Intern Review

Overall my internship has been enjoyable. With the expected ebb and flow of interesting work there were some dull days, but this didn't happen very often.

Throughout my time in the bank every person I met seemed happy to meet me, and those I worked with would often send an email thanking me for a particular piece of work or something I'd done for them.

At the beginning of the internship me and my line manager sat down and decided what I wanted to do with my time, creating a loose structure to follow. They were always there to provide work or words of guidance, but I enjoyed the proactive approach I was encouraged to take.

As with all internships the level of work varied greatly. There wasn't one day where I had no work to do, but some days were sparse, although this wasn't necessarily a bad thing as it allowed me to focus in on larger projects.

The first two weeks were filled with small jobs, but I soon progressed to projects and events planning with team-wide impacts.

During my internship I have developed and improved upon a large number of skills, some of which are specific to this type of work (spreadsheets), and some of which will be invaluable throughout my future career, such as communication and relationship skills.

I was lucky enough to work in several offices throughout the group, and the general atmosphere in each was very positive. There was always a friendly face to chat to, but not so much to be distracting from work.

The application process was seamless and extremely well organised, and this continued into the induction event. Throughout the placement we were kept up to date by the central team via email, but I enjoyed the fact that the internship didn't have a strict structure.

I was lucky enough to spend time with many areas of the team that I worked in, with colleagues more than happy to provide training and shadowing opportunities, always wanting me to get something from the experience.

The group seem eager to progress all able candidates onto their graduate scheme. As long as you put in the effort then prospects look good, both in terms of achieving a place and it being worthwhile.

Unfortunately the accommodation we were placed in (studios), isn't well placed for social activities. This being said, there were plenty of opportunities to socialise and enjoy our free time.

Accommodation was provided by the bank, which was excellent. As far as socialising goes, this is very dependent on what you want to do and where you are placed.

Staying in Bristol the nightlife was amazing, with something for everyone. The main office building is very near a great selection of nice bars and restaurants as well.

There was a very big push to be involved in charity fundraising, which was very enjoyable, both having fun and working as part of a team, and raising money for a great cause.