Commercial Banking Intern Review

This virtual experience has been incredibly enjoyable. I have viewed it as a very productive experience. I have learnt much about NatWest as well as the commercial banking industry. These have been incredibly valuable insights, and I believe they have given me a solid grounding for starting the graduate scheme. All of the speakers have been incredibly knowledgable, and I have found all of the other interns to be interesting and driven. The experience has allowed me to expand my network.

It has been hard to get to know anyone on a personal level considering the internship has been virtual. However, all of the speakers and graduates I have talked to have made me feel valued and like my opinions are worthy to be listened to. Nobody has ever been dismissive, and I have found my Buddy to be an incredibly motivating and friendly character. He has been extremely open and honest about his experience at NatWest.

As mentioned before, my buddy has been incredibly supportive, and I am appreciative of this aspect of the internship. He has pushed me to talk to others in the grad scheme and has asked me questions that have helped me think about commercial banking as a career and what I want to get out of it. Also, I have found all of the speakers to be very open and incredibly responsive to our questions. You can really tell that they love their jobs!

The internship is not over yet, but I don't feel that my skills have been developed because we are not actually doing any work. I think for next year, if possible, the speaker-led sessions should be accompanied by actual assignments. I know this may be a difficult suggestion to implement; however, from speaking to others who are doing virtual internships, the ones who have had actual work to do seem to have gotten the most out of their internships.

The internship has followed a clear structure, with each week having a different focus.

Great! Everyone seems pretty upbeat.