Summer Analyst Review

The structure of the scheme allowed me to work on interesting and industry-relevant tasks as well as network, which I really enjoyed. It was a great experience working in the Canary Wharf offices, gaining an invaluable insight into the actual working environment. The internship was extremely enjoyable, and was the correct mixture of fun yet challenging.

I was given relevant and useful tasks which challenged me and also made me feel valued by my colleagues. I was made to feel like I was working alongside my colleagues, rather than under them since I was on the internship. My colleagues were extremely supportive whenever I had any questions regarding my objectives and work, or more generally about the workplace. In my experience, everyone was very welcoming and friendly, and made my feel very valued.

My Line Manager was extremely supportive and helpful. She was always happy to answer any questions and queries I had about anything. We had weekly one-on-one catchups during which she was able to check I was on track with my projects, and guide me in any areas I felt unsure about.

In general, I felt I had a very well balanced schedule. I was in charge of organising a lot of my own meetings, so I was able to arrange my schedule as I pleased. I also had team meetings which were several times a week, and several other extra commitments. Apart from the odd super busy day, or empty day, I felt like I had a good balance of busy time in meetings and at my desk, and more relaxed, slower-paced time.

My Line Manager who set my objectives for the internship did a great job in giving me plenty of responsibility, which was something I was keen to get. I felt like I was sufficiently challenged and given a great deal of responsibility, but this is something I enjoy. It was slightly daunting at first, but I was fully supported by my colleagues and Line Managers if I ever felt like I was being given too much responsibility.

I felt my internship allowed me to develop my skills and industry knowledge an enormous amount! My particular role and objectives were aligned to allow me to develop my commercial awareness and business understanding- something which I found extremely valuable and interesting. Studying Economics at university, meant that learning more about banking and the investment flow was able to assist me in my studies, as well as my internship.

I enjoyed the atmosphere in my office as it was friendly and exciting, but also professional. I liked that people were all situated relatively close together, so you could walk over to any desk to ask a quick question, rather than phoning/emailing someone in a different office. The atmosphere was stimulating in the sense that everyone was very well qualified, and you felt like the standard of work in the office encouraged you to strive to be the best. The one thing I didn't like about the atmosphere was that most people sat at their desks to eat their lunch.

The level of communication with the internship organisers both prior to, and during the internship was very disappointing. Whilst the actual structure of the placements in the office was good, this was outweighed by the lack of organisation by the overall organisers. I am not sure if this is something general to large organisations, but my experience with trying to get information from/ contact the placement organisers was very poor.

It was very apparent that the firm invested a lot of money in developing the interns. We received two full days of training at the start of the internship which was very useful. The internship was effectively 9 weeks of personal training and development, which was a bonus since we were getting paid to do it.

The future employment prospects within the organisation are very appealing. I have thoroughly enjoyed my placement and would definitely take a full time job offer. Being such a large company, the long term prospects are also very appealing.

With 60+ interns on the scheme, it was difficult to organise socials involving everyone. There weren't very many intern socials organised internally, and it was a struggle trying to organise it externally amongst oursevles.

Living and working in London is renowned for being expensive, especially around Canary Wharf. I stayed around Old Street during my internship which was slightly more affordable but still expensive. However, I can't really complain given that the internship was paid.

The bars and restaurants around Canary Wharf are always busy after work in the evenings, and there is plenty of choice for where to go. Even if you don't want to go out around Canary Wharf, the DLR and Jubilee Line stations are very convenient and quick ways to get around London.

There were several opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work, such as football and volleyball tournaments, and charity events. In terms of other activities completely outside of the business, London is always busy with lots to do and see.