Internal Audit Summer Analyst Review

As a summer analyst in Internal Audit, my role centres on discovering the internal auditor's profession, starting with mastering the methodology that underpins our work. On a day-to-day basis, I get involved in live audits, taking part in meetings with stakeholders to better understand the processes we review and how to engage with them (a dynamic quite different from client-facing roles).
Beyond the live audit work, I'm contributing to a group project alongside the other interns, which we build on throughout the internship and present on a weekly basis. I'm also actively engaged in several training sessions to deepen my general knowledge of the bank and the audit function, while exploring key themes such as the Transformation programme and emerging AI opportunities. Networking with colleagues across the different audit verticals rounds out the experience.

As an intern, I wasn't given full ownership of audit work, which makes sense given that we're primarily in a learning phase. That said, I still played a supporting role within the team, assisting on live audits, helping with the preparation and documentation, and contributing where I could to the ongoing work. The focus was very much on absorbing the methodology and understanding how the team operates, while providing genuine support wherever possible.

On the technical side, I've developed a strong understanding of internal audit methodology, which was entirely new to me, along with a much deeper knowledge of how a bank operates, particularly across Corporate and Commercial Banking. I've also become more familiar with the regulatory environment and how it shapes the work we do.
Beyond the technical, I've sharpened several soft skills. Engaging with stakeholders in meetings has improved how I communicate and ask the right questions, and the weekly presentations have strengthened my public speaking and ability to structure ideas clearly. Working on the group project has also developed my teamwork and time management, since we had to balance it alongside the live audit work.

I received a great deal of support throughout the internship. I was assigned a buddy, a mentor, and a line manager, each playing a distinct role in my development, and I could turn to any of them whenever I had questions. Beyond that formal structure, the wider team was consistently approachable and genuinely keen to help us learn. Everyone was happy to take the time to explain things and share their experience. That culture of support made a real difference in how quickly I was able to find my feet.

The culture was really welcoming. From the start, everyone was warm and approachable, and there was a genuine openness that made it easy to ask questions and get involved. What stood out most was how keen people were for our development, colleagues at all levels were happy to give up their time to explain their work, offer advice, or simply have a coffee chat. There was also an open-minded atmosphere, where new ideas and perspectives were encouraged rather than shut down. Overall, it made for a supportive environment that was easy to settle into.

I thoroughly enjoyed the internship. It gave me a genuine insight into internal audit, a function I knew little about beforehand, and the chance to discover how a major bank operates from the inside. The combination of live audit work, training, and the group project kept things varied and engaging throughout. Just as importantly, the people made the experience: the supportive culture and the willingness of colleagues to invest in our development made it both enjoyable and rewarding. I'm leaving with a much clearer sense of the profession and a strong appreciation for the work internal audit does.

Yes