Technology Infrastructure Analyst Review

The internship was a thoroughly enjoyable experience and gave a good insight into working in technology within the financial services industry. The welcoming culture of the organisation allowed me to feel valued from the outset and the support both from my team and through the training with which I was provided enabled me to soon feel comfortable within my role.

I found everyone in the office to be very approachable and willing to help whether it be as simple as showing me around the building during my first week or demonstrating how to use a complex piece of software. It was easy to schedule meetings in order to review work and equally people were always willing to explain what they were working on which I felt definitely helped to enhance my understanding of the work being undertaken within the organisation.

For the duration of my internship I was allocated a manager, a mentor and a buddy and all three of these people, along with many others within the organisation, were willing to assist me if I had any problems or queries. I met weekly with my mentor and liased daily with my manager and buddy. My buddy had previously undertaken a placement year the bank and joined through the graduate scheme so it was reassuring to be supported by someone who had been in a similar position to me only a few years ago.

Schedules varied from day to day including training exercises, working on project work, liasing with vendors, shadowing and collaborating with other employees within the organisation. I felt that I could've taken on a heavier workload but it is understandable that there's a limit to how much work one can undertake as an intern so imagine there would be more work available as your knowledge of the business and skills develop with further time in the organisation.

I was part of a group of interns tasked with planning an event and also given tasks to work on within my team. I was able to use my own initiative when working and felt my contribution to the team was valued. In terms of our group intern project we were given a lot of control over what we were doing and through scheduling periodic meetings with supervisors it was good to exercise this and receive feedback on it.

I feel that gaining an understanding of infrastructure within a multinational organisation is invaluable as this is knowledge that cannot simply be gained from a degree. I've gained a good understanding of automation and many other aspects of IT (such as ITIL, change management and project management) within a business environment which I think will be very useful within my future career. In addition to this the interpersonal and business skills I gained during the internship are of great benefit.

The atmosphere in the office was positive. Everyone was very friendly and approachable. The employee engagement team organised events such as watching wimbledon and a charity day which employees could choose to attend. The onsite gym, catering facilities and other stuff such as table football and ping pong meant that there were things to do during lunchtimes but as the site is on a business park, if you want to head out of the office to get food at luncht it's a lot easier if you have a car.

The internship was well organised. The interview process and oboarding ran very smoothly and the structure of the induction week (which allowed us to undertake training and meet other interns) enabled us to settle in quickly. The review process in place ensured we received feedback at regular intervals. Through my manager and campus recruitment any queries I had were usually handled quickly. There were however significantly fewer interns in the North West so it sometimes felt there was more focus on those based in London.

The internship began with an induction week in London which gave us the chance to meet other interns and undertake a series of career based and technical training workshops which provided a good introduction to the company. There was also a series of training sessions which could be attended in person or via WebEx throughout the internship introducing us to other areas of the business and also focusing on career skills. Internally there are plenty of online training courses which I was able to look through and undertake some that were relevant to my particular role in TI.

The feedback process in place helped me to understand where I was making good progress and any areas I needed to improve upon. We were given the option to be considered for future employment and having spoken to many people who are on or have been through the graduate scheme, it has been spoken highly of. The supportive environment that I encountered during the placement made it an enjoyable place to work and hopefully this would too be the case if I were to return.

The employee engagement team organised events in our office such as watching wimbledon, a networking evening and a charity day which employees could choose to attend. There was also a variety of networking events organised for the interns which allowed us to meet each other and socialise. The interns based in the North West were brought down to London for a few of the events and there were also events specific to our location. There was also various things such as running, touch rugby, ping pong and touch rugby which employees could partake in that took place during lunchtimes.

Being in the North West, the cost of living is fairly cheap, especially compared to working in a city such as London. The onsite catering facilities are subsidised and cheap bus tickets can also be purchased on site. In terms of the cost of socialising the prices are quite standard for the North and similarly for accommodation.

Plenty of bars, restaurants etc nearby and only a short train ride to busier cities such as Liverpool and Manchester.

The employee engagement team organised events such as watching wimbledon and a charity day which employees could choose to attend. There were also plenty of networking events and sport related activities.