Summer Intern Review

The internship was very enjoyable as the interns were given lots of responsibility and challenges throughout the internship. We had the opportunity to work on a project together which focused on how the Bank could improve the way it functions virtually. It was a very stimulating and enjoyable experience to work with other talented interns. Despite the internship being virtual, I felt as though I got a lot out of the internship both in terms of technical skills and building my network.

All the colleagues in my team were very welcoming and made sure I felt at ease despite the internship being virtual. Whenever I did some work for anybody they were always very appreciative and happy to give up extra time to discuss improvements I could make for next time. We also had virtual drinks which of course is not as good as the real thing but was enjoyable nonetheless. As an intern, I felt like I was part of the team.

My supervisors were very willing to take time out of their schedule to give feedback and points of improvement. A feature of an internship is trying to work things out yourself and having a go before asking for advice and I feel as though a good balance was struck on this front. The use of Webex teams was very helpful for sending off quick messages whilst more detailed questions could be discussed over Webex Meetings.

Part of an internship involves being proactive and seeking out work when you are not busy and to a large extent, this was left down to the interns. I enjoyed this as I was able to manage my workload myself. I always had plenty to do throughout the day and this kept me very busy which was ideal. Occasionally I set too many meetings throughout the day which meant I could not get work done but this is part of the learning process.

I was given plenty of responsibility to carry out my personal project in the way which I thought would work best. I enjoyed this as I find I learn best when "thrown in at the deep end". This was enjoyable as I could see a tangible output which I was mainly responsible for. Of course, whenever I needed clarification on certain points, my colleagues were very happy to help and offered good advice. As already mentioned, I was able to set my own workload which shows I was given lots of responsibility to make the most of the internship.

I got the opportunity to present part of my personal project to around 50 people in a morning meeting. I have done presentations before but not online so this was good practice - in particular given that I have presented virtually since returning to university. Additionally, the technical skills I picked up, for example on Fixed Income, have informed my economics studies. Often the way economics is taught can be quite abstracted from reality so to see finance in action was great.

Despite not physically being in the office I could tell that there was good camaraderie amongst my colleagues, particularly in my division. Nobody took themselves too seriously which I enjoyed and everybody was always very pleasant and happy to help. There is an absence of hierarchy which means everybody is encouraged to interact with all employees, no matter the level of seniority. This was very good as interns as we could ask anybody for advice in the organisation.

I was quite apprehensive coming into the internship given that it was all virtual. I was unsure of how much work I would actually be able to do and if I would feel part of the team despite not being in an office. The internship was very well organised because I was tasked with a personal project as well as a group one which meant I always had something to do. Additionally, talks with employees from different divisions were organised which gave me a good understanding of the bank as a whole.

The firm gave us lots of online resources to look at which included sessions of how to best work virtually which was particularly useful. Moreover, there were talks from different business lines which enabled me to grow my understanding of different products and services. All employees were very happy to give up their time to discuss both formally and informally what their role entailed which gave me a good understanding of different roles. Lastly, I was able to organise talks with product specialists to develop my technical skills.

I have accepted a graduate offer at the firm which was secured at the end of the internship. This is a two-year programme where I will rotate through four different areas. This will give me a solid foundation and understanding of how the firm works as a whole before specialising. There is also an opportunity to study for professional qualifications whilst working which will be fully paid for by the firm. I am very much looking forward to going back (hopefully in person).

With the internship being carried out online it was hard to socialise in the normal way with fellow interns. We all got on very well despite this and worked well together on the group project. I am looking forward to meeting up with the interns in person when I return for the graduate scheme! We did a few virtual drinks which is not the best compared to actually being out fro drinks but this was the best we could do in the situation.

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