Change and Business Solutions Intern Review

The virtual experience exceeded my expectations. All the sessions were very engaging and varied meaning we never got bored and were able to gain an insight into the entire NatWest Group. The sessions were well organised and there was only one technical issue with zoom. I felt I was able to develop myself both professionally and personally. The timing of sessions was great for those in different time zones and using zoom ensure we still had good contact with others.

The business continuing to pay us the entire salary despite the duration being reduced dramatically made me feel valued by the business. Alongside this, having the buddy system ensure I felt looked after and always had someone to go to with any issues. The development sessions showed the business wanted us to improve as individuals and the mindfulness and meditation session showed they value our mental health which I think is very important. Great overall.

There was a lot of guidance and support given during the virtual experience. The buddy system enabled us to have a graduate we could go to with any problems or ask any questions we wanted to know about the business or graduate programme. The email address was highlighted on the portal for us to use if any issues occurred. Alongside this, it was made clear we could contact any of the members of early careers at any point if we needed support.

I think the skills developed are great transferable skills and so will assist with my studies and later in my career. Also, seeing how a huge corporate business operates was great and I will be able to use it as an example in essays and coursework. I will also feel comfortable entering the business and there are familiar faces and I know some of the jargon used in the business. The information will also be useful for career progression.

I think overall the virtual experience was very well structured. The only negative is that I feel the change and business solutions week was not as intense as some other programmes and we did not have the opportunity to do “coffee chat” which other interns did. I think this is a shame as I would have liked to network in that way. The sessions were very varied and engaging and the structure meant I never got bored.

Everyone was very friendly and eager to learn. All the interns were supportive of each other and I felt a lot of guidance and support from senior employees. It was made clear from the outset that asking questions was a good thing and so I felt at ease from the beginning and confident to ask questions. All the speakers seemed happy to give their time which was great and wanted to develop the new talent.

It was clear the company really wanted us to develop our skills and become the best employees possible. This was shown through assigning our buddy so we felt supported and also through the development sessions in week 3. Here we look valuable transferable skills that we will be able to use at all points in our career. We were encouraged to ask questions and knew we would get the best answer possible from employees. It was great.

I think this would be difficult to achieve as we were unable to attend the offices and meet employees face to face. However, using the video meant we could still interact and engage with others which is good. I still do not fully know what a day of working at RBS would be like but the graduates did try to explain this. I think it would definitely be easier to see on the job though.

I understand the company culture very well. [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] began her video explaining the company culture and graduates echoed this. It seems like a brilliant place to work and make a difference. The customer definitely comes first and technology is used to support this. The business supports its employees as shown by providing desks for those who need them while working at home during the pandemic. Everyone was very clear what the company culture was like.

The information was very valuable but did not really help me decide my future career path. I did not feel there was a lot of depth given in different areas other than the internship you signed up for. However, other interns shared their experiences which helped a little. I think I developed more transferable skills than job specific ones. Perhaps more career paths could have been discussed during the sessions so we could could have more options.

We were paid the full amount for the internship despite the duration being dramatically decreased. This is due to the bank being purpose-led and wanting to champion potential which is admirable.

There were opportunities to network but you had to actively seek these out by adding people on LinkedIn and messaging them. I think the change and business solutions pathway could have used coffee chats to increase networking and encouraged those who are perhaps less confident to reach out and meet more people. The CSR challenge and break out rooms meant we could meet people from different programmes which was good and really useful. Great opportunities.

There were very many social event opportunities due to it being online. The CSR challenge was a good was to meet new people as we had to work in teams.

Yes we heard from graduates who explained about each of the different councils and I would be keen to join one if I rejoin the business as a graduate. Also the well-being officers and getting involved with pride was mentioned. So were sporting events and going to the gym. Professional qualifications could also be obtained and there were lots of opportunities for volunteering and fundraising which I think is really important and something I’d like to be involved with.

I definitely would recommend it. We received an engaging and varied programme which allowed us to develop our skills and I think it will definitely further my career in the long-run. The salary was also amazing. The employees and other interns were also lovely and I really get along with my buddy and would feel comfortable speaking to her about any problems I have. I learnt a lot about the financial world and corporate culture.