Financial Analyst Review

I have enjoyed my placement due to the fact that there have been many activities. These include things such as attending senior member events, learning sessions and socials with senior members of the bank. Likewise, it has also been a unique experience for myself in general.

I feel very valued by my team members. The reason for this is that they have entrusted me with a vast amount of work, thus, underlining how they have faith in my abilities in delivering for the team. Moreover, they have worked with me actively and made sure that I am never busy, thus, presenting how I have been treated like a full-time employee.

When you start the program you are assigned a line-manager and a 'buddie'. I felt that both were integral in promoting my personal development as both would provide me with feedback on a regular basis and tell me how I should go about improving any weaknesses that I currently have.

Naturally, some days were more busy than others- when it gets busy, it gets very busy whereas other days were not so bad. However, it's not a negative to take as being given soo much responsibility has meant that I have managed top develop at a quick rate. It has also provided me with great exposure to senior members who have also assisted me with my own development.

The nature of my role meant that I was given a vast amount of responsibility; the team that I was in would conduct several types of activities and so, there was always something for me to do. It should also be noted that I was also responsible for covering certain roles during this placement, thus, meaning that I had a large amount of responsibility.

Since beggining, my skills have developed dramatically. Not only have my interpersonal skills improved, but my abilities with complex finance systems have also grown. I have also been helped by the fact that prior to starting the role, we were given in-dpeth training which made the transition easier.

The atomsphere was very good at times- the people that I worked with are very friendly, helpful and in general, pleasant people to be around. Naturally, there can be times when the office goes quiet (due to everyone being busy with work) however, in general, it was a good atmosphere to be amongst.

The placement was very well organised. We started by receiving in-depth training on our commercial awareness and attended speaker series'. The next transition involved moving to our desks where we completed a variety of ad-hoc tasks but also, participated in numerous socials and events with senior members, graduates and the other interns.

As previously mentioned, the placement started of with the interns receiving in-depth commercial training. However, this was followed by some more training on systems from memebers of my team who were able to commit a great amount of time on educating me about systems, such as CAP and SAP, which are generally used in finance.

It is very appealing due to the fact that the company's culture and environment makes it a place that you can see yourself working in. The fact that it is also a global bank with an international presence is also something that sweetens the deal. The people however, are the main reason for returning- very nice individuals.

The socials that were organised were excellent. We would usually meet on a weekly baiss where we would go out for catch-ups etc. There have also been many events with other interns and grads which have meant that we have been able to build our networks at an incredible rate.

Due to it being London, the cost of living and socialising are quite high. There are some places that you can go to whcih are cheap, however, if you are based in central london, like myself, it can be quite costly. That being said, canary wharf does have some really good places around so what you pay for is what you get.

The nightlife was okay but there was not much scheduled during this placement, other than socials. However, the options are fantastic around the area; you have london bridge or canary wharf if you want to go for a good place to eat but also other areas, such as the West End, if you are looking for entertainment.

There were many social clubs that I could join during this placement which made this experience all the more valuable. I managed to go to football every other week and also maanged to get involved with some charity work during the placement. Likewise, due to the sheer volume of socials, it meant that there was always something to do.