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Summer Intern Review

at Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)

Internship (1 Month+)

Economics, Banking

London

Review Submitted: August 2021

Overall Rating

4.4 /5

The Overall Rating is the average of all the ratings given in each category. We take those individual ratings and combine them into one final score!

4/5 - Overview of Role
4.8/5 - Skills Development
4.5/5 - Support and Guidance
4/5 - Company Culture
4.5/5 - Overall Experience
4/5 - Future Career Prospects

Overview of Role

Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis.
I worked in the Competition Economics Department on a market study. I took part in weekly team meetings and helped with odd tasks, including writing briefings for senior figures in the FCA. I was assigned my own area of responsibility too, researching and writing papers on topics such as Open Banking and Deferred Payment Credit (DPC). In my spare time, I worked on a community project and learnt R programming through LinkedIn Learning.
Were you given much responsibility during your placement / internship?
Yes. I was given certain topics within the market study to specialise in. I wrote papers on these topics, presented them to my team, and drafted wording for external papers. I was also entrusted to write briefings on the market study for heads of departments and the executive committee.
Please rate how meaningful the work you were doing was
4/5

Skills Development

Have you learnt any new skills, or developed your existing skills?
I learnt R programming through LinkedIn Learning, which the FCA provided access to. While writing research papers I built in-depth knowledge of topics like Open Banking and Deferred Payment Credit. I developed my research and writing skills, learning to work efficiently to meet deadlines.
How would you rate the training provided during your experience?
5/5
How would you rate your development of industry-specific skills during the experience?
5/5
How would you rate your development of personal / soft skills during the experience?
4/5
Please rate how these skills have helped you in your career development
5/5

Support and Guidance

How much support and guidance did you receive during your placement / internship?
I received a lot of support. My team and line manager were happy to answer questions and advise on my work. The graduate team also put on regular trainings and brought in Kaplan to teach us.
How would you rate the support and guidance from your line manager?
5/5
How would you rate the support and guidance from the wider team?
4/5

Company Culture

What was the company culture and general atmosphere like?
The FCA's culture is very welcoming and helpful. Staff across the organisation are happy to meet with you and discuss their work. They expect their interns not to work beyond their contracted hours, and encourage them to rest well.
How would you rate the inclusiveness of the culture?
5/5
How would you rate the social opportunities?
3/5
How would you rate the diversity initiatives?
3/5
How would you rate the charity, sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives?
5/5

Overall Experience

To what extent did you enjoy your placement / internship?
I enjoyed my work. I found it fascinating and meaningful. There were days when I had little work; I tried to use those days to learn new skills, using the LinkedIn Learning courses.
Please rate your level of enjoyment on your placement / internship
4/5
Please rate how your experience met your expectations
5/5

Future Career Prospects

Please rate the future employment prospects at Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)
4/5

Recommendations & Advice

Would you recommend Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to a friend?
Yes
What advice would you give to others applying to Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)
I would advise them to express a clear preference for the department they want to work in. I interned last year: it was less fun, as I worked in a department that I was largely disinterested in.
In This Review
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