Summer Analyst - Securities Review

The internship was enjoyable as I was challenged on a daily basis and got to learn new things daily both within my field of study at university as well as new things based on finance and related topics. My allocated project was a good combination of coding and mathematical application which made every day interesting.

The team was helpful, inviting and made sure I felt included in every activity as if I was full time hire. I attended lunches, meetings and informal events like after work drinks where people interacted in an informal manner. My contribution and say about the project was heavily weighted and I had a lot say in the way things developed.

My project was overseen on a regular basis to provide rough guidance and direction, but also during roadblocks or challenging occasions I was given full support and help as to what I should do. I felt comfortable with and could seek help from more than just my direct manager which proved very useful if a) They weren't available and as b) it gave me a wider perspective.

Along daily progress on my allocated project there were various other activities to do such as insight sessions, leadership talks or trips to interesting occasions. Whenever work was finished I was given new challenges and milestones to meet ensuring I was kept occupied and contributing to the best of my ability.

I was given significant reign and responsibility in ensuring my allocated project was in working condition and could be understood by other member of the direct as well as indirect team. I was also given access to use responsibly the various firm tools and facilities without the need to constantly verify what I was doing.

I learnt a huge lot about various topics such as fixed income products and how the company itself runs on a daily basis both in the smaller team to team basis as well as on the larger international scale. The latter served as an eye opening experience with regards to the functionality of the finance industry in general and the former required I learn various mathematical concepts such as linear programming optimization which are very applicable in my degree.

The atmosphere in the office was great and everyone was very friendly. Casual chats and the like were not uncommon whilst maintaining good productivity levels.

The internship was very organised with the allocated to me work being planned and established from the very beginning. The company set up training to gain experience with the in-house systems and all the system of feedback, performance reviews or otherwise, having formal channels and proper setup. The only potential area of improvement would be to ease the setup of initial access to resources.

The company ensured I had proper personalized for my role training and I was given plenty of time to learn and fill out any blanks in my knowledge that I might have had. I was given ample opportunities to also meet people and find out how the different team function to help myself develop and understand what I want to do as the futures comes.

The company offers many opportunities and allows for easy role transitions to suit personal preferences.

The other interns at the company were all extremely friendly and over the term of the 10 weeks we all grew close regularly socializing on the weekends and spending lunches / short breaks together. Everyone was eager to help each other out and the atmosphere was very much one of collaboration.

Having lived in central London itself the cost of living was substantial at around 300 pounds a week. The cost of socializing was roughly 10 pounds a day on food thanks to the great company food subsidizing and weekend activities depending on the exact activity ranged from 15 to 30 pounds a day.

The area was lively with the bars lighting up in activity every evening but I personally did not regularly contribute.

Plenty, there were numerous trips and events organised outside of work to relax or meet peers.