Summer Intern Review

Overall, I very much enjoyed the internship. From a work point of view, the work I was given was interesting. Also, the opportunities to network with others made the experience very enjoyable and insightful. HR also organised social events, and Q&As with senior people in the Bank, which contributed towards ensuring the experience as a whole was great.

From the beginning of my internship, I was told that the work I would be doing will be of value to the Team, and will be used once I had left the Bank. In terms of the team as a whole, as well as outside of the time, everyone I meet made me feel valued - I was treated as an employee, rather than an intern.

My manager was great in offering me frequent support, and weekly catch-ups to see if I have any questions. The Bank also gives you a mentor, and a buddy. Again, I found both of these very helpful, firstly in terms of answering initial questions, but also to meet throughout the internship to ask questions.

Overall, I was relatively busy. The project I was given spanned the length of the whole internship, so there was never a day in which I had nothing to do. Of course, there are times when the people I was working with would be busy, in which cases I'd network with others, or complete some of the compulsory training.

I was pleasantly very surprised with the amount of responsibility I was given - specifically, I was given the chance to lead meetings with colleagues in the US. The work I was doing also involved frequently reaching out to colleagues globally, something which I was given complete responsibility for, though help was available if I ever felt out of my depth.

There were some training sessions which seemed to be organised for the sake of saying they had been offered, which I didn't find too helpful. However, from a wider point of view, I have picked up skills which I'm sure will help me in my studies and future employment. Particularly, shadowing certain people has offered inspiration for potential dissertation topics.

I was pleasantly surprised at how relaxed and laid-back the environment was. The office was usually quiet, with people focused on their work - a lot of people would sit at their desk with headphones in. Overall, there was an amiable yet professional atmosphere in my Team, and from meeting other people in other teams, it seemed to be similar elsewhere. It would be good if at times, the office involved more conversation etc.

The work itself was very organised, I was told from day one what my project would be and how to get help if I was to need it. HR also organised Q&As with senior members of the Bank. Outside of work, HR organised various social events, from a boat party to a final group meal.

We were given a lot of training to do. Some of this, I didn't find helpful. However, I understand that the Bank needs to offer this training (Compliance and so on). Overall though, I found the training relatively helpful, especially the technical aspects that it covered. Going forward, I think the Bank should offer more technical training to those in technical areas.

There are opportunities to return to the firm as a graduate, if you perform well and enjoy your time at the Bank. The Bank places a big emphasis on internal mobility, which makes a full-time position more appealing - knowing that you are encouraged to learn about other areas, and not pigeon-hole yourself into just the area you work in.

Yes, interns would regularly meet for lunch. We also organised football amongst interns, though this kind of thing is understandably left to interns to organise if they wish to do so. There were networking events with colleagues organised, though I think the Bank should focus on organising/encouraging Teams to organise more frequent and less formal social events with their interns.

Being in London, it will of course be a relatively expensive place to live. However, socialising doesn't need to be expensive - if you know where to go/where is cheap, then you won't find yourself spending too much in this aspect. I suppose it is as expensive as you make it, depending on how much of London you want to experience.

Being in London, the nightlife is great. There are loads of options, and something for everyone. Of course, most of these are more expensive than night clubs in other cities, but this can be avoided by picking certain clubs and booking in advance. If you don't enjoy clubbing, then there are loads of other opportunities.

Yes, there are loads of societies in the Bank. From Football to Machine Learning Society, the firm encourages getting involved in these. HR organised several events for interns, such as a boat party. Interns also organise events/activities amongst themselves. It would be good to see more opportunities to do so within the direct team that you work in, though.