Summer Analyst Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my time during the internship - as a student coming from a non-financial background, I was very nervous about finding the work difficult. Nevertheless, both my team and our HCM managers were extremely supportive and patient, providing me with help and advice throughout the 10 weeks and enabling me to enjoy the experience.

My colleagues, despite always having a busy schedule, always made time to help me if I was ever in need of help or support. They provided me with real tasks, and made sure I was aware of any important updates in the team. They were also concerned with my personal development, giving me specific tasks to develop certain skills that I particularly wanted to improve.

We were provided with a very broad and supportive management network, including buddies, mentors and managers. This ensured that we were able to voice any concerns or opinions at almost every level, and felt comfortable to do so. My managers ensured that I met with them on a weekly basis (at the very least) to check that I was coping with the work load and enjoying my time in the team, but also to feed back on my performance.

I was kept very busy every day in the office, and my team made sure to check that I was coping with the amount of tasks I was given. This included daily tasks, individual projects, listening to client calls, but also tasks, projects and meetings related to matters outside of my team. This enabled me to prioritise efficiently, and learn how to manage my time well.

I was given much responsibility during my placement - for example, I felt particularly honoured to attend a networking event as a representative of the firm. My responsibility also extended to producing documents and carrying out research to be used by colleagues in my team, as well as checking documents before being sent out to clients.

I am still astonished at how much I managed to learn during the 10 weeks spent at the firm. I particularly wanted to improve my technical skills, and the training and support from my team enabled me to learn so much about the finance industry and about the technical intricacies of my team's work, which will undoubtedly help me beyond my studies as I endeavour to start my career in the financial industry.

There was a very positive atmosphere in the office - the team are obviously very hard working, and there is a real sense of work adrenaline in the office, particularly as a deadline is fast approaching. There is a real sense of teamwork across the office, as colleagues are always helping each other or seeking advice when necessary.

The internship was very well organised, as HCM ensured that we had a well structured itinerary for the first 2 weeks which included workshops, seminars and meetings. Towards the latter end of the internship, we were given more freedom with our time as we were given more responsibility on our own desks. Our intern-class project was also very well organised, as we were given specific times to meet together to provide feedback on our progress and finally present our project at the end.

The firm invested both time and money into our personal training and development - we were given a one week training period which enabled us to focus solely on financial basics before starting work on our team. We were also given access to online courses to enable us to develop skills at our own pace and to specialise in certain areas.

Yes - our intern class gelled particularly well, so we made sure to see each other on the week end or after work on a Friday in a more relaxed environment. In addition to organising social events outside the office, we also kept a good professional relationship in the office, and would occasionally go for lunch or coffee together.