Summer Analyst - Markets and Securities Services Review

Each desk had an extremely different environment, in terms of the general atmosphere of the desk as well as the type of work given and level of involvement of the manager and supervisors for the placement. This sometimes made it a struggle to become accustomed to each environment, especially as in some cases it seemed like the managers on the desk were not aware of the purpose of the internship or what the intern's role needed to be. Nevertheless I found a lot of the work challenging and engaging, and also got on well will the other interns which in particular made the whole experience extremely positive.

Perhaps it was just because the desks I was based on were both private side and had more of an "office cubicle" atmosphere than the open plan and long rows on the main trading floor, but at times I found it difficult to introduce myself to my colleagues without feeling like I was interrupting and slowing down their day.

My managers were away on holiday or on out-of-office conferences for most of my time on the internship, so I was not able to catch up or learn from them much at all. However, the other members of the desks supported me, though at times it felt like they didn't have the time for me which was frustrating.

My days would usually vary between being far too busy or having nothing to do at all. On the days with nothing to do I could focus on the internhsip Trading Game or on my own admin but it did feel like tasks would come all at once or not at all. However I think this followed the general flow of the work on the desk and the variation between extremely complex or confidential work and taska they felt comfortable giving to me.

It felt like I was given real tasks to do which made an impact on my team, and the tasks I was given were interesting and diverse as well. I also had the opportunity to attend meetings and listen in on phone calls, which gave a well-rounded view of the jobs of my managers.

Especially the new skills I learnt in Excel, but also general skills of time management and communication, will definitely assist me in my studies. I'm sur my experience on the internship will also prepare me well for my future career, whether it's at the company or elsewhere in a completely different field.

It wasn't particularly fun or boring, it just felt like everyone around me was getting on with their own work and not contributing to a wider interpersonal atmosphere. The constant use of IM to communicate sometimes made it difficult to get to know people or feel involved in conversations, but from a business perspective this is understandable.

Although I missed some of the training week it felt like there was support for me when I joined the desk so I could get up to speed. However HR were sometimes quite difficult to get in touch with - our Recruiter left midway through the placement and it was not immediately clear who had replaced her. As well as this, at one point I tried to arraneg a meeting with an HR rep but after an initial reply confirming this would be possible no one got back to me to set a time or place, which was frustrating.

A lot of the work had to be done independently and at times feedback we received from different trainers or managers was contradictory or didn't make sense - for example in the Trading Game which was supposed to improve our business knowledge and prewsentation skills. It would have been good to have more networking opportunities later on in the internship.

I would consider a job at the firm however I'm not sure if I've found a place that fits me perfectly yet. I also found that I was a bit uncomfortable with the emphasis that every employee seemed to put on earning/making money as opposed to forming worfk communities and personal growth.

I got on really well with my fellow interns and enjoyed spending social time with them both at lunch as well as after work. I was grateful that there were so many opportunities to meet and connect with the other interns after the initial training week, which I could not attend.

It was very expensive to socialise and although I did not live in the area during the placement I was aware that both housing costs and other living expenses such as food were very expensive too. I usually would not eat in the office cafeteria but go somewhere cheaper instead in order to cut costs.

There was a variety of bars and restaurants nearby which offered a good range of choices for interns after work. It was good to be able to meet interns from other firms and divisions in the local bars as well. I would say the office was well-located for nightlife and was also connected on public transport to more central areas.

There were no opportunities to get involved with activities offered by the company, and the working hours generally made it impossible to participate in any activities on weekdays after work. On the weekends I was often too tired to do anything and also used the time to complete my admin tasks left over from the week, as on weekdays I would usually go straight to bed when I got home due to tiredness.