Risk Intern Review

It was very insightful and definitely made the best of a bad situation (covid-19 cancelling in person internship). The sessions were engaging as could be and the company was mindful of 'zoom fatigue' and did not make them too long. The programme specific week was especially useful, providing interesting talks from senior members of staff that readily answered questions. We were paired with current graduates for a more informal weekly chat, this was extremely useful as any more personal questions about life as a grad could be asked.

When talking to the grads, it was clear that less senior staff were still highly valued members of the company. As an intern, it was difficult to be 'valued' as such, but we were all made to feel like any questions were asked were insightful and valued. The company highlighted networking/socialising with eachother which made it clear that they wanted us to feel part of the team and would possibly become future colleagues in the business.

The senior staff were all understanding of technical difficulties and supported us in that sense. we were encouraged to ask as many questions as possible and if we were confused to voice our concerns. This provided a very supportive atmosphere to work in and really aided our development. The companies 'earlycareers' website was also very useful, as any actions we needed to complete were clear and reminders and updates were regularly posted to keep us informed of anything important.

I developed many skills during the four weeks at Natwest Group. The 'personal development' sessions were extremely insightful, especially as i have never had any sort of guidance like that. I now feel more prepared for a professional working life and know how i can progress in my career. The job specific information gave me a better insight into the area i was working in and now i have a clear image of what i want, and don't want to do in the future.

Apart from one technical difficulty (to be expected), the internship ran smoothly and well. The structure was well thought out: one week introduction, one week programme specific, one week personal development and one closure week. It ensured that we has all the information before the programme specific week so that we could make the most of the sessions. The was also a good balance of work and socialising sessions to help the interns bond well.

The general atmosphere was fun and informal. The staff and other interns were happy to engage with each other and often set up extra sessions for informal chats. The informal atmosphere still allowed for a lot of learning and development however, it just made the transition to online networking easier, as this is something most interns had never had to do before. I am confident that Natwest Group would be an excellent place to work with inclusive atmosphere.

They invested a lot of time and effort into our personal development. They outsourced professional companies to give talk of things such as networking and personal resilience which provided the best information for us they could. They also invested in things such as meditation sessions and virtual breakout rooms in order to allow us interns to bond and get to know each other better. Overall, the company really invested time in thinking about how to make this experience as useful as possible.

The pairing of each intern with a current graduate was the best way of us finding out what a role would be like within the company. They were extremely friendly and readily answered any questions we had about life as a graduate. The career paths when you are a graduate were well detailed and documented by the senior staff and any questions we wanted to ask we could either email someone or ask in person.

We had a talk on company culture and most speakers linked back their talks to it too. As a bank, it often has first impressions that are inaccurate. The senior speakers made it clear that they are purpose led and care about their staff and customers. I was glad to see that they held their hands up to any previous mistakes they had made, rather than try and deny them or pass on the blame to someone else.

The experience was very helpful to aide me to decide on a future career path. They provided a lot of useful information on the job and company as a whole and i would definitely like to work here in the future. In terms of the sector i would work in, the programme specific week showed me that there a multiple aspects of the department, both technical and not technical, so i'm sure that i would find something that suited me.

The company made sure to pay us the same amount as it was meant to be if it was an in person internship, despite it begin online and being 4 weeks instead of 10. This was amazing as it made sure we were not financially disadvantaged as many people rely on internship money to support them through university. This proved that the company really does care about their staff and supported them though the covid-19 crisis.

Many social sessions were set up and other interns were also keen to network/socialise. On the weekends, there were intern organised games nights and during the week the company would organise socialising sessions.

The other interns were keen to get involved which made networking very easy and genuine interactions. The sessions were not forced and allowed for meaningful connections to be made.

All interns were encouraged to take parts in the CSR challenge to raise money for Prince's Trust charity. This was a great aspect of the programme as it allowed us to get involved in improving our community while still bonding with fellow interns. Each were put into groups of around 6 to work together to create a challenge and then fund raise as much money as possible. The aspect of teamwork really broke the ice and brought me closer to people int he same boat as me.

I would definitely recommend this internship! It has been an insightful four weeks and i really feel like it was a good experience that has provided me with amazing skills.