I think I am pretty well-aware of the actual role after the insight. I asked about work-life balance, the overall culture and the hours that the job entails. Most of the people I met have been there for a long time, which makes me believe that they genuinely enjoy their roles.

I think I am very aware of the culture. Information such as encouraging working from home, there being a nursery, a pool, a tennis court... All of this shows me how important work-life balance is at the firm and that they actually care about the quality of life of their employees. Also, the employees seem to be friends out of work, which I really like.

I already knew that I was interested in technology, but I was not aware of what the exactly entails. I thought it was just going to be coding, but I now know how much mobility and variety there is within these roles. As I study pure mathematics, knowing that there is training on the job is very comforting.

RBS paid for all of my tickets. The round trip from London and also all the tram tickets in Edinburgh. I also got reimbursed for all of my meals during my time there - which included the Sunday before the insight started. They paid for the hotel in Edinburgh and also covered the Sunday stay, because I arrived early.

There was an event during one of the days where we got to meet representatives from all branches of the firm. It was very useful to see what opportunities there are and also what set of skills they are looking for. During the shadowing I got to meet a lot of people as well. The people I shadowed introduced me to a lot of their colleagues, especially the ones doing the roles I am interested in.

There was obviously a lot of networking on the job and especially at the careers fair. In terms of the social opportunities, I socialised with other interns. We went for dinners and breakfasts together at the hotel. There was quite a lot of us from my university, which was completely accidental, but great.

There is quite a lot of activities for people who are athletic. These are all within the RBS headquarters. They also fund the development and training of their employees. From what I was able to tell, the employees had a lot of freedom in choosing the direction of their development.

I would definitely recommend this insight to a friend. I think it is a great way not only to learn about RBS, but also about technology in general, and all the roles that are necessary for a system to run smoothly. Also, it is a great way to secure an internship and not have to worry during the year.