Ken Cunningham (BankWest)

During the winter University break I was delighted with the opportunity to complete an internship in Business Banking Department at BankWest. This great opportunity gave me a unique insight into the operating mechanics of a large bank and the internal workings of WA’s largest Property Finance team. During my time at BankWest, I worked as a Credit Analyst within the Property Finance team, managing clients and facilities ranging from $10m – $150m.

Throughout my work experience, I was able to combine both my financial and property academic backgrounds and apply the skills and knowledge from the classroom to a real-world working environment. I was able to develop my analytical problem-solving skills, financial system data entry and financial reporting skills and adapt these to a bank’s format of reporting.

I found this to be a particularly engaging learning experience as it offered a unique viewpoint on the banks perspective and the metrics used in determining risk, compared to the viewpoint often taught in the classroom of the customer.