Summer Analyst Review

The internship gave me a real insight into the firm and the business unit I worked in, while challenging me in every facet of my life. The program is well organised, with a real focus on the area that you are assigned to, so if you're hoping for rotations through divisions this is not the way to do it. The firm does however encourage you to network with other business areas, so you can have access and insight that is impossible to gain from the outside.

There is a lot of scope to add value in the everyday work. From day 1 you are learning the firm systems and dealing with client queries in order to be a functioning member of the team. Apart from the internship and HR projects, which help to broaden your insights and show off your skills, all of the work you do is valuable to your team,`

There is a strong culture of feedback and support, with the lines of communication always being open. You are assigned both a buddy on your team and a mentor outside of your team. The review process is comprehensive and provides valuable feedback - which they expect you to take action on and improve over the course of the internship.

The summer can be very quiet or very busy, depending on the week and the team. There was never an undue workload put on us as interns, even though we worked really hard and long hours.

Depending on the team, some client interactions and functions cannot be performed without being regulated, which can mean that you are limited in your ability to take responsibility. The balance is good though, with the team giving you challenges and responsibility but keeping enough of an eye on you that they can offer help and improve your learning in the process.

There was a real focus on the practical application of market concepts and theories. This challenges you in a whole different way to university, and makes you far more commercially aware of the way in which the business advises clients and makes money. I would say that this is the most valuable thing that I gained in this experience, and the structure of the internship and the assessments push you to develop these skills as rapidly as possible.

The atmosphere is one where there is a high expectation of professionalism and excellence, and it pushes you to perform to your best. The people are all the best in their respective fields and you can learn a lot from them. It is quite a serious atmosphere, and depending on the division there is an expectation of not leaving the desk for long periods of time and staying fairly late.

Very well organised, with many interesting events and everything running without a hitch. There are live-streamed conferences and talks from the NY office, allowing all of the interns from all of the world to view and interact with the speaker. We engaged in a day of community team work where we engaged in cleaning up a certain area of the city and rehabilitating the surrounding environment.

Most of the training is on the job, but in the beginning of the internship they provide training to bring everyone up to speed on financial concepts and principles.

The aim of the internship, as presented to you when you arrive, is to get a job offer at the end of it - they are very clear about that. The team in which you intern is the most likely place for that to happen, however they do encourage you to meet other teams across the floor and in other divisions to find the best fit for you.

There was a great sense of team and mutual cooperation in the intern group, we all spurred each other on to better things and helped those that were struggling. Outside of the office we got together regularly and enjoyed London. This internship is a great opportunity to make good friends and have some fun as well as work and learn.

London is expensive, and living here can be very pricey. Thankfully the internship is paid, but you need to be able to get by for the first month when you arrive in the city until your first paycheck (including first month's rent and deposit). Once this is paid however, the salary is enough to enjoy the city.

London has a great nightlife with a very diverse choice of events, As I said it can be expensive, and having the time/energy to go out on a regular basis limits the extent to which you can do this.

There are many affinity networks at the company, but their events are limited. Anything is available in the city obviously, but the amount of work required means that it is tough to fit a lot of other things into life while you are here. It is best to plan that work is the main activity during the internship.