Internship Review at Bank of America Merrill Lynch

The Role

Role Description

Get up to date with market news in the mornings. Spend a few hours talking to traders and salespeople. Then work on your projects ( I made a brochure about German derivatives for clients and worked on spreadsheet calculators for energy trading) Then you do bits and bobs for your colleagues which could be anything from researching specific companies to updating client presentations.

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

I really enjoyed the placement as I learned a lot, made valuable business contacts and the internship was very well organised

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

The atmosphere was professional yet relaxed. Everyone seemed happy to answer questions.

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

Managers and HR were always there and helpful

4. How busy were you on a daily basis?

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

Sometimes there was too little, sometimes too much work. But that was also sometimes down to me, asking too many people to give me work at the same time and then wondering when there was nothing else to be done afterward.

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

★★★★★★☆☆☆☆

Rated 6/10

I was more learning than anything else, but I enjoyed that. And a couple of my projects were actually used in the bank later, so that a great boost to your confidence

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

Before the internship there was a hole week of training which taught me everything from excel, to derivatives markets and how to use Bloomberg. I further developed these skills during the internship and will use them for the rest of my life.

The Organisation

7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

Hardcore, but very motivating, exiting and buzzing, screens everywhere and exactly what I would have expected out of one of the world's dominant banks.

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

The HR department was amazing from helping organize accommodation, transport, preferences for desks during the internship. I always knew what was expected of me and how to do it and where to go.

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

We had different training sessions or speaker series from the industry each week. I felt as if the company was at least putting as much work into me as I was into them. Very good experience.

10. What were the perks on your work placement?

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

• Subsidised Canteen
• Sports and Social Club
• Subsidised/Company Gym
• Financial Bonus
• Company Parties/Events
• Staff Sales/Staff Shop

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

Got two job offers at the end of the placement! Both were great jobs and the decision was extremely hard.

Other Information

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

I made a lot of lasting friendships on my internship and am still in contact with my colleagues and fellow student.

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

★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Rated 3/10

London is expensive and the hours are long. Socializing on the weekends was possible but quite expensive. However, the salaries are pretty good so its good to treat yourself on the weekends.

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

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

Its London... all the choice you want, but depending on what area you are looking at it was expensive.

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

★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆

Rated 5/10

I have a lot of friends in London so I did not really look for any opportunities and spend most time with friends.

In addition to these questions, is there any extra information you would like to leave about your experiences on your work placement that other students may be interested in?

I really enjoyed this job, especially as it gave an insight into different parts of the company and you could explore all the opportunities they had to offer. Great job!

Review 46/58 for Bank of America Merrill Lynch

Previous Next