Placement Year Review at Morgan Stanley

The Role

Role Description

Position Services in Morgan Stanley is a department for processing of corporate actions. The Research team is the first team in the chain of teams to begin this processing. My role as an analyst within the Research team involved the same responsibilities as all other analysts. On a day-to-day basis, I was assigned corporate action events for which I was responsible throughout their life, from creation (both in the systems and on paper) and updating to sending notifications to clients. In addition, I was involved in the processing of received notifications about corporate actions, including SWIFT messages as well as SSN and DACE messages. My responsibilities also included producing daily risk reports and also liaising with agent banks around the world whenever there was a piece of vague or insufficient information on a corporate action. As part of my role, I also had to liaise with the other processing teams every time a complex or unusual event appeared. Inevitably, I had to get experienced in using different Firm systems and software as well as get to know the different market specifics of the markets we cover. In addition to these responsibilities, I was assigned a number of projects, among others Archiving Project, Ca-Research Overview Project, Pass the Book Project, Training of newly joined Grad, Shadowing, Producing weekly Research Risk Reports and other minor projects like writing procedures, templates, etc.

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

I really learnt a lot and was constantly challenged during my placement. My job was intense and varied. Sometimes, I did not like the repetitive side of my obligations.

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

I received great reviews and recommendations, I felt valued by most people.

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

I could always ask for help whenever I was not sure about something.

4. How busy were you on a daily basis?

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

Generally, I managed to finish my workload for the day. However, since my job heavily depended on volumes, sometimes there were days with few tasks to finish and sometimes there were quite busy days.

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

I was given a great amount of responsibility and this made me feel appreciated. I was working alongside experienced professionals, but was doing the same job as they.

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

First of all, I know better what my career path should be. As for skills, I developed my communication skills, I think I can work better in a team now, I have good risk management skills and I also improved my organisational skills.

The Organisation

7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

I was working with professionals, but the atmosphere was never too serious. Everybody had an amazing sense of humour and it was never boring in the office.

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

Very well organised. I would like some more training sessions at the beginning or the ability to sign up for training courses, but I guess this requires a lot of funding and we are only interns, after all.

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

As I said, I would like some more training courses. However, generally speaking, I was taught everything I needed to know by my manager and colleagues, and the firm had indeed organised a couple of general financial courses to attend during the first days.

10. What were the perks on your work placement?

★★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆

Rated 4/10

• Flexi Time
• Subsidised/Company Gym
• Financial Bonus
• Company Parties/Events

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

I already got a job offer and I accepted it.

Other Information

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

Yes, we often organised parties and events between us interns. I like my fellow placement students.

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

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

Canary Wharf is not as expensive as one might think, but still, it is the financial district of London and it is a little posh.

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

Canary Wharf is packed with bars and restaurants and I could always grab a bite or a beer with a friend after work.

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

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

More or less. There were a lot of activities organised by the company, but a lot of them were restricted to full-time employees and not interns.

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?

Morgan Stanley is a great place to work. People there are amazing and, moreover, they are professionals in their field. You will learn a lot if you decide to do a placement in Morgan Stanley!

Review 213/251 for Morgan Stanley

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