Rothschild Spring Insight Programme Review

The Spring Insight Programme was a very enjoyable experience. You get a real idea of how the firm operates on a daily basis through presentations, networking sessions and work shadowing opportunities. What made the week even more enjoyable was the fact that we were able to do volunteering and visit the Rothschild archives. These 'non-banking' elements of the week made it a very complete and well-rounded experience.

I definitely felt valued during the week as we were given a lot of attention and HR had clearly put in a lot of effort to keep us busy and preoccupied. The fact that we were able to network with employees right across the firm, from Analysts to Managing Directors, definitely made us feel valued.

At the start of the week we were given a comprehensive booklet which had pretty much everything we needed to know. So pretty much all of the guidance we needed was provided on the first day. However, if I did have any questions HR were always available which was very useful.

Some elements of the week will be useful in my degree, for example we had a presentation on 'How to read the FT' which was definitely relevant. Other elements of the week will be useful in general, for example the opportunities to network have definitely made me more confident in such situations now.

The week was really well structured. There was a good balance of presentations, networking, work shadowing and 'free time' for us to work on our presentations. There was never a point of 'What are we supposed to do now?' because the presentations kept us preoccupied. Also, HR allocated a good amount of time for us to work on our presentations.

Among the interns everyone was quite relaxed. Obviously at times it was quite an intimidating experience, for example networking with Managing Directors and giving our presentations. Despite that, it was a friendly environment which was nice to work in. Also, given the history of the firm there are historical objects all over the office which creates a family-oriented atmosphere.

There was good emphasis on this. We had to give presentations on our final day so the firm hired a company which helped us develop our ability to present. This was a very useful experience which I definitely learnt a lot from. In addition, HR gave us a skills session on interviews which was obviously very useful.

The presentations helped us understand the work involved in each sub-division within GFA. This obviously gave us an insight into a full time job here. Furthermore, we had two work shadowing sessions during the week which gave us a direct insight into the nature of full time jobs here, particularly Analyst roles.

Culture was a common topic which came up during networking sessions and thus the insight definitely helped us understand more about this, for example the firm's independent nature. Furthermore, we were able to visit the Rothschild historical archives which emphasized the strong element of history within the firm's culture. Also just simply visiting the offices gives you a natural insight into the culture of any firm.

It definitely confirmed my desire to continue on this career path. Having the opportunity to talk to employees who were in our position was very useful with regards to this. Also, work shadowing sessions provided an insight into the work that I could potentially be doing in a few years, so shadowing was really useful in helping me decide.

The week was not paid but you get reimbursed for travel expenses. You also get free lunch vouchers.

There were loads of opportunities to do this. We had a networking lunch with Analysts and an afternoon tea with Managing Directors. In addition to this, we had two work shadowing sessions with Analysts where we could really get an insight into the work they do. Analysts were also willing to help us with our presentations.

In terms of social events there was a drinks session with HR on the first day which was a good chance for everyone to meet. As mentioned above there were several networking opportunities with employees at the firm.

This was an element of the spring week which really stood out for me. We volunteered at a charity for one morning which was a really clear message to tell us the big volunteering culture at Rothschild. It was a really enjoyable experience and it really did give us an insight into the non-banking side of the firm. We were also given a presentation on volunteering at Rothschild the day before.

Yes, 100%.