Summer Intern Review

There was a great balance between my team specific tasks and the opportunity to learn about the FSA as a whole. Whilst you are based in one team for the entire internship, there are many opportunities to see what happens elsewhere in the organisation and find where you fit best.

People at the FSA are incredibly friendly. It's a strange feeling to walk up to people who have been at the FSA for many years and strike up a general conversation (within reason) or ask for some help - but that really is representative of the culture at the FSA. It takes a while to get used to, but I strongly encourage you to speak to people - not just in your department - in order to get the most out of an internship at the FSA.

Not too little, but perhaps more importantly not too much. It was great to be given a task and then be given the freedom to carry it out as I see fit, whilst having my manager there to approve progress and bounce ideas off throughout.

There was certainly enough to keep me going, but the hours are extremely reasonable. And that too, not just for interns.

I was given a few tasks, which were entirely my responsibility. I set up the meetings, wrote the emails, carried out the tasks, sought approval from stakeholders. You really are considered as part of the team.

Perhaps not strictly relevant to my studies, but it has certainly helped my find direction beyond education. For this reason, I strongly suggest all interns at the FSA take the opportunity to speak to people in the wider organisation to find a place where they will fit in.

Even though I was in a very busy department, the atmosphere between my colleagues was extremely friendly.

There was a great balance between work within my team and developing an understanding of the FSA as a whole. A few of the internship-wide development sessions could have been better organised though.

I was particularly lucky to have a manager who was keen for me to focus on my personal development. He sent me on courses and arranged tasks which he felt would focus on the areas I was looking to improve on. To some extent - a lot seems to depend on your manager.

Seems positive - fingers crossed. The rumours go that you need to do something particularly bad not to get in. The interview process is exactly the same for interns and grads, so consider your time there as an 8-week interview.

There was bowling, meals, and a few nights out, as well as lunch almost every day in the canteen. It is hard to get 24 people together at the same time, so it was always a matter of whoever is free. But always great fun.

Canary Wharf was never going to be the cheapest place, but there certainly are good places around. Your best bet is to ask the grads!

Not much of a clubber, myself.

The opportunities certainly do exist, but you do need to go looking for them yourself. If you want to get involved in anything, the contacts are easily available - just shoot them an email.