Corporate & Commercial Banking Intern Review

I enjoyed my internship as I learnt a lot and was met by a welcoming team who were eager and patient in teaching me exactly what they do. The on-boarding and off-boarding events held by the recruitment team at the beginning and end of the internship ensured all of us interns had a chance to meet each other, helping us get the most out of our experience.

The fact that the team I was working with were welcoming and each individually took time to sit with me and explain what they do made me feel incredibly valued. As a result, I was able to enjoy my experience immensely and felt comfortable and confident in completing the tasks I was given.

My line manager was away in my first week so in that sense I was not given very much guidance or support when I first joined. However, the rest of the team supported me in my learning of what they do and also gave me some guidance in completing tasks I was set. While I was not given extensive guidance when completing tasks, I think this was advantageous as it ensured I really pushed myself.

The extent to which I was busy increased as the weeks progressed. At the beginning of my internship I was spending more time learning and reading over texts rather than completing tasks and being kept particularly busy. However, as my knowledge and understanding improved and I was able to be of more use to the team, there was a good balance between the time I had free and the time I was kept busy.

As the weeks progressed, the amount of responsibility I was given increased significantly as my knowledge and skills required for certain tasks improved. I felt I was able to make a positive and meaningful contribution to the team through the work I completed by helping in the writing of papers, annual reviews and other such documents.

The training I received will not only assist me in my degree studies but I believe will be skills I will have for a long time. I was given a lot of exposure to company accounts and balance sheets which I had not seen before. Such exposure has allowed me to familiarise myself with these financial documents which will be a skill I will continue to use throughout my career as I wish to work in the finance sector.

My office were all very welcoming and keen to get to know me which was a key factor in making the internship so enjoyable. Those in different departments than the one I was in offered to spend time telling me about the work they do and how it differs to the work the team I was in does. As a result, I was able to gain a well rounded understanding of the different roles available.

Prior to beginning the internship, I was given all the necessary information about location, dress code etc. in plenty of time which I found very well organised. Once beginning the internship, as my line manager was on holiday when I arrived, my first week or so was not very well organised; few people were aware of which documents I needed to fill in and where I could find a username and password for the office computer. However, as the weeks progressed this did improve so I cannot say the internship was disorganised.

The team I was placed in made sure I had available all of the necessary documents and resources (such as their time) to develop my personal training and skills. The fact that the internship required the interns to complete a pub quiz in order to raise money for charity also helped me develop my teamwork, organisation and leadership abilities. Therefore, as a whole I would say the company did invest in my personal training.

Future employment prospects within the organisation are appealing as I enjoyed my time on the internship programme and felt this showed in the qualty of the work I produced. I got on well with the team I was placed in and believe I was able to be of value to them despite my lack of knowledge and experience in the industry.

While the interns did make some effort to organise group night outs, this was somewhat limited. As we only had two opportunities to meet (the on boarding and off boarding events) and were all placed in different offices, we were not able to interact with each other as much as I would have liked.

As I was working in London, the cost of socialising and living was high. I was able to live at home which certainly reduced these costs but transportation to and from work was very expensive. There were many places to have lunch around my office which varied in price so each individual's budget was catered for.

As very few intern night-outs were organised, I have had little experience with the Nightlife in the immediate area I worked in. However, as I was working in London, I can say that London as a city offers a lively and diverse nightlife that caters for all. The majority of clubs and bars are within easy reach and offer a huge selection of different types of music and atmospheres.

As part of the internship programme, the interns were given the opportunity to organise a pub quiz in order to raise money for charity. I enjoyed this as it was something I had never done before, pushing me out of my comfort zone and allowing me to develop skills I do not usually exercise. Within the department I worked in, I also had the opportunity to attend a 'Half-Year Celebration' for the whole office and take part in several sporting events such as softball.