Meet Risquat Bello

Name: Risquat Bello 
Internship year: I joined the 10,000 Black Intern programme around September 2022 for summer internship in 2023
Internship department: Underwriter, Close Brothers Motor Finance

How did you hear about the 10,000 Black Intern programme?
I heard about the 10,000 Black Intern programme from a friend during school time who joined the program for the 2022 summer internship.

Can you tell us what the 10,000 Black Intern programme is?
The programme is designed to provide work opportunity for graduates, students, and black talent in the UK across a range of UK industries.

What attracted you to the programme?
I had just finished my master’s degree and was looking for an internship opportunity to gain work experience. So, I signed up with the 10,000 Black Intern programme which provided this opportunity for me.

What surprised you most about the programme?
What surprised me most about the programme was how welcoming and supportive everyone was towards me. It made learning different aspects of the Motor Finance business easy and enjoyable.

What was the highlight of the programme for you?
The highlight of my internship was after three weeks of training; I was able to review a live proposal and get it approved by underwriters with mandate. These were my favourite weeks during my internship period. I got numerous positive feedback and I also enjoyed learning about the customer journey ie. the process the customer goes through when they want to finance their car.

What skills has the programme helped you to develop?
The skills this programme has helped me developed are mostly soft skills – underwriting skills, decision making, critical thinking and detail-oriented.

What do you enjoy the most about working at Close Brothers?
The people and the supportive environment.

How has the programme helped you to improve your skills?
The program has helped me improve my skills due to the nature of work I am doing.  In as much as I would love to help the customer to get their dream vehicle, I also need to ensure that my decision would not put the customer in any financial difficulties financing the vehicle.

What are you now aspiring to be?
For now, I am still enjoying being an underwriter.

Do you have any advice or tips for anyone considering a programme like 10,000 Black Interns?
My advice and tip for anyone considering a programme like the 10,000 Black Interns would be - go for it. It is a wonderful opportunity you would not want to miss out on. Most importantly you have to be open minded to enjoy the experience in full.

Sum up your experience of the 10,000 Black Intern programme in three words.
Impactful and educational.