Software developer Review

The work given was very challenging and I was given the opportunity to explore different technologies. My manager encouraged me to seek learning opportunities proactively and my team was very invested in my development. Also, the atmosphere was very relaxed as a casual dress policy was implemented for the Technology division half way through the internship. Definitely my best internship experience so far.

My colleagues were very invested in my development and were always helpful in answering any questions I had about the company or doubts about my projects. We regularly went for team lunches and team night outs. I would say this is one of the more important factors in deciding whether to come back or not as I wouldn't mind working with my team on a day to day basis.

My manager was very hands off in the sense that I was given an initial project and he (along with other colleagues) would help me define the scope and deliverables for said project. Afterwards, I mostly sought help for small technical issues but not for guidance. I would say that this is something that should be defined early on in the internship: setting expectations with the manager about how the relationship should be (weekly meetings, ad hoc chats...)

There was always work to be done: research for projects, implementing a specific bit of code, fixing bugs, going through the application to find bugs, scoping out requirements or talking to users to gather feedback. Furthermore, HR organized various events throughout the summer (both technical and personal like coding workshops or presentation skills). This really is what you make out of it as some interns never went to the events whereas others didn't manage to complete their work because of that.

I was given plenty of responsibilities as I was treated as another team member by my colleagues, which meant they had the same expectations of me than those of another graduate in my team. My manager would often come to me to share thoughts and I would help him define projects based on those ideas. Technical implementation details were left to me so as to allow freedom to explore different technologies and approaches to choose the best one. On the other hand, there was an expectation to deliver and add value, so I had to be aware of spending too much time refining the deliverables.

Software development is a very transferable skill both in professional and personal settings. I did full-stack development so I learned about a wide array of technologies and concepts in programming. I would say this internship was definitely time well spent as this will help me with programming assignments at university. Also, I learned about programming best practices and how to write scalable code. Doing this internship has also helped me realize how much is done digitally in our day to day and the behind-the-scenes implementations (like how trades are booked and processed or how responsive websites are made).

Things could get quite dull as summer is a very slow time for work: many people take holidays with their family and projects slow down consequently. Nevertheless, it was a very convivial atmosphere where people brought seeets and chocolates regularly to be ahared around the floor. I was fortunate not to be sitting in a trading floor, where the atmosphere is what you typically see in the movies: very frantic and fast paced with people ocasionally shouting at each other. Most floors were tech teams are situated are calm and quite to allow developers to concentrate on their work.

HR did a fantastic work in both the quality and quantity of events organized. Every week since the beginning of the internship there was a senior speaker event, technical workshop or personal skills presentation. Bonus points for the trip at the end to Bletchley Park where we got to see a real Enigma machine (a definite highlight of my internship!). In terms of the work I was given, my manager had an idea of an area in our application that needed improvement but there was not much of an initial steer. Later on, my colleagues were helpful in some adpects of the project but it was mostly self motivation and perseverance that defined my project.

As said previously, HR were amazing in providing training, technical and otherwise. In our first week there, the CEO gave a talk and subsequently, we had workshops on everything from web development, to how to write good quality code to the internal technology stack. Also there were various meet and greets/opportunities to learn more about the different parts of the firm like work shadowing opportunities or monthly presentations of interesting projects. Furthermore, the company provided free resources readily available like Pluralsight courses or Harvard Business Reviw manazines.

Due to a recent re-org, the technology division has seen some improvements and become more flexible to cope with future work and competitiveness from other similar financial services firms. The firm has been placing more emphasis in recent years on technology to create more revenue streams (see for example the Marcus platform), automate tasks and future proofing itself in general. Also, there have been recent rumours that the firm will increase starting salaries for starting technology graduates so it might be a good time to join.

The other interns were just as talented and motivated. We got along pretty well and there was always something to attend on the weekend throughout the placement. I would recommend doing the spring internship as this gives an increased chance to be accepted to the summer internship programme plus you already know the incoming summer interns from the previous year. Most interns are from universities in London and knew the city quite well so the social events after work were quite good in general.

Goldman Sachs offices in London are situated in Blackfriars, right in the middle of the City. Meaning that the cost of transport, living and eating will be very high. Many interns who chose to live near work regretted it as it was very expensive and the places not very big. Also, the food around the area is somewhat overpriced. Most people go to drinks after work at the end of the week, sometimes in between, and this ate into my internship earnings. I would recommend making a budget before starting the placement and adhering to it, as costs can easily spiral out of control.

I didn't go out much during the internship but other interns said that the clubs and pubs around were pretty good. Many are frequented not only by Goldman Sachs employees but by employees from other firms like JP Morgan or Morgan Stanley so there is plenty of opportunity to meet like minded people during the internship. Also the introduction of the night tube in London has made it very easy to have a great night out and not having to worry about how to get home afterwards, no matter the finishing time.

The firm offered a scheme whereby employees could sign up for a day of volunteering in a wide range of activities (all summer interns went to the Thames to pick up waste and clean up the river for example; other employees did CV workshops, english classes or financial skills presentations). This is a great way to get a day off work and contribute to the local community. Beyond that there were small groups for sports activities like weekly meetups for football or basketball but not much else.