In this series, we speak to our diverse and talented colleagues about life at FINBOURNE. In each interview, we learn about the multi-faceted roles at the company and what life is like in a fast-paced scale-up.
This time we caught up with three summer interns, Washeka, Nell and Daniel, to hear about their time and what they have learned at FINBOURNE in their respective roles in the Security, Web Development and Customer Success teams.
Where did you first hear about FINBOURNE?
Nell: We all heard about the internship through the Social Mobility Foundation, a charity that helps sixth form students who come from less privileged backgrounds to get into fields like banking and finance after graduation, by offering internships and skill-building workshops.
Daniel: I have been a part of the Social Mobility Foundation for a while now, as soon as I heard about FINBOURNE’s summer internship, I jumped at the opportunity – it seemed like a great place to start and accelerate my career in FinTech.
What was it like to be an intern in your team?
Daniel: As part of the Customer Success Team, I mainly worked on client projects – working with them to implement FINBOURNE’s suite of products and solutions. Collaborating with senior members of my team, I was given great exposure from day one and regularly joined client calls. I was also pleased to present data analysis to a client, which was a great learning experience.
Nell: In the Web Development Team, I was busy with a continuous stream of projects. These involved learning new coding languages such as, Angular and Typescript. Throughout the internship I learnt how to respond to different user interface issues of the website, and I really enjoyed the fast-paced and varied nature of my workload.
Washeka: During my time in the Security Team, my core focus was to build an authentication website, where I learnt how to use the programming languages C#, CSS, and HTML. The learning curve was steep at first but with the help of my team, and some coding courses, I was quickly able to work independently.
What was the recruitment process at FINBOURNE like for you?
Nell: FINBOURNE carried out a blind recruitment process, which leveled the playing field for candidates. Throughout the hiring process, I felt that they valued my skill set and willingness to learn over having previous developer experience. I think is really important, especially in a junior role. It was also great opportunity to speak to my line manager throughout the process, to learn about the day-to-day activities I could expect from the role.
Daniel: My interview was split into two: a behavioural interview, and a skills-based interview where the questions were to see how you approach unfamiliar scenarios. They were both challenging, but they enabled me to gain an insight into what a role at a fast-paced scale up might look like.
Washeka: The software developer interviews were conducted as a three-part 90-minute interview: a behavioural interview, a problem-solving exercise, and a coding project demonstration. What stood out most to me throughout was that it was very transparent process and everyone at FINBOURNE made me feel at ease.
What are the main takeaways from your experience?
Daniel: Throughout the internship I felt I was able to prove myself well. As a result, I felt trusted by my manager and was able to complete challenging tasks and interact with some of our clients. Now, I know that I want to continue my career in a project management and a client-facing role, to further develop the skills I have learnt.
Nell: By learning from others in the team, I enjoyed gaining responsibility quickly – troubleshooting problems and monitoring the development pipeline. Similar to Daniel, I also want to continue working in Web Development after this internship.
Washeka: I agree, at FINBOURNE I like how they nurture and support interns so they can make a positive impact from the start. Working here has given me very high expectations of how an early-talent program should operate.
How would you describe FINBOURNE in three words?
Washeka: There are many words we could use to describe our time at FINBOURNE, but we have come up with flexible, supportive, and challenging.
Daniel: If we could pick one more, it would be innovative!
If you were to give any advice to future interns, what would it be?
Nell: You may find you have a lack of knowledge at the start but don’t write off opportunities because of this! There will be programming languages that you might not have seen before, so make use of FINBOURNE University’s learning courses and ask questions as you will be amazed how quickly you get up to speed – everyone at FINBOURNE is friendly!
Washeka: I agree with Nell. It’s really important to go into tasks with an open mind and a willingness to learn, as this is the key to feeling settled and contribute value from the get-go.
Daniel: Don’t be afraid to set up coffee chats with people across departments – it is a brilliant way to learn about other colleagues’ roles, expand your network and gain an understanding of how FINBOURNE operates.
Next Steps
On behalf of FINBOURNE, we would like to wish Nell and Washeka all the best with the remainder of their degrees: Nell is entering her final year studying a master’s degree in Physics and Astrophysics at the University of Sheffield, and Washeka is entering her second year studying Computer Science at City, University of London. We also look forward to continue working with Daniel who will be returning to FINBOURNE on a permanent basis as a Graduate Business Analyst.
If you’re interested in finding out more about the positions we have open at FINBOURNE, please check out our careers page.
