Internship Review at Mitsubishi UFJ Securities

The Role

Role Description

Rotation 1:
Medium term tasks from research
Day to day tasks from research / sales
Morning comments
Editing pricing program
Devising trade ideas

Rotation 2:
Long term project
Making small trades on the market
Learning about pricing of products and trading strategies

1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

Taken seriously and treated with respect. People were very friendly and helpful on the whole. All internships in banking come hand in hand with long hours and hard work though, so the key driver of retrospective enjoyment is whether your efforts were good enough for a job offer. And I don't know that yet.

2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?

★★★★★★☆☆☆☆

Rated 6/10

Was given real work and help / explanation was forthcoming when needed. But I wouldn't go as far to say that we (or that many teams in a workplace) are "like family" - so the statistic doesn't really fit the question.

Valued by colleagues: 8

Extent to which we were like family: 3

3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

Managers are naturally busy so you probably don't ask often, but whenever I asked for guidance or support I got it and it was top quality. But you do have to ask.

4. How busy were you on a daily basis?

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

In first rotation the onus was on me to find work, but ample was provided. There was certainly enough to keep busy and most work-setters were very considerate in their demands so you didn't get forced into a situation where you had too much work.

5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

Had real work, so real responsibility. Naturally some of this was less important or work that associates were less keen to do themselves, but generally the work actually helped the business, and if it didn't it was interesting and educative.

6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

Learnt a lot about the markets and further delevoped transferrable skills such as initiative, problem solving as well as technical skills such as Excel. However, also learnt that ultimately trading is something you have be in the driving seat to really learn about, and since there wasn't much simulated trading, there was a lack of learning on this front. However, I understand that next year there will be a trading sim ongoing to counter this.

The Organisation

7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

Open, friendly and generally enjoyable. We had a dress down week throughout August and the CEO is often walking around chatting to people, which reflects the positive atmosphere in the office. But fun is a word I find hard to reconcile with a serious workplace, including in this case.

8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

The administrative side was very well handled. In terms of the desk rotations themselves, it varied. One was well organised, the other clearly valued testing your initiative to find your own work but probably could still have been more structured.

9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

Several talks and events were organised, and ultimately every time you ask someone a question you are technically costing the company money, so the implicit investment is huge.

10. What were the perks on your work placement?

★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆

Rated 5/10

• Subsidised Canteen
• Sports and Social Club
• Subsidised/Company Gym
• Company Parties/Events

11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

Great place to work and is on the up. Job stability is higher here than in the bulge brackets, especially while markets remain weak. The expertise of senior staff is very strong, many of them having been the more successful of those at the bulge bracket, so in terms of learning the opportunities are very good.

Other Information

12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

The interns kept in touch throughout, often lunched together or went for a drink after work.

13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?

★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Rated 3/10

Very high, but all Central London will be extortionate. That's what commuting from Zone 2 is all about.

14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

Lots going on if you have the time.

15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?

★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆

Rated 5/10

Review 2/8 for Mitsubishi UFJ Securities

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