This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.
Rating
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The Role
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The Company
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The Culture
- 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?
- 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?
- 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?
- 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?
- 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?
- 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
- 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?
- 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?
- 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
- 10. What were the perks on your work placement?
- 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?
- 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?
- 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?
- 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?
- 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?
The Role
Interning at Goldman Sachs was easily one of the best experiences of my life. Coming from a non-finance background (I study Physics) I was slightly worried that my lack of in-depth industry knowledge would hold me back, but this was not the case at all. It was truly a fantastic experience and gave me a great insight into the industry.
From the moment I hit the desk I was immediately given the work of a level 1 analyst. The work I was doing actually had an impact on future decisions the firm would make. I attended client meetings and was just treated as another member of the team, I couldn't have asked for more.
I had a mentor throughout the entirety of my internship who helped make sure I was on track. On each team I worked with I was assigned an analyst and so I always had someone to go to, even for the most basic of questions. I got regular feedback throughout which really helped me to improve.
I was always extremely busy which is just how I like it. I had large projects to work on throughout the internship as well as small bits of 'desk work' that I had to do for various members of the team. I never found myself bored and the days flew by.
The work I carried out was the same as what would be done by a level 1 analyst. I had real work to do that actually had an impact. The projects I were given were quite large and were actually used by the team when I'd finished. I was very surprised by this.
The main skills I probably learnt were time management and organisational skills. I very quickly had to learn how to plan out my days in order to ensure I completed tasks on time. Doing this helped me become more efficient, which will definitely be useful when I go back to university.
The Company
The atmosphere in the office was really friendly. Everyone was always happy to go and grab a coffee and have a chat with you. Even really senior people at the firm were happy to chat if they had the time to. The office had a really flat structure which was nice.
The internship was really well organised by HCM. They prepared regualr talks for us from eployees from all different divisions / teams. These talks covered a wide range of different topics and we're really interesting. We had regular contact with HCM and they ensures the whole programme was running smoothly.
Subsidised Canteen
Subsidised/Company Gym
Financial Bonus
Company Parties/Events
I massively enjoyed my time at Goldman Sachs and would honestly love to have a career here. I will find out if I have an offer in a few weeks, but even if I don't it has still be a fantastic experience. I've learnt so much and have really enjoyed the whole process.
The Culture
Living in London was always going to be expensive, and I paid around £750 a month for a room in a flat near Waterloo station. A pint would normally cost £6+ which is obviously quite pricy, but I knew this would be the case before so it wasn't a surprise.
Details
Internship (1 Month+)
London
August 2019