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"I received a lot of support and advice as I weighed out the options.
Because RBS is a very flat organisation, I got to speak with senior
managers from my areas who provided me with in depth one-to-one advice
as to what I should do to follow the career path I wanted. "
Selina Tindall
What attracted you to working for RBS?A combination of three things: the scale of the Group, the career opportunities that the business offered and the diverse graduate scheme which enabled you to fully explore those opportunities. I joined RBS in 2009 during the recession, and wanted to help be part of the solution.
How would you describe the culture and working?Speaking from the point of view of Technology, which is my only experience so far, there’s a very good balance between the professional and the social. People work hard during the day and in the evenings there are plenty of opportunities to relax and unwind together. I joined through the Graduate Scheme, which provided lots of opportunity to get to know colleagues as friends, rather than just workmates.
Can you describe a project you’ve been involved in that’s been particularly high-profile or challenging for you? The last project I worked on involved automating the Credit Risk backtesting process – regular testing to ensure counterparty risk predictions are accurate – as part of the new rules set out by the FSA. This was a particularly high profile project and, when the release went out on time and successfully, was praised by senior management throughout the Business and Technology.
What training and development have you received? Tell us about your training week?I started on the graduate scheme and had two months of initial training that included one week of general training, one week of financial training and six weeks of technology training. This meant that those who were more Finance inclined were able to learn core technical skills such as java development, SQL & databases, and software lifecycles.
What do you enjoy most about your role and working at RBS?One of the main reasons I joined RBS was because of the diversity of the scheme and so far it’s lived up to my expectations, my two rotations were completely different. I enjoy the challenging and changing workload but I’ve also been pleasantly surprised by the very sociable and friendly teams and working atmosphere. I have also been given demanding tasks that show I have not been branded as ‘The Graduate’ but as a valued member of the team. RBS have a lot of societies for all sorts of interests, including the Ski Club, Football Club and Theatre society, and I try to get involved with them as much as possible to meet people within the company that I may not normally meet. I have joined the executive team of a society called the Young Bankers Association which holds business breakfasts, charity events and learning and development workshops for those new to the industry. This is another great way to meet new people, including members of senior management.
What level of client contact do you have in your role?My clients are all internal colleagues.
If you receive benefit funding, how do you spend/invest this?I only use the pension scheme and charity raffle.
What has been your most memorable day at RBS and why?I'd have to speak of a memorable couple of weeks as opposed to a day. Toward the end of my two rotations I had to decide which I would be staying at. I received a lot of support and advice as I weighed out the options. Because RBS is a very flat organisation, I got to speak with senior managers from my areas who provided me with in depth one-to-one advice as to what I should do to follow the career path I wanted.
Describe your first week on the programme at RBSThere was a lot involved in getting my access rights properly sorted but once this was done I was put onto a training plan and spent most of my time shadowing each member of my team to see what they did and learn the ropes. There was also a ‘welcome’ lunch in my team so I could bond with my colleagues better and break the ice.
What do you wish you had known before starting at RBS?I wish I had done more research and gained a better knowledge of finance. As a techie I’d hoped to learn most of this on the job but the reality is you only really have time to learn what’s specific to the project you’re working on at any one time. However, there is a lot of training available, and I have attended many sessions since to fill this knowledge gap.
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