This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.
Rating
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The Role
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The Company
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The Culture
- 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?
- 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?
- 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?
- 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?
- 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?
- 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
- 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?
- 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?
- 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
- 10. What were the perks on your work placement?
- 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?
- 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?
- 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?
- 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?
- 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?
The Role
Thoroughly enjoyed the summer at Coutts, learning so much about private banking and what it would be like to be employed on the grad scheme.
Allocated into an "independent client group", I was able to be given real responsibility such as speaking to clients along with shadowing other private bankers. My team meshed well, and I didn't feel ostracised because of my inexperience.
The support was more than I had expected, this is perhaps down to the fact that there were less than ten interns overall.
Dependent on the week, one or two projects did end up requiring more than the usual hours.
As mentioned above, I was given real responsibility early on, not dissimilar to what a grad would take on. This made sure that every intern felt actively involved.
Above all, it was my soft-skills that I felt were enhanced the most through the 10 week process.
The Company
Not as intense as an investment bank, employees are relatively laid back! This made it a comfortable environment to get used to.
I enjoyed the fact that there were more staff than interns (not always the case at the large companies)
Heavily, all the other interns I spoke to felt the same. Everyone was able to take away something different from the internship rather than all being placed on the 'assembly line'.
Subsidised Canteen
Subsidised/Company Gym
Company Parties/Events
I chose not to pursue the grad scheme interviews.
The Culture
This could have been better (with more people!). Nevertheless, there were some memorable nights.
More expensive than Oxford! It is London after all..
Personally, I felt that it was dull by the Strand - usually went out in Mayfair
I had hoped for some charitable events. There was however a whole host of networking events in place for interns, which proved to be invaluable for networking.
Details
Internship (1 Month+)
London
November 2012