This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.
Rating
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The Role
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The Company
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The Culture
- 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?
- 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?
- 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?
- 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?
- 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?
- 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
- 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?
- 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?
- 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
- 10. What were the perks on your work placement?
- 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?
- 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?
- 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?
- 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?
- 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?
The Role
I thoroughly enjoyed my internship, I got the chance to meet lots of new people and learn lots about the business. I was made to feel very welcome and appreciated, and everybody on the team was super lovely and happy to help me out, as well as teach me about their role. I also learnt a lot of technical information which I can hopefully apply to a future job, whether that be at UBS or not.
I felt very valued by my team, they were happy to spend time with me and teach me about their job and what they did. I never felt like I was a burden, and they were genuinely supportive in my journey. I also developed good relationships with my fellow interns, and it was great to be able to speak to people in the same position as me, so that we could relate to each other's experiences.
I was given as much support as I needed. A lot of work could be done independently, but at the same time if I was struggling with something then there were multiple people I was able to reach out to. I enjoy independent learning and going at my own pace, but I also appreciated the scheduled calls and sessions with my team. It meant that I had something to work towards and goals for each session.
It did vary, I found that towards the start of the internship I was fairly busy, and I had lots of calls scheduled. However this was a good thing, it kept me focus and gave me more incentive. Towards the end, I felt as though the work became more independent, but there was still just as much of it to do. There was a level of choice with how busy you wanted to be, because there were always opportunities for more research and networking.
In the tasks that I was set, I don't feel like I was given a great deal of responsibility, but that was because I was only on each desk for a short time period. That meant that there wasn't really time to learn enough to get involved with real-life jobs. However, there were admin jobs that we did that were helpful for the team, and we also did a lot of data collection which made things easier for them.
My skills were massively developed and I was taught so much in such a short space of time. I knew nothing about economics of trading before going into the experience, which gave me massive scope to learn. I believe that I will end up in a financial career and I know that the skills I have learnt will be useful for this. I also developed networking skills, which meant my confidence in talking to new people grew.
The Company
I was doing the internship virtually, but from what I saw, everyone got on very well and it was a pleasant environment to work in. The group calls that I was part of were always friendly, and not intimidating in the slightest. It also seemed exciting, as there was always something going on to get involved with. People were always up for a chat and happy to let you shadow them or ask about their work.
Considering that my internship was online, I think the team did a fantastic job at allowing us to be involved virtually. It was a very positive experience, and although it would have been nice to be in the office, we still got to speak and network with people from all over the office. They also set up fantastic socials for the inters, which allowed us to get to know one another and feel more comfortable.
I believe the firm invested a lot of time in training us. I could see how important it was for them to make sure we had a positive experience, and they also were keen to make sure they hired the best people for the grad program the following year. Because of this we were welcomed by everybody and had the opportunity to learn about all aspects of the firm, in order for us to see the sort of area we might like to go into.
Working from home
I would love the opportunity to work for this firm in the future. Everything they stand for and work towards really appeals to me, and I would feel very privileged to be able to work there everyday. Their working environment and office space is incredible, but there are also incredible opportunities for career development, and also trying various parts of the business to see which one suits you, before you settle in to one particular role.
The Culture
It was difficult for me to connect greatly with my fellow interns, because of the online nature of the internship. However, there were many opportunities to work on projects together, but also take part in non-work related socials in the evenings. It was important for me to work with people in my position, and it was also very interesting to learn from their various experiences and backgrounds. Overall I would say the firm made a positive effort into ensuring we stayed connected.
NA, I lived at home
NA, I lived at home
Again, this was difficult because of the online nature of the internship, but despite this we were still provided with high quality socials in the evenings. It allowed us to get to know one another and not worry about work or job offers. Although this didn't apply to use because we weren't in the office, they had lots of mindfulness and mental health activities, as well as the opportunity to use work time to volunteer in the community.
Details
Internship (1 Month+)
London
August 2020