Financial Analyst Review

The work was varied and covered lots of bases, so there was plenty to keep me occupied. On top of this there were lots of opportunities to socialise and network, given the massive intern intake each year and the company operating with a fairly relaxed work atmosphere.

The team went through a lot of changes in personnel around me, however everyone made me feel very welcome and I looked forward to working with my colleagues each day.

My manager/s and team members were always available to answer any queries I may have had. Initially, I was given a handover by the intern I was taking over from, which helped me to grasp concepts and the work that I would be taking over.

Within Finance we have to operate with various reporting deadlines in sight so this meant that most of the year my days were full, but not overly crammed, with work. On three or four occasions I needed to stay late, but this was compensated by two periods during the year where there are a lack of deadlines to work towards.

I was given a lot of responsibility throughout the year, with new things being added to my areas of responsibility as I went along. There were some areas and tasks only I had knowledge of/ responsibility for within my team.

Although the placement was extremely beneficial, in terms of being able to see how the media industry operates and also the roles and responsibilities of big companies within this industry, the work I did on placement is slightly different to what I intend to do at graduate level. Having said that, this is something I can see myself doing in future (after gaining a financial qualification).

My offices have a very relaxed atmosphere (no strict dress code, open floor plan). This is partly due to being in the media industry, but also the work done at my offices. I also had a TV on my desk, which is always fun! What also helps is that everyone genuinely enjoys what they are doing.

I had a good handover from the previous intern, and I was able to set up regular meetings with my manager to discuss progress and he was able to answer any queries I had.

There wasn't any strict training and development for new interns, apart from a general introduction to the company. However, I did receive computer based systems training and various introductions to the company and the many lines of business. On top of this, courses were regularly made available to all staff which anybody could sign up and attend.

As I want to work in a slightly different line of work to gain my financial qualification, I would not look to come back to the company straight away. However, I would consider it for after getting qualified.

A huge intern intake (100+) across two closeby offices mean there was plenty of opportunity to socialise. There is also an interns page set up each year, where you can organise housing/ socials.

Living in London is a lot higher than I expected, but the diversity of things to do means it is well worthwhile. The pay is also more than enough to get by on comfortably, and maybe also have something saved up.

Working and living in London meant there was always somewhere new to go out to!

We received offers to go to various movie screenings and other such company related activities. On top of this, everyone liked to socialise so there were lots of events within teams that were organised.