Life as a Summer Intern at FINBOURNE 2025

Welcome to our intern spotlight series, where we sit down with the bright minds who joined FINBOURNE for their summer internship experience. In this interview, we explore what it’s really like to work in a dynamic, fast-paced scale-up.

In 2025, we welcomed thirteen talented interns to our summer internship programme, spanning eleven teams across the organisation – our broadest range yet. This growth highlights the valuable contributions and fresh perspectives our interns bring.

We spoke with Alexander, Akshita and Nathan, as they approach the end of their summer internship in the Web Engineering, Delivery Management and Business Operations teams respectively. Read on to discover how they’ve grown into their roles and what they’ve discovered along the way.

What motivated you to apply for an internship at FINBOURNE?

Nathan: We all discovered FINBOURNE through the Social Mobility Foundation, a charity which helps students from lower socio-economic backgrounds enter fields like Finance and Banking. Hearing about how the company support their mission and other students like me, I submitted my application straight away.

Alexander: When I first learned about FINBOURNE, I jumped at the opportunity. I knew that at a scale-up, I would be placed on meaningful tasks from day one. Seeing this opportunity to kickstart my career and work with the talented people behind the tech stack, I knew I had to play a part.

Can you talk us through a typical day in the life of your internship?

Akshita: Every day I get to jump on client calls with other members of my team. Instead of watching from the sidelines, my manager encouraged me to dive straight in, ask questions and support the team by creating client tickets. Having that level of trust from day one was honestly so empowering and motivating.

Alexander: In Web Engineering, we work in two-week sprints, where I get involved with bug fixes or implementing new features. What I love is being able to work with a massive codebase and then seeing my code added live on our platform. Peer review is massive here, so it’s great to work collaboratively with other members of the engineering team.

Nathan: My day kicks off with joining the Finance and Operations morning stand-up, where we walk through the week’s priorities. Working with my team, I helped to build compliance frameworks for our partners and clients. What really excites me is that no two days are the same – I’m constantly adapting and learning something new.

What made the interview process standout from other internships you’ve applied for?

Alexander: I had a skills-based interview, a technical task and then a values-based interview. What I loved was how genuinely interested the team seemed in me and my projects. With other engineering internships, they usually focused just on my technical skills rather than how I think or go about problem-solving.

Akshita: My interview was split into several stages and included a situational judgement interview, values-based interview and then a business case study where I presented a 10-minute pitch. I really liked how the interview process gave me an opportunity to challenge myself even before the internship began.

What was your biggest ‘aha’ moment working on your projects?

Alexander: My biggest ‘aha’ moment was seeing my code go live on our platform. Knowing that something I wrote was now out there for clients really inspired me and made my work feel meaningful.

Akshita: My moment was joining my first client call. Hearing clients talk about their challenges and then working with my team to bring them solutions was amazing. I learned so much from that one conversation.

Nathan: I represented the company in several meetings with a partner, actually presenting my ideas instead of just being there to listen. Taking ownership of my projects like that really boosted my confidence.

How would you describe FINBOURNE culture in three words?

Alexander: Open, supportive and innovative. You can see how much everyone cares about staying up to date with how we approach engineering.

Nathan: Accommodating, responsible, and lateral. Everyone is trusted to do a good job and no matter how senior someone is they are always happy to talk.

Akshita: Fast-paced, dynamic and transformative.

What impact has your internship at FINBOURNE had on your career goals?

Alexander: It showed me that engineering is way more than just writing code. I’ve learned how important it is to communicate with different teams and explain technical terms so that everyone understands. I now have a better idea of the skills I need to succeed in tech.

Akshita: This internship was the perfect place for me to figure out what I wanted to do. Now I know project management is a right fit and I have built the foundational skills I need – it’s completely changed my career path.

Next Steps:

On behalf of FINBOURNE, we would like to wish Akshita the best of luck with her master’s applications, and Alexander and Nathan all the best with the remainder of their degrees. Alexander and Nathan both enter their final year: Alexander studying an integrated master’s in Computer Science at the University of Bristol, and Nathan studying Mathematics and Statistics at Durham University.

We are excited to see where their FINBOURNE experiences take them next. Ready to experience the amazing work and culture our interns have shared? Check out our Careers page for any open opportunities.