Account Manager Support Intern Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my internship at Handelsbanken. It was a great insight into banking and has made me strongly consider a career in this field. Before I started my internship I didn't know anything about banking but everyone within the branch was willing to help me and I was given many opportunities to learn different aspects of the bank.

Everyone was very welcoming and made me feel comfortable from day one, They were willing to explain things to me, show me how to do things, give me tasks to help them with and let me attend their client meetings and a networking event. I was involved in every team meeting which meant I was able to get an insight into the work coming up for that week.

I was fully supported by everyone as they were willing to help me and explain even the simplest of things. I felt I could speak to anyone in the office and any tasks I was given were explained fully and they continued to support whilst I was completing the task.

I was generally busy on a daily basis with online training to complete in my first couple of weeks and different tasks throughout the rest of my internship. There were times when I didn't have as much to do so I would do my own learning and familiarise myself with some of Handelsbanken's systems and the different processes taken.

Having an internship in a Bank is difficult when it comes to taking on major responsibility as it is such a regulated environment. In addition, only having 8 weeks makes it difficult to learn and become confident with all the processes within the Bank. However, I feel I took on some responsibility as I had customer contact, I was involved in the annual review process and I attended client meetings.

The skills and training will not assist me in my degree directly as I am doing a Maths degree however, they will definitely assist in my future career. Having the experience of working in an office environment, especially banking, is invaluable and something I will use in any path I take.

The atmosphere in the office was always positive. There was a good balance between having a laugh and working hard. Everyone was willing to help each other and answer any questions they may be asked. I felt very comfortable with all the people I worked with for the 8 weeks.

The internship started with an induction day in Birmingham which I found very interesting and gave me a good insight into what I would be doing in my 8 weeks at Handelsbanken. Being provided with a list of intern activities to complete was useful and gave a slight structure to the different aspects of the Bank I should spend my time on.

The induction day gave a good starting platform for what to expect and the presentation on IBIS was very useful for when I came to use it. There was compulsory training which I had to complete at the beginning of my internship, all of which was very useful and meaningful for my time at Handelsbanken. In addition to this, my colleagues were willing to explain different processes to me and show me how they do certain tasks.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Handelsbanken, especially at the Lincoln Branch, so future employment prospects are definitely appealing. Before my internship I didn't know what career path I wanted to go down but now I feel a career in a banking is something I want to strongly consider. I am interested in exploring the different paths I could take within Handelsbanken whether that be working within a Branch or at a Regional Head Office.

With me being the only intern at my branch it was difficult to socialise with the other interns. I was able to meet them on the induction day but after that there was no contact.

I lived from home during my 8 weeks so I had no living costs. The cost of socialising in Lincoln is relatively cheap compared to larger cities.

The nightlife is good with plenty of places to attend whether that be bars or restaurants.

There was no opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work during my 8 weeks at the branch.