Software Engineer Review

The hours were very good so I was able to maintain a good work life balance. There were lots of social activities put on by work including Christmas parties, talks by the likes of [This section of the comment has been removed by a member of the RateMyPlacement Team because it did not meet our site terms and conditions] and team dinners. I found the work challenging and stimulating, but always felt like I could ask for help if it became too much.

I was a little worried about joining an all male team. However from the get go I was treated as an equal and after a few months on the job, I did not feel like the intern but just another team member. The regular catch ups and social events with the rest of the placement cohort meant that I also had a support network of those in exactly the same position as me.

My manager was great. He really understood that I was coming into my first real job and how intimidating that can be. So he adjusted his managerial technique suitably. I was also taught to code (from scratch) by the other software developers on my team. Their patience and kindness meant that I felt comfortable to ask anything and by the end of my first 2 months I had code in production.

Depending on key events in the markets and production issues the work flow could go from very very busy to days where there wasn’t much to do. This could be annoying at times but I was able to fill this spare time with online trainings, work shadowing and other event such as coffee morning and skill workshops.

I was given more responsibility than I was expecting. I had to be accountable for my own projects and timelines. I was responsible for giving updates to team members around the globe and communicating with traders to manage their expectations regarding completion dates and requirements of their requests. When balancing several projects this could become a little stressful however I could always ask for help if I felt the work load was too much.

I am a mathematics student so the software engineering skills I learnt will not be that helpful whilst completing my final year. However, this year on placement has shown me how much technology and finance are merging. As I would like to pursue a career in finance, being able to code will help me greatly.

The office at Canary Wharf has a formal dress code, however the atmosphere did not reflect this. Particularly in my team, there was almost constant chatter and laughter. Although, I do not think this reflects all teams in the office. The trade floor is very serious and there is little small talk (as I’m sure you can imagine!)

Danielle looked after us very well! We started at the same time as the summer interns and so we had lots of opportunities to attend social events and network. Throughout the year, we had regular catch ups as a placement cohort in which we had updates on what was coming up. This also gave us the chance to build relationships with the placement students in Glasgow and Bournemouth.

On starting, we received no formal training. All responsibility for training was giving to our managers and teams. This meant we recieved very different amounts and levels of training. Personally, I was given the chance to complete multiple java trainings and learnt the fundamentals of a few financial instruments, especially bonds.

I will be returning next summer as an intern in technology and I am currently planning to return again as a graduate in technology upon completion of my masters. I am looking forward to returning as I’ll get to experience working in a different area of tech and broaden my financial knowledge.

Yes, we had weekly team meetings which often started with catch ups on everyone’s lives. We also had regular team dinners and lunches. Personally, I got lunch with the rest of the placement cohort most days. We grew close as a group and often attended talks and networking events together.

London is very expensive. Rent was a lot and general expenses, such as groceries, coffees and tolietries. Socialising is also very expensive - a glass of wine is about £7 and a pint about £5. However, the salary is matched to these costs and I was able to live comfortably.

Canary Wharf is full of bars and restaurants. There are lots of offices about and so the bars are normally full and lively every day of the week. Canary Wharf is less than a 10 minute tube into central London. It’s a great location and means that we always had plenty to do after work.

I believe there were lots of activities to get involved in however they weren’t very well advertised or easy to find out about. Joining business resource groups meant that I was able to find out about networking events and special talks. If you looked in the right places you could also find lots of volunteering opportunities to get involved in. Some of these are mandatory for interns.