Corporate Finance Summer Intern Review

The internship was thoroughly enjoyable, with exposure to live deals and direct involvement with them. The staff were very kind and helpful, and the office had a pleasant atmosphere. The work itself was both challenging yet enjoyable, and allowed me to develop various skills and engaged me throughout the course of the internship.

I felt quite valued by my colleagues which was a strong positive. None of the staff felt the need to pull rank or impose themselves and it was enjoyable to work with everyone. The trust in me to carry out tasks and research without constant checks other than at the end indicated the firm's positive take on interns.

Whenever I required help or clarification regarding tasks, colleagues or managers would be on hand to provide it, thus there was support when required. However a more structured form of guidance could be incorporated in the form of weekly catch ups and performance reviews to help further my personal development throughout the internship.

The daily workload ranged significantly on a day to day basis. While some days I was handed significant amounts of tasks or research to carry out, on other days there was practically no work to be done. Indeed August is one of the quieter business months, and hence there would be less work, however a more structured internship would help ensure both that I could be utilised most efficiently for the firm, and that I would gain maximum exposure to the department during the internship.

While the work load was not consistent, in the tasks I was asked to carry out, I was given a good level of responsibility. Having to carry out research and identify potential firms for clients to invest in, as well as supporting on IPOs were both examples of the type of responsibility I was given with this role.

While not as relevant for my degree, the excel training and research skills in particular will be most useful for a range of potential career paths, especially in the financial services. More specifically, the commercial knowledge gained both about specific markets and processes carried out within Corporate Finance or Investment Banking divisions will be useful when applying for such jobs in the future.

There was a general positive atmosphere in the office. There was a good balance between a laid back, informal atmosphere with the staff, and a positive work ethic. No staff felt the need to push seniority, and all staff were very inclusive and made me feel part of the team.

The organisation of the internship is one area that could be improved. While the application and joining process were all well organised, the internship itself was less so, with me being placed in a department and then given tasks sporadically when they came up. A more organised internship would have been more efficient and would have allowed me to contribute more to the firm, while learning more myself.

Most of my training and development occurred through my participation and completion of the various tasks I was handed during my internship with the firm. While indeed beneficial, there was little if any direct investment in training and development. Training such as a small excel training programme would have been relevant and beneficial for my development.

Future employment prospects are quite appealing with this firm. The work life balance is definitely desirable, while the internal atmosphere is very appealing.

There was only 1 other student interning at the firm in a different department, for the duration of my internship, and there was no official social events or social scene for interns.

Central London is expensive as anticipated, however manageable. The average price of lunch outside the firm is about £6, however the subsidised canteen provided hot meal and sandwiches for less than this.

N/A

There were no outside of work activities that occurred during my internship, however I only interned for a month and so there was not much opportunity for activities. Firm activities such as department golf days and weekends etc. were brought to my attention by the other employees at the firm.