Summer Analyst Review

The internship, while virtual, exceeded all expectations. There were events held in the lead up to introduce us to the company and senior speaker series throughout to gives us a wider view of the firm. Day to day, the company made sure to offer support and I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the team I was allocated. The work I was given was meaningful and I felt responsible which was really motivating. Overall, I could not rate it higher.

HR made sure to have check-up calls with interns throughout the process and gave helpful tips which showed that they wanted us to succeed. My manager spoke to me everyday and made sure to offer support throughout and the work I was given was the same as anyone else on the team which showed they trusted me. We were also encouraged to speak to as many people within the firm as possible and everyone that I reached out to was more than happy to have a call with me which put my nerves at ease a lot.

In the lead up to the internship, we were given finance and excel training through zoom which was great to help us anticipate what to expect. Interns were also given useful online training to complete in our own time as well. We were also given a buddy who was someone within the firm that had been through a similar experience to us a few years ago so they were great to ask questions to. My manager and team were very supportive as well throughout.

One large skill I have developed is being able to work with others virtually. With university likely to be completely online for at least the firm semester, this is something I am likely going to be having to do and prior to the internship all my team work had been done in person. I have learnt techniques which I will be able to adapt easily. In terms of information, through both the zoom training, online training and work within the internship, my knowledge of the financial industry and products has been expanded and I believe this will stand me in good stead for the upcoming year.

The virtual internship with MS was very well structured. Having zoom events prior to the start date eased interns into the company well. We had a three day induction to provide training and help introduce us to each other which eased nerves and throughout the summer, there were weekly Speaker Sessions. This meant that we were brought together as a class of interns regularly which was nice. There were also social events and intern group specific events (e.g. just for Finance interns) which kept the content relevant.

There was a great atmosphere during the virtual internship. The HR team made a big effort to put on events for us to get to know one another and relax. For example, there was quizzes, a virtual escape room and closing event. There was also a virtual giving back event which was a team mapathon. This was great to be able to give back while also getting to know one another more. The constant events made interns feel valued.

The firm invested a lot in the interns personal training and development. They gave us access to online financial training and then offered sessions over zoom. These included financial markets training, excel training, professional skills, presentations skills, networking etc. Once on the platform, there was also more development training which was accessible to all employees. While I was there I completed an extra course in derivatives and a finance refresh course. This helped further develop my knowledge.

One session that was hosted by HR was the opportunity to speak to MS employees on the graduate programme. This gave a great insight into the transition from intern to full time and what comes with the job. We were told that the internship sets individuals up well from a full time role. I would agree with this as I was given the same responsibilities as another employee would have been given. I was also included in many team meetings as well.

The culture at Morgan Stanley is a huge part of the firm and just before we joined they added a fifth core value which meant, even more so than before, culture was a big conversation. When hearing from senior speakers it is clear that they believe that the culture of doing the right thing, putting the client first, leading with exceptional ideas, committing to diversity and inclusion and giving back is the backbone of the company and leads the actions. When speaking to others, it is always the people within the firm that they speak highly about and that is down to the culture and the individuals this attracts.

As a Finance and Economics student, working in a firm like Morgan Stanley was my first place choice for starting my career path as it makes sense based on the work I have been doing so far. The experience further grew my want to work in this industry and also got rid of any misconceptions of what working in a bank can be like. It was a positive and welcoming experience while also being fast-paced and exciting.

There were multiple opportunities set up by HR to meet other employees at different levels. This includes a Q and A session with James Gorman all the way to a panel of current graduate scheme employees. This was great as a full picture of the firm was painted even though we were not in the office. We were also actively encouraged to reach out to people in different teams and departments to learn specifically about their roles. I found this useful to understand the dynamic of the Finance department.

I would definitely recommend the Morgan Stanley internship to a friend, whether next year it is virtual or not. It was a great way to meet new people, develop skills and gain exposure to the finance industry. The company invested a lot in their interns and provided a great experience which made us feel valued and excited about the company. HR were a great support throughout and I was very sad when I logged off on the last day.