Wealth Management Intern Review

I’ve very much enjoyed my time at Coutts and feel I’ll take a great deal from the experience. I’ve gained a great insight into what I can expect from a career in this area and definitely feel fortunate to have been given the opportunity and would highly recommend the scheme.

Each intern is aligned to an independent client group for their 10 weeks and from day one you are expected to interact with clients and assist the private or commercial banker you have been aligned to. In this sense I feel that over the period I have been able to contribute to the team in a number of ways and feel valued as a result.

This year Coutts only took on six interns and as such we have each received significant support and guidance particularly since we are all aligned to independent client groups. The bespoke support and guidance offered is in my opinion one of the major strengths of the scheme.

I have always had tasks and projects to keep me occupied. You are expected to work hard when you are in the office however the hours are sociable so you can maintain a good work/ life balance.

I’ve been placed on the Media team in the commercial division. I’ve predominantly separated my time between individual projects (research, prospecting, reviewing accounts etc), attending meetings and following up on client queries. The work’s been diverse and I’ve particularly enjoyed meeting the various clients and finding out about their individual businesses.

We’ve received basic investment training which is relevant to my University course. We’ve also been expected to give a number of presentations and interact with clients on a daily basis, both of which are crucial skills at University and beyond. We were also given detailed feedback on our performance at the assessment centre which was really useful to highlight areas for improvement.

The general atmosphere in the office is really good. There’s a very laid back atmosphere but one which is conducive to hard work. Everyone is really friendly and approachable and happy to answer any questions or sit down with you to explain different concepts and roles within the division.

The internship has been very well organised. Further to being aligned to a specific part of the bank, this is supplemented through insight days in which we had a chance to gain a broader knowledge of the roles of different divisions within the bank.

As previously mentioned as there were only six interns, there is a very personal feel to the programme and as such the bank invests a lot in each individual. We attended a training week and there have been a number of events organised specifically for the six interns to further our knowledge and development. Continual feedback is also given so that areas for improvement are highlighted.

They have a structured Graduate Scheme which takes the form of a number of rotations over two years to gain a good insight into different areas of the bank. You can then make an informed decision as to which area to specialise in. They look to then fast-track the graduates; the employment prospects are therefore really good.

The interns would meet after work at least once a week and in addition to this there were a number of events put on by Coutts for the interns and the graduates.

Central London prices so fairly expensive!

My office was based on the Strand so an ideal location

As mentioned Coutts put on a number of informal events for people to meet outside of the working environment.