Technology Summer Intern Review

I never dreaded coming to work. I enjoyed the time I spent at RBS and looked forward to coming in and working with the team. The people I worked with, both other interns and the team I was placed, were always friendly and welcoming. I am having a happy summer.

I was never treated like an ''intern'' who had to collect coffee and photocopying etc. Some people within my team valued my work and opinion more than others but that is the norm when working in such a large organisation. My team mates regularly gave me praise and confidence in my work.

I found it hard to get support from my line manager as they were not in the country for the majority of my internship. It is harder to engage with someone who is only accessible through skype/zoom. I was given a secondary 'buddy' in the team however they were usually too busy for much support.

The first few weeks were a bit slow but once team had more confidence in my ability then I was given more work. Some days I had to stay behind to finish off work but I was happy to if the work was actually benefiting the team. It is fine if time is managed properly.

I was given pieces of work that were required by the team for real situations so that was pleasing. There were project pieces that I was most motivated by. I was never given too much responsibility and was never overly stressed about the work / responsibilities. I perhaps would have liked more.

The skills I have developed are probably not very relevant for my degree subject and will not affect my final year project significantly. However the skills are suitable to working life and I've learnt a lot about the corporate environment. The most important skills learn were just basic knowledge such as how to work in a commercial team, to contribute to meetings and to communicate effectively.

My office is a very open environment with many teams within the open plan space. There is always chatter within the team and it is not at all isolating. Most days people are pretty busy and just get their head down but in the evening or late friday we would sometimes just chat about non-work things.

Before I was physically here the internship felt very organised and clear. The external onboarding is an easy process as were the induction days. However, as soon as I was in the office there was nothing prepared for me which lead to me not being 'online' and with no access for 12 days. There days were quite useless.

The firm is very interested in developing you as a person. There are many chances to learn new skills, join development sessions and listen to speakers. They have a system in place to rate your personal skills allowing you to target your weaknesses and develop appropriately. There is a department dedicated to interns/graduates and their needs.

I am interested to look into a future with the company as it is such a good place to work and a company who treat their employees well. The graduate programme is appealing as you get to move around the company on placements to try out different teams. The pay is good and the benefits are numerous.

Yes, we are quite a tight knit group of interns who socialise both at lunch and after work. There is nearly a plan everyday whether it is out and about in the city or just chilling together. Everyone is from all across the UK and further a field so everyone is in the same boat with knowing no-one.

Edinburgh is very reasonable and there is a mixture of higher end restaurants/bars and cheaper student places. Depending on location you can find accommodation cheaply if you apply early. The festival in August hikes a few prices up so beware of that. The uni means there lots of studenty places around.

The office I am in is out of town however, it is a short ride away from town which is where nearly everyone works. As I said there are lots of students usually so there are quite a few clubs and bars that are not extortionate. The festival is a fab night out also.

Yes there were around 3 organised social events from graduates. There are also social sports teams. The interns organised many events themselves both drinking and non-drinking events. We were always keen to have something to do after work to relax and forget about work in the evenings/ weekends.