Summer Intern Review

This was a fantastic experience: I learned so much in such a short period of time, the work was tangible and meaningful (they weren't just making up work for the intern), and both the team I was in and the other interns in my year were great. The work aspect was very rewarding as I was able to present important information to senior members in the committee, and I learned more about financial analysis. The social aspect was great - we had regular social events and I still keep in touch with some fellow colleagues and interns.

I felt very valued and truly part of the team. I was taken to lots of meetings, given responsibility, and every time I asked questions (a lot), someone would help me. I was asked for my opinion on different things, and I even once made suggestions to the senior director on our team and he actually took those points on board and made changes that I recommended.

My manager specifically always helped me, had regular catch up sessions with me, gave me useful feedback, and encouraged me. Other members of the team also answered my questions, took me for coffees, and gave me advice and guidance. My manager would occasionally come to my desk and ask how things were going and if I was getting on okay. Could not have asked for more support or guidance.

I was relatively busy with my project, but I never felt too pressured for time, and everyday I worked from 9 to 5. Sometimes I worked from home - the Bank is extremely good with wellbeing and balance, and are very flexible with arrangements for working from home, shifting work hours, and taking time off if necessary. If you want to go above and beyond and stay late then you can, but it isn't expected of you.

I was given a good level of responsibility. The work I was doing was meaningful and it encouraged me to try my best. If you want to take on more responsibility, you can ask. For example, it was optional whether I wanted to speak at the committee meeting or not, and I chose to do it even though I was nervous.

The skills I developed have helped me with my internship application processes and will help me in general career-wise even if it is not at the Bank of England. Exposure to working in a professional environment, financial analysis, and enhancing soft skills which are all extremely useful no matter what.

The office environment was ideal. People focused on their own work but could also chat to each other easily and socialise when they were taking a break. People always brought in snacks to share, everyone was friendly, and the team had a 'dress for the day' policy which meant you could go to work in whatever felt comfortable, so long as you didn't have an external meeting that you needed to wear a suit for. Hence, you would often see people in jeans and a tee.

It was relatively well organised but it depends on the team you're put in and how your manager chooses to structure your projects and objectives. My manager was very good with this and it was clear what I was doing, but some of my friends did not have the same experience.

My team taught me a lot and always took the time to explain things that I didn't understand. There were training classes that you could sign up to (e.g. Excel workshop) but those were held only a few weeks into the process and had limited spaces. There is an eLearning platform on their intranet which you could use to self-teach different technicals. Also, there were loads of presentations / talks / lessons you could go to across the 6/8 weeks on interesting topics and research.

I would love to go back and work there again.

Yes, I am still good friends with multiple other interns. We had lots of group chats with everyone who was an intern, and often went out for drinks, meals, house parties, clubs, etc. I believe we had a very sociable cohort this year compared to the prior year, according to people who were there before.

The cost of living near Bank is pretty high, so that is a downside. A lot of restaurants and bars in the area are quite pricey as it is Central London, but there are always more affordable options. Overall, it is pretty expensive though.

I didn't really go out but I know from others that it was a good scene

You could go to talks, lectures, and classes that the Bank was holding. You could also reach out to other members of staff in the Bank and shadow them, get coffee with them, etc. There were also clubs like a running club and volunteering club (kind of like societies at uni) that you could get involved with.