Summer Analyst Review

I really enjoyed my work placement. The activities were varied, as we had an individual project to complete, our day-to-day work, and a charity challenge. There was so much emphasis and opportunity to meet other interns and graduates, so I have really built my network. It is a little risky in terms of which department you get placed in, but if you show initiative and find an intern or grad in a deptartment you prefer, everyone is very willing and approachable, and it is straightforward to get experience and build a good reputation in another area.

My team were really friendly, and very informal, so I felt at ease, and they talked about me to other departments when I did good work. I really felt like one of the team.

My line manager took the time to find me resources and talk through them so I gained an in depth knowledge of the business. He also set up meetings with people from other areas of the business so that I could find out about what they did. He would also always be helpful and considerate when I asked a question (of which I asked many).

The work was project-based, so when I was waiting for other people to give me data/resources it got a little slow. However, I recognise that this was also a mistake on my part, as we worked in close proximity with others so it would have been very easy for me to ask for work from other teams, and build a stronger reputation as a hard worker. In addition, the CSR charity challenge and group project meant that we constantly had things to work on if day-to-day work got a little slow.

I was in charge of producing a report for the Credit Risk Committee, which I thought was a lot of responsibility, but my hand was held a lot so there was no real risk. It did however, give me a lot of exposure to the daily tasks I would be expected todo during the graduate job.

A lot! I learnt a lot about managing my own time, and meeting pressured deadlines. I also learned about how to communicate with different groups of people, and how crucial relationship management is, among other technical skills.

Very friendly and informal, conversation flowed and was encouraged, and everyone was interested in each other. However, there were no fixed desk spaces, so the people you worked around changed daily, and sometimes it was very empty.

The actual structure and activities (group presentation, Charity challenge) were great ideas, but the execution was often a little poor, with a lack of communication about deadlines and particular rules we needed to adhere to (eg. no street collecting). In addition, the line managers were not always fully aware of what was expected of them.

A lot! There were plenty of opportunities on the HR Portal to develop your own skills, and everyone in the company was happy to talk me through concepts if I asked them. There is also a wealth of resources about the company on the intranet, and you can structure your time to tailor your learning to what you want to gain. Also listening lunches from HR were provided.

Very nice atmosphere and good initiatives, Although undergoing change, so not very secure future.

Yes, interns regularly went out together, and graduates also organised drinks with interns.

London is expensive, as with every other company.

Great, very busy and varied, lots to do. Opportunities for whatever kind of curfew/activitity/ timescale you are working to.

A lot, as we were living in London, so there was a lot to do, and it was very central, everyone also lived very close together so there was a lot of camraderie between interns.