Banking Intern Experience Review

On a daily basis, I would commonly find myself doing the same tasks. Firstly I would check my emails to see if I had been sent anything by anyone in the company. The day would usually involve a few online seminar sessions with other students undertaking the placement. I got to interact with other students and staff during these. We also took on a few projects during our time there but these had to be completed remotely.

I did learn a few skills while I was there. I was not exactly able to engage in customer skills as this was a distant remote experience so I couldn't engage on a personal level with anyone. However, I did learn a lot about different types of bank accounts and where they would be useful, depending on a client's situation. This was quite interesting to learn about as I had not really previously thought much about it.

It was quite hard to wrap my head around all the different roles available. Since we were mainly involved with the same people during our time there, we learnt a lot about their roles and what they did but we did not find out much about different roles and other people in the company, which would have been nice to hear about if we were able to come in and work at the office. The fact that this was virtual made this hard.

Generally, I would say that the atmosphere was very nice and welcoming and the company culture was very inclusive. There was a huge emphasis on diversity in the workplace which was very nice to see and it was very encouraging to know the diversity among the students undertaking this experience. There were also a few charity schemes that the company is involved in that I got to learn more about from my time on the virtual experience.

I did enjoy the virtual experience quite a bit. The work was quiet fun to experience but it quickly became uninteresting and repetitive. Meeting new people, both students and staff, was very fun and this was perhaps the thing I enjoyed most about this placement. The welcoming company culture and diversity of both the students and the workplace made this placement more enjoyable as it was a very nice place to be. I do not think I would go back however due to the work there.

Yes

To those who want to apply to Santander, I would definitely advise you to read up on the company values and think of ways you can display these values during your interview. The interview is not meant to trick you out so try your best to relax during the interview. In preparation for the first day of work, I would definitely advise you to read up about banks and bank accounts as it will be very helpful.