Spring intern Review

It was very challenging at first with a steep learning curve, but all the more enjoyable and rewarding because of it. The programme did very well to simulate real cases and presentations given the strict regulations that prevented us from shadowing real cases. Very nice people and learnt a lot. Good quality feedback halfway through.

Due to the nature of the spring weeks, we were not actually a valuable part of the company at all since we could not join the firm for security and confidentiality reasons. However, the work we did was listened to and very thoroughly assessed, making the work feel worthwhile. I felt as though the company also valued my achievements to date.

There was a buddy system, which allowed for continuous contact and guidance if we wanted it. There were also several analysts brought in to help us with some of the more complex points of the cases studies. Halfway through the two weeks, there was a feedback session regarding our performance so far (given that the two weeks were used as an assessment for a summer internship offer).

Given that my degree is Psychology, the hard skills I learnt eg. valuing a company will not help me directly. However, I had the opportunity to develop my leadership, teamwork, and presentation skills throughout the two weeks, which will definitely be helpful in any job in the future. I also had the opportunity to interact with people from many different parts of the world due to the global nature of the programme, which is something that will be valuable in the future.

Very well structured with a timetable given to us at the beginning of the two weeks. Every segment of time was allocated to something (although some were allocated to free time for us to work on our individual projects). There was a good balance between talks and projects - good variety. The timetable was adhered to mostly, and any changes were brought to our attention at the beginning of the day.

Due to the fact that the two weeks were essentially one big assessment to see who would be offered a summer internship, there was an air of competition. It was not however unpleasant competition, but rather it made everyone care enough about their presentations to really bring up the level of them. People were willing to help each other and fill in others' knowledge gaps. Everyone was easy to talk to and very driven.

They invested several people's time to organise and run the programme as well as the time of very senior people to come and talk to us. There was less hard skill teaching as it was all learnt during the presentation work, but there again was a time investment for the feedback. Also several networking events. However, as this was a spring week, it was less about them investing in me yet and more about seeing if I was good enough for the summer internship - that is where I assume the real investment will come in.

Due to the confidential nature of much of the work in investment banking, it was difficult for the company to provide a realistic representation of a full time role. Having said that, they did a very good job with the little exposure we could have and essentially brought people to us - there was no shadowing but instead there were many talks by very senior people and simulations of real case studies.

I had the opportunity to ask questions about the company culture to people from all levels ie. from analysts to senior partners. Because of this, I was able to form a fairly comprehensive view of the company and how it differed with level. The atmosphere of the programme also drove home the key cultural point of the firm as a meritocracy.

Initially, I thought I did not want a career in investment banking and would not accept a summer internship if offered. However, I did end up accepting as the two weeks really challenged my preconceptions of investment banking and encouraged me to try the 10 week summer programme. All in all, valuable as it pushed me towards a career at the firm.

I was paid a very reasonable amount, which was even better considering that I would definitely have done the two weeks for no payment. Travel to and from work was not reimbursed, but for internationals not living in London, the firm organised for a stay in a nearby hotel. However, lunch in the city area every day was expensive.

Yes, there were several opportunities spaced out throughout the two weeks for networking. The events had employees from many different levels and it was very easy to get contact details. I ended up having coffee with an employee from a networking event who gave me career advice. Everyone very friendly and willing to answer questions. Strong emphasis placed on the importance of networking.

Numerous and large but unfortunately not large enough - there were 40 investment banking interns and only so many employees so there were often large crowds around each person.

A little, but most of the questions were focused on work life.

Yes, I definitely would. Not only does it teach you a lot in the way of teamwork and presentation skills, but the prestige of the company also stands out on any CV. The employees were all very friendly and I really felt like I was being challenged constantly. As a result, I was able to learn faster than I would have thought myself able. Intense, but rewarding and can lead onto a very valuable summer internship.