Placement Year Review at Morgan Stanley

The Role

Role Description

I was part of the Treasury Controller team in the Glasgow Finance department. My involvement was primarily with the daily FX hedging of European entities, along with minor tasks within the monthly hedging process.

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

The internship was a real work placement. I was given proper work to do, rather than just shadowing coworkers or doing menial tasks. I was provided with the opportunity to experience a real professional environment.

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

My team was excellent, and I felt genuinely appreciated. My work did help with a restructuring process, and my team were not afraid to give me praise for it.

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

The team was very open to provide help when I required it. This was particularly important as the process I was responsible for is fairly complex. I was frequently having 1-to-1 meetings with different co-workers with the purpose of explaining the theory behind what we did.

4. How busy were you on a daily basis?

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

Mornings were very busy due to the nature of my role. Afternoons were not as busy, resulting in constantly having to chase for further work to do. If I had to identify one negative aspect of my placement, it would be this.

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

I took on what was essentially a full Analysts position, which means I was given a significant amount of responsibility.

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

As the subject specific skills are so narrow I believe it will be difficult to utilise them unless I end up working in the same team. However, I have certainly developed more broader skills such as prioritisation, organisation and interpersonal skills, etc.

The Organisation

7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

There was certainly an atmosphere of professionalism within the office, however this did not discourage moderate amounts of friendly and joking chat.

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

The Firm has been doing internships for years and is subsequently well prepared for them. We had dedicated HR-representatives looking after us, and the teams were well prepared to receive their interns.

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

We had a continuous stream of courses and training outside our day-to-day duties, specifically designed to enhance our skills and provide us with new competencies.

10. What were the perks on your work placement?

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

• Subsidised Canteen
• Subsidised/Company Gym
• Company Parties/Events

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

I am currently involved in an interview process for a full time position.

Other Information

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

There was a good cohesion in the intern group and several social nights were organised. The organisation provided mailgroups for us so we could keep in touch easier.

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

Glasgow is very cheap, especially compared to other Financial hubs such as London.

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

Glasgow nightlife is great!

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

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

There were certainly opportunities for activities outside of work, albeit not too many (in the end, it is a work placement).

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 company to work for and an application to the intern program is encouraged, whether it be in Glasgow, London, or any other location.

Review 214/214 for Morgan Stanley

Previous