Summer Intern Review

I thoroughly enjoyed the virtual internship this summer. It was definitely the highlight of my summer and conducted in such a way to make it feel almost like an in-person experience. Before starting the internship, I was sceptical as to how it would work, with everything being online, but it only developed my communication skills further and made the entire experience very insightful as I was able to experience individual chats with colleagues from all over the team.

I felt highly valued during my time at the FCA. The work I was carrying out for different colleagues ended up being used in presentations to other colleagues and members of different teams, and it was always mentioned that I had contributed to it. All members of my team were extremely welcoming and the fact that they were able to rely on me to complete important tasks, really made me feel valued as rapport was built as well as trust. When it came to speaking to colleagues in different teams to gain an insight, everyone was very accepting and made time in their busy schedules for me

Whenever I had finished and handed in a task to a colleague in my team, I would always receive feedback on what I did in terms of what went well and what could be improved on. I was confident enough to ask questions to everyone in my team as everyone was very accepting and would always answer any questions or queries I had. Before certain tasks were set for me, they would be explained clearly and provided with clear guidance on how to complete them.

The skills I developed and information I received will play such a crucial part in assisting with my degree and future career. The virtual experience in itself, has allowed for me to develop the necessary IT skills and MS Office knowledge (such as using MS Teams) which will become very useful in my degree studies as university classes move online. As well as IT Skills, my knowledge of financial regulation has been enhanced, which will greatly assist me in my future career as I opt for a career in this field.

The structure of the internship was very well structured. The first week was packed with induction sessions - all of which were extremely useful and provided us with the necessary information for the weeks ahead that were to come. There were weekly 3 hour training sessions which not only gave us a good break from our work but also proved to be very insightful. Lunch and Learn sessions were structured well across the weeks, however, there could have been more of these.

The general atmosphere during my virtual experience was definitely a unique one. Not being able to see colleagues physically face to face did take away the office vibe but the video team meetings and calls made the atmosphere rather comforting as there was a personal touch to it. On top of this, knowing that everyone was in the same situation was reassuring as it only brought the team community and atmosphere closer to one another

FCA did invest a lot in terms of personal training and development in me. The weekly Kaplan Training Sessions gave an insight into how to improve and develop the skills, considered necessary in the workplace. As well as this, my line manager and other colleagues in my team would have regular catch ups with me to see how I was doing. Advice and guidance was given on how to perform well from those outside my team (such as my graduate buddy) however, I think more of this could have come from those in my team

From this virtual internship, I was able to have discussions with individuals from different teams across the division and gain an insight into the work that was carried out across the company. This allowed me to gain a really good understanding of what it would be like to have a full time role with the FCA, especially as I spoke to many graduates who were in my position not long ago. Everyone was able to provide a thorough and detailed insight into the work they do.

In the first week of the internship, we were given induction sessions on the conduct and culture surrounding the FCA. This proved to be really useful insightful as I gained a clear understanding of the FCA culture - learning how it's very much reliant on people interaction. I also learnt about how people are very much willing to help one another and provide support no matter what their own situation might be or how busy their schedules may appear.

The content was incredibly useful in helping me decide my future career path. The work I was set, was always put into organisational context for me which provided a really useful insight into the field of Financial Regulation. Not only was the content very useful but it also demonstrated in being extremely interesting for me and confirmed for me that I would like a future career path in the field of financial regulation or compliance

Yes - there were several opportunities for networking and meeting other employees of the FCA. I was able to speak to individuals both within my division and outside of my division who not only made time for me in their busy schedules, but gave me a lot of useful and insightful information. There were also Lunch and Learn session organised where we would be able to ask questions to senior individuals, all from different divisions of the organisation.

The social event opportunities, seemed to appear rather limited. I think having opportunities to interact with other interns on this programme would have been really beneficial as not only would it add to make the virtual internship as real as possible, but it would also prove useful for us to learn and gain an insight into each other's work experiences and get some tips and advice, as well as knowledge on the work that's conducted.

Yes - in the first week we were told of the various different societies, activities and organisations available for employees to get involved in outside of work. A lot of these included charity activities such as volunteering - all aligning to the FCA values. There was also information provided of the groups and networks available for people to join and become a part of. For example, LGBTQ+ network, religious groups, well-being and gender equality groups

Yes - I would absolutely recommend this virtual internship to a friend. It has proved to be not only enjoyable but an extremely useful experience where I have learnt, developed and utilised so many skills. All of which will prove to be beneficial in my remaining university studies and for my future career path. The warming culture of the FCA has made such an impact to my time here as I have felt very welcome from the start.