Summer Associate Review

I had an amazing experience during my virtual summer internship with the Financial Conduct Authority. The FCA responded quickly and efficiently to keep the interns updated on the progress of the internship as the impact of COVID-19 developed. It was a shame the internship was unable to go ahead in the offices, however, the HR team but together a very successful virtual plan. The team I worked with were friendly, understanding and very supportive. I was able to engage with different levels of management and I was also given a lot of responsibility in the short period I was working for the FCA.

I feel my colleagues valued my presence greatly. The team were very friendly, understanding and supportive from day one. I was able to engage with different levels of management from associates to my line manager on a personal professional level. I had daily meetings with an associate to talk through my daily tasks and I was regularly given positive feedback on the work I had completed. Weekly / fortnightly 1:1's were a great opportunity to engage further with my line manager and to gain an understanding of my progress throughout the internship. I networked with many members throughout the programme and in my experience everyone was more than forthcoming to speak with me.

I was supported by my supervisor, line manager and team from day one. The initial setup was difficult due to COVID-19 and not having access to equipment until late in the first week but my team accommodated to this and they were very helpful throughout this process. Throughout the internship I had daily morning meetings with an associate, my supervisor, where we would talk through my daily tasks. I also had weekly / fortnightly 1:1's with my line manager where we discussed my progress and how I was settling in and finding the work I was given. The support I received was 10/10.

My work varied weekly, however, I cannot say I felt bored during the internship. There were days where I worked over the 7 hour day, however, this was a personal choice. I found that spending more time on certain jobs was beneficial in the longer term where I was able to complete these tasks quicker and without needing help. There was more work available before deadlines which I enjoyed. I also completed weekly tasks as well as more varied work across different projects which I found beneficial.

I believe that although the length of the internship was reduced and it had to be completed virtually as a result of COVID-19, I was given a great deal of responsibility. I was able to complete work such as bank statement reviews that were sent directly to firms as well as attending and interacting with firms on calls and writing the minuets documents. I was also included in insider lists and completing work to be sent to firms on press release.

I believe the skills that I have developed in the internship will be essential to my future career path. I have developed both written and spoken communication skills as well as developing my confidence over the 7 week period. My ability to network has also improved after reaching out to numerous contacts within different divisions. Learning to utilise programmes such as Microsoft teams and develop my understanding of excel will be useful in the final year of my degree.

This is a difficult question to answer as I was based externally from home as a result of COVID-19, however, I felt very comfortable to ask for help from members of my team and the overall atmosphere of the internship was that everyone was more than willing to offer assistance and take time out of their schedule to talk with me.

The internship started a bit rocky as I did not received my FCA laptop until the end of the first week. This made it difficult to access information from my personal device due to restrictions. However, I do believe the FCA did an amazing job in setting up the internship virtually in a short period of time. After the first week the set up was great. The HR department set up weekly lunch and learns to allow the interns to gain a greater understanding of the FCA's different departments, weekly training for development, and community project work on a Friday where the interns could interact with each other.

I felt like over the internship the FCA invested a huge amount into the interns personal development. We received weekly 3 hour training on topics such as decision making, developing resilience and self management. Not only was this an amazing personal growth experience but it also highlighted the FCA's interest into the interns as individuals and our growth over the internship. It was great to see the FCA invest time and money into an area that other firms or organisations may not in such a short period of time.

I believe the FCA internship has very appealing future employment prospects in the form of the graduate scheme. Throughout the internship, there were talks of future opportunities within the organisation. This was vey positive to hear as it gave the impression that the FCA were very invested in our progression through the internship and after.

Due to COVID-19 it was difficult to interact with fellow interns. However, the community product was a great opportunity to connect with a small group of individuals (8) on a weekly basis. The project enabled us to connect virtually. Furthermore, I was also lucky that I kept in connect with someone from my assessment centre and therefore I was able to connect with them regarding issues at the beginning of the placement and have a social scene outside of virtual work.

Cannot comment. We were working and living from home as a result of COVID-19.

Cannot comment. We were working and living from home as a result of COVID-19.

There was the opportunity to join groups, however, this was difficult due to completing the internship virtually. I joined the group spectrum, however again it was difficult to join events and 'out of work' activities.