Spring Intern - Services Review

The week was varied in terms of activities which included networking with graduates and senior employees, job shadowing and various skills sessions. The breadth in what I did though out the week made the insight more effective.

The first two people who I job shadowed were very senior workers, who had been working at RBS for a long period. They were very friendly, taking me around there office and introducing me to there colleagues. They had really made an effort to make me feel comfortable, and allowed me to talk more freely with them. At the centre the people hosting the activities were also very friendly and approachable.

The networking opportunities were very helpful in this respect. Many of the people there were graduates and provided advice and tips on the application process, and were just generally very helpful and informative. The skills sessions were always preceded by a talk from a member of staff. They would provide a clear objective or task to be completed, and would also offer advice and direction.

In terms of contents it provided me with a greater corporate and commercial understanding. This will probably be more helpful in terms of me going forward in a career. Presentation and teamwork skills were key during the week. These will go a long way in my studies when it comes to academic projects, as well as further into a job. Experience within the office was also something that will help me in a job in the future.

The insight was very well planned and structured. Each day was clearly planned out and we were informed of what each day entailed via a timetable. There was a perfect balance between being talked at and with. Talks were informative but were not exhaustive. Networking and shadowing were placed perfectly in between other events so that I could address any questions I had from a talk or some other activity.

Everyone in attendance had wanted to be there, and were all socialising and wanting to engage with people. Given this the atmosphere was enjoyable and allowed me to learn whilst socialising and networking. The graduates and senior workers were very approachable and friendly, making you feel as if you were going to be working with them. All the workers there were very positive and helpful, making the activities more enjoyable.

The insight had many skills sessions, talks and individualised experiences. I felt that I was really getting to know RBS myself, rather than just with a mass of people. Skills sessions were also hosted by outside companies, who were specialised in that area. The activities and tasks were also specific and showed that RBS were really interested in different aspect of you.

The job shadowing and networking opportunities allowed me to really address all my questions and further help me understand more about RBS. The direct participation in and seeing for yourself the workplace was very helpful. Further there were talks given on areas outside the one I selected, so this was further a further insight into RBS.

This was covered in all most all interactions with the company. In job-shadowing we got a feel for culture within the workplace, as well as the culture that RBS is trying to demonstrate to its customers. All workers were examples of what we being told about, so it was not just 'talk'.

The content was very informative and I learnt many new things. However personally it wasn't as relevant to me as to others, as they were more interested in specific areas. However it has helped me decide that both RBS and banking would be a good career for me.

Accommodation, food and travel were all covered and I was reimbursed quickly.

This was the best aspect of the insight. The employees they had invited to the event were senior workers and graduates providing the best mix of people to learn from. There were networking opportunities every day, after talks and throughout job shadowing days.

They were excellent as the people were all very friendly and helpful. Socialising with the other interns was also quite common, and allowed me to make future connections. The opportunities allowed me to start to develop a a valuable network within RBS.

Some workers did inform of us what they have done , but I believe most could have been asked and would not have much to say.

Definitely. As soon as I entered the centre I could feel the professional atmosphere, but the social side to there being other interns. The actual experience of seeing the inside of a workplace is something which you can't find online, and RBS really put the time into ensuring that we find the insight beneficial. The insight allowed me to develop my network further, adding graduates and senior workers, whilst making some future connections in the inters.