Spring Intern Review

Given that the insight event was virtualised, I think the programme was still extremely interactive and covered a lot of ground - especially through the buddy system. This made it more engaging than insight programmes which only offered divisional presentations, as you had a point of contact within the firm who had already went through the process, who you could ask questions to and get feedback from. Pairing you with someone from the industry was probably the most enjoyable part of the spring.

There was a lot of effort made to make you feel included; for instance through the buddy system. This made it more engaging than insight programmes which only offered divisional presentations, as you had a point of contact within the firm who had already went through the process, who you could ask questions to and get feedback from. Also, we were assigned a project to complete, which meant the insight programme wasn't purely passive - there was a level of technical work to complete and learn from.

Again, the buddy system came in useful here - mine was very responsive to emails and helpful even when asking tangential questions (e.g. questions not directly relating to the project we were given, but also topical news). Moreover, HR made the effort to give us 'Recruiter Open Hours', where we could ask questions about summer applications.

I thought this spring programme was more academic than most, as we were assigned a project to present to our buddy (along with two other people who were assigned the same buddy). Having an audience to present to meant that we could get instantaneous feedback, as well as learn from other spring interns. This meant I was able to practice skills such as reading financial reports, basic accounting, and Excel, which will all undoubtedly feed into my studies.

I thought the insight programme was well structured; spanning two weeks, there was a good balance between depth and breadth of sessions offered. For instance, even though my spring was for the Investment Banking division, I was able to attend panel events for other divisions, such as Global Markets and GIR. In this way, I was able to understand Goldman's 'One Goldman Sachs' culture more deeply, as I could see how different divisions supported and linked with one another.

I thought the general atmosphere was great - there was a good mix between support and pushing me to perform better in projects, group calls, and panel events. There were also some events focused on wellness and wellbeing, which I thought was a nice touch as it wasn't purely academic.

We were issued a project to complete over the two weeks for our specific division. Mine was to evaluate LVMH's acquisition of Tiffany & Co. from the sell-side, or target's perspective, looking to see whether LVMH has over or under-paid for Tiffany. I thought we were given sufficient time to research and fully prepare a ~8 minute presentation, and I really valued the opportunity to field questions as it helped me see where gaps in my learning were.

Having access to a buddy who, coincidentally, is in the industry and product group that I wanted to work in (TMT M&A), meant that the buddy system was extremely useful to me. Having a preliminary call with the rest of my group meant we could find out more about the role 'direct from the source', and the small groups meant we all had a chance to ask questions.

The various panel events across many different divisions helped me to understand the team-based culture that Goldman upholds, which can be applied across teams, cities, and countries. I thought that every panel event touched heavily upon the ability of Goldman to balance being a large bank, with a flat and friendly structure - you can approach anyone for questions.

This programme allowed me to decide which areas of finance I wanted to go into, because it had panel events which were for other divisions which I hadn't applied for. This meant I could easily compare and contrast the work of different analysts across divisions and within divisions in order to see what suited me best. Therefore, I really valued the opportunity to learn, for instance, what GIR was, and how it differed to my chosen division - IB.

I was paid for this experience.

Although the event was virtualised, there was still plenty of people to speak to. Aside from the buddy system, you could have gone to panel events and asked questions directly, or asked HR certain things through the Recruitment Open Hours.

Although the event was virtualised, there was still plenty of people to speak to. Aside from the buddy system, you could have gone to panel events and asked questions directly, or asked HR certain things through the Recruitment Open Hours.

During the Q&A and introductions many employees told us about their life outside of work; for instance, joining sports teams with co-workers, and cooking. It's clear that Goldman supports workers in numerous endeavours, including with groups which centre around supporting ethnic minorities and women.

Yes I would recommend this insight to a friend, I think given that it was virtual, it was as interactive as it could have been. There was a good balance between depth and breadth of sessions, as well as a nice attempt to networking on a more personal level through Open Hours and the buddy system.