CPB Data & Analytics Intern Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my internship, especially having the chance to meet the interns and learn more about them and their backgrounds. I enjoyed being able to learn new things such programming languages such as SAS and Python and being able to creative predictive models using SAS and Python. I enjoyed taking part in the firms philanthropic efforts with regards to their charity days in other schools and fundraising for the Princes Trust which was great fun.

I felt very valued by my colleagues as they gave me responsibility from day 1. By giving me this responsibility it made me feel valued and as if I was contributing to the team and a real life project that will make a difference to relationship managers and their conversations with their customers, ultimately, making improving the way that the bank functions.

I was given a lot of support and guidance not just by my line manager who helped me with learning the programming languages SAS and Python as well as general advice but by various employees of the banks across various different divisions. My buddy supported me throughout the internship in our weekly catch up sessions too.

Towards the beginning of the internship I was not busy at all as it took me a long time to get my access requests approved. However, as the internship progressed I was given more work to get on with. My SAS training however was later in the middle of the internship so I could not do any work in SAS until my training was finished which prevented me from being very busy of a daily basis.

As we were not given SAS training until half way through the internship, we initially did not have much responsibility. However there were a few tasks we were given to do by other members of the team which contributed towards the on-going team project which gave me a sense of responsibility.

The skills I developed in SAS are extremely useful but they may not be transferrable as it is very difficult to practice SAS at home since you need to buy a package. The python skills I gained during the internship however will assist me in my degree studies and beyond as I can practice Python at home too.

The general atmosphere in my office was very friendly. Everyone is very approachable and always ready to help. On the first day of my internship there was a team lunch I went to where I could learn more about the team and get comfortable with them. This created an amiable atmosphere.

Starting with the internship induction, it had a good structure and it was delivered. However we were not told at the beginning of the internship or prior to it what type of projects we'd be working on throughout the internship. This would have been useful so we could do some background research before the internship started.

The company really did invest in me as I was put on a SAS training programme which was 3 days long. On top of that we were given a graduate buddy who helped me and supported me throughout the internship. I was also given a lot of training and advice from other divisions and employees I spoke to in those divisions.

The graduate programme is an appealing future employment prospect as I have been informed that there are 4, 6-month rotations where you can gain exposure to various different divisions. On top of that there are various graduate social events and training programmes where you can gain professional qualifications which is appealing.

There was definitely a really good social scene amongst fellow placement students and colleagues. The graduate council organised various intern socials and also socials with graduates which were quite fun. Interns also informally made there own socials which were good fun too. On some days colleagues had socials which they invited interns to as well.

The cost of living and socialising in the area I worked in were very high being in the centre of London. Rent was very expensive and as is this cost of socialising and travelling which limited how many socials I could go to based on the internship salaries we were given.

From what I know, the nightlife in the area I worked is supposed to be quite good. There are nearby bars which my team have been to and have informed me that they are good too. I haven't experienced much of the nightlife in the area I worked in because of how costly they are.

There were many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work such as charity days. We had a CSR day where we had the opportunity to fundraise for the Prices Trust which was great fun. I also helped out at a local school that was celebrating its 60th anniversary which was also rewarding.