Spring Insight Programme Review

Enjoyed it thoroughly. I wanted to learn more about the Global Advisory Division at Rothschild as well as the firm as a whole and the Insight Programme was planned with activities tailored towards this. Activities included presentations, case studies, networking events, job shadowing and a group project. Most importantly, everyone at the firm was very friendly and willing to help, which made the programme even more enjoyable.

Throughout the programme, there were plenty of opportunities to interact with both junior and senior members at the firm. The fact that they took time out from their busy schedules to interact with us is testament to the emphasis that the firm places on early-stage recruitment. The programme also ended off with a week-long project work, where participants had the chance to present to a panel of senior bankers.

Everyone at the firm was more than willing to help and provide advice to participants on the programme. This included tips on interview preparation, general career advice and technical skill support.

We even received basic lessons on conducting valuation methods and building pitchbooks, which are some of the key responsibilities for a junior analyst. The opportunity to learn from a professional rather than the internet certainly deepened my understanding on this. Furthermore, I had the chance to apply these skills in the group project during the course of the week.

Everything was very well planned and there were no hiccups to the programme at all. There was a good mix of lessons, networking sessions and job shadowing, which were tailored towards maximising our learning during the programme.

Overall, it was a fantastic experience and the atmosphere was a very vibrant one. Everyone on the programme was eager to learn and people at the firm were more than happy to share their experiences and insights as well.

We were fortunate to have a highly qualified professional run through the basics of a M&A transaction with us for an entire afternoon. Furthermore, we had analysts from various areas of the Global Advisory Division give introductions into M&A, Equity Advisory, Debt Advisory and Restructuring, as well as Wealth Management.

The week-long project gave participants on the programme a direct insight into the basic responsibilities a junior analyst is likely to take up - analysing and conducting research for a (potential) transaction. The job shadowing segments also enabled us to direct any questions we had to analysts and to see some of the work they were working on.

Throughout the week, a high level of interaction with bankers at the firm was maintained. This gave participants on the programme plenty of opportunity to find out about the company culture, which I found to be one that was friendly and collaborative, yet professional at the same time.

Being introduced to the various business areas within the Global Advisory Division, including M&A, Equity Advisory, Debt Advisory and Restructuring, certainly gave me a better idea of what work in those areas would likely entail. Being able to speak to bankers who were candid in their responses and who were genuinely trying to help participants also put me in a better position to evaluate my future career path.

There plenty of opportunities for networking and meeting employees throughout the firm. Starting from Day 1, we had the chance to speak to analysts at the firm over lunch and this was followed by an afternoon tea we had with senior bankers, most of which had international experiences as well. This level of employee interaction was sustained throughout the rest of the week.

Employees were very happy to share their experiences and insights, given that they were once in university as well. There were a host of networking opportunities and the ratio of employees to participants on the programme was also kept at a high level. These events also included employees from a host of different backgrounds and positions.

Definitely, Rothschild strongly encourages employees to participate in some of the volunteering opportunities it has. Participants on the programme also had the chance to be involved in one such activity, where we spent a morning outside of the office. This was a truly refreshing and meaningful experience.

I would highly recommend this Insight Programme to anyone, let alone a friend. The emphasis that the firm places on learning for participants on the programme is immense and given that we were mostly first or second years at university, this experience was an invaluable one.