RBC Academy Trainee Review

Very enjoyable work placement. I was able to develop some very important skills which will help me throughout my career, met some life-long friends and gained incredible exposure into Banking.

I felt very valued by my colleagues. Everyone made the effort to spend time with me at some point over the summer, and I received work from not just my team but also from other teams, which kept me busy.

I was given a lot of support by everyone in general including my managers, colleagues and people I shadowed. Everyone is always eager to give you advice and share their career experiences with you.

From the first day my manager went through the projects he wanted me to work on over the 7 weeks, so I was very independent in structuring my time and priorities. However some days I would get daily tasks from him or other teams, so I would be extremely busy on those days, and I noticed that I actually work well under pressure.

I was given a lot more responsibilities this year compared to my placement in GM last year. I even did a presentation in front of 4 of the directors and my manager about one of the projects I was working on.

Everything I have learned will help me immensely with my future, from presentation skills to networking.

The floor was generally quite quiet but there was lots of free snacks!

Very well organised overall. We had great training sessions e.g Presentation skills at the Old Vic Theater and business etiquette training at the start. However there could have been more social event planned for everyone.

Quiet a lot, as I mentioned above we spent a whole afternoon at the Old Vic with professional trained actors. We also had individual mentors to guide us with our work placement.

Very appealing! RBC's culture is great and all the people are so friendly and welcoming. It would be an ideal bank to work at.

As we come back every summer we already know most of our fellow placement students, and we are all like family. We try to go out as much as we can and always meet up for lunch. Also throughout the rest of the year we keep in touch and usually meet up for Christmas. It's great to spend your summer working with other like-minded students, who share the same goals and experiences as you, and hopefully one day will be key business contacts.

As RBC is located in the City everything is quite expensive- especially drinks! So I didn't go out as much in the City. Also try to bring packed lunch/snacks when you can- you will save a lot!

There are loads of bars to go to after work for drinks with your colleagues, and it's a great opportunity to network with other people that work in Banking.

There were some opportunities especially sports events which were advertised in house, but this year I did not take part in any- mostly due to the bad weather.