Associate Review

The FSA provided a relaxed and friendly working environment.

I received regular positive feedback from my colleagues and manager and I was able to see how my work contributed to the efforts of the team as a whole.

There were a problems early on when I felt that I was not being given enough guidance, but this changed as I became more involved in the project and got to know the rest of the team better.

My workload was generally quite low, with periods of relatively little work interspersed with a few periods of high activity.

I was often given quite significant levels of responsibility, which included hadnling data sets and drafting reports that would be published.

The internship largely utilised my existing skills rather than developing them to any significant degree.

Relaxed, friendly and open. Managers and other team members were always available to provide support and guidance, with the open-plan office and relatively flat structure of the FSA helping.

Some aspects of the organisation depending on the team you were with, but the centralised organisation from the HR team was excellent.

HR organised several 'learning lunches' and there were numerous opportunities to sign-up for training sessions in IT, personal development etc. It was very much up to each individual intern to seek out and make the most of the latter.

The FSA offers an excellent working environment, with a salary and working hours that easily rival many other graduate employers. Indeed, the more '9 to 5' hours of the FSA make it particularly attractive in comparison to many other organisations. The large graduate intake also means there are plenty of opportunities for socialising, and the FSA invests a great deal in training its staff. The scope of the FSA means there are a number of different divisions available for graduates, so even if you find that you don't enjoy one, there are plenty of others to interest you.

A few social events were organised by HR for the interns, and there were other ones organised by the Sports and Social Club for all FSA employees. However, the interns organised several social events among themselves, including cinema trips, lunches, and nights out.

Canary Wharf is quite pricey, even for London, but there are always some bargains to be found. HR paid for drinks at the start and end of the internship, and there was a local bar offering FSA employees a discount.

It's London, so as you would expect there is no shortage of nightlife, and with so many interns there is always someone who is able to point out the best clubs.

The FSA has a thriving Sports and Social Club which organises a variety of activities (football tournaments, wine tasting, video games club, comedy shows, theatre trips, bowling etc.). Some teams also go on away days where they get incolved with community projects.