Summer Analyst Review

I found the work I did whilst at Goldman Sachs very engaging and relevant to the real work that my team do. I was looking into data from real companies and doing proper market research to help form our investment views. I was given a broad range of tasks to undertake and did not feel that it was constantly the same, repetitive task. I got to experience the full range of what my team did.

From the start of my internship I felt like a real part of the team. Colleagues were happy to discuss work with me and share their experiences as new hires and interns. When I produced work for my team they gave me positive and constructive feedback which I really appreciated. They were straight forward with me and told me when things needed to be improved and when I had done well which let me know when I was valued.

My manager was very good at giving me feedback throughout my internship, while they were at times tough on me I feel that this helped to develop my skills both in terms of analytical skills and presentational skills. We had fixed reviews set by the programme as well as informal discussions about my performance. My team acknowledged my contributions to work which made me feel valued.

Throughout my time on the internship there was a constant flow of work to keep me busy. I was never bored or without anything to do but at times it felt quite heavy with a lot of things to try and juggle. I never got to the point where I felt things were impossible to manage and my team were good at being flexible to my work constraints.

Obviously given compliance regulations there were many parts of the job and responsibilities that I was not allowed to do but within these constraints I feel that I was given a large level of responsibility. I produced products which would ultimately be sent on to clients and had the freedom to decide how I wanted to approach a research task.

I have learned invaluable technical skills related to company valuation that will serve me well in my studies and career moving forwards. More broadly though I have learned a lot about how to change my mindset when reading the news to looking at the future implications of announcements. I have learned how to manage my time and when I work most efficiently.

The general atmosphere in the office was one of focus on the tasks at hand. It was not library quiet given that there is always somebody on a client call but it was also not loud. While people do have fun and a laugh from time to time this does not detract from everybody getting on with their jobs. The people are friendly and approachable - nobody senior is averse to answering a question you may have about their team's work which is great as an intern because it allows you to learn more.

My internship had a clear structure running through it which helped making it easy to navigate the process mentally and know what to expect in the coming 1/2/4/10 weeks. The general set up of the internship was that we were put on teams and did most of our work with them rather than in intern-class wide exercises. This was good as it gave a real taste for life as a full hire and what you would be doing if you got a job offer.

During my time at Goldman Sachs there were numerous company presentations and sessions put on focusing on how to improve your presentation skills, speaking skills and thinking about how you can best leverage your talents to produce high quality work. These sessions all contributed to broader professional development. I found these very enlightening and made me more aware of how to make the most of myself and improve areas of weakness that I had not previously thought about. I have an increased appreciation for social styles and cultural nuances that before.

It is made clear from the start than interns are there because the company sees them as the future analysts and that they are looking for people suitable for the full-time job. Seeing how so many of the full-time employees around us started out as interns underscored that the future employment prospects within the organisation are strong and that the internship is a serious feeder of employees.

Everyone got along together and was friendly, it made for a nice environment to be part of.

Accomodation in London is very expensive relative to the UK average and this is a fact well acknowledged amongst employees and interns. Compensation reflects this and allows you to live a sociable distance from work but be prepared for high rents in London. In general there are reasonable options available for socialising nearby that cater to all tastes.

London has a great range of nightlife options.

Fairly limited given that work took up most of our time.