Summer Analyst Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my virtual internship. The team took time to ensure I was introduced to everyone and settled in. I was given slides with details about my teams operations that helped me understand my role. My manager and buddy shared their experience and were available during the work day if I required additional assistance with tasks that I was assigned. I had the opportunity to speak to senior members within Morgan Stanley and learn more about the careers.

I felt as a valued member of the team from the start. Each team member introduced themselves to me and gave me the opportunity to organise a one to one with them over zoom to learn more about their professional backgrounds and their current roles within the team. I was assigned live tasks were my work was necessary to the team which improved my motivation and with that my standard of work. Every colleague in the firm I interacted with sought to support me during my internship.

Initially I was anxious as I was unsure how my team would be able to assist me through a virtual experience but my colleagues were able to take advantage of the Morgan Stanley resources to ensure that I never felt isolated whilst working from home. With the combination of zoom, click2dial and Skye Business (allowed for instant messaging and screen share) I was able to effectively communicate with my buddy and manager which allowed me to complete task that I was initially unsure about.

I currently study economics and finance and have just finished my third year and was able to build on the education I had from my experience with the finance department at Morgan Stanley. I was able to develop my accounting knowledge by working alongside several accountants within my team. Furthermore I was able to learn more about finance from on the job training that developed my previous knowledge in a way I could never learn from a textbook.

I felt the introduction of my internship could have been better structured and discussed with HR about the possibility of having a week 0 of orientation allowing the new interns or get a taste for a working day. The following week (week1) would be the first time we met our teams allowing us a whole week to initially meet them and understand our roles/responsibilities within the team rather than only meeting the team for two day’s then having a weekend. After the initial start the rest of the internship was well structured

I fully enjoyed the atmosphere from my internship despite it taking place virtually. I felt that each member of Morgan Stanley was positive, enthusiastic and very supportive which allowed myself to thrive in a new environment. Senior members within the firm were more than happy to take time out of their busy day to speak to myself and ensure that I wasn’t feeling isolated or lost during work. I could not have felt more supported by the glasgow team and believe they are the reason why I enjoyed this summer experience so much.

The firm took their time to offer training throughout the internship ensuring that you were trained for your role and did not feel left behind. There was a combination of mandatory and voluntary training sessions from a range of computer skills to financial training available. Furthermore there was also training to ensure that you did not breach any corporate policies. These training sessions were available to complete on your own time meaning you could schedule it around your work day.

The virtual experience allowed me to see what activities my team conducted. This improved my understanding of the firm. I was able to oversee each team members work and understand the methodology behind the teams operations. I was then able to ask questions about my role if I was to become a full time analyst and what would be expected of me at that level. This allowed me to have a great appreciate for my team.

Morgan Stanley are very proud of the culture they have created within the firm and it is very clear why that is the case. Despite the public’s initial opinion of what an investment is like, Morgan Stanley is a firm that has a mentality to allow for people to thrive in the best possible environment. This ensures that people are able to reach their full potential which ensures the firm continues to lead with exceptional ideas.

This summer was an incredibly valuable experience as I was unsure which career path to pursue. However, this summer made me feel much more comfortable about: one pursuing a career with morgan Stanley, two about my choice in studying economics and finance. I very much enjoyed my time with Morgan Stanley and would like to outside the opportunity to work there full time. Furthermore I felt me reassurance that my course was the best choice for me and skill set.

Morgan Stanley compensated its interns for the initial full 13 week Work period despite due to covid the internship was for only 7 weeks. They also reimbursed us for expenses so that we were able to set up a office and work effectively from home. This was a huge help as I did not have the technology to work from home and was unable to work for the equipment. The expense account allowed me to purchase desktop screen, key board mouse and a head set.

The firm was very focussed on ensuring that despite the internship going ahead virtually we were still afforded the opportunity to meet our fellow interns from different departments and senior members of staff from different departments. The firm held serval speaker series with the ability to participate in a questions and answers segment. Furthermore the firm held social events that allowed for an informal meeting of interns that made the interaction less formal and more realistic to a face to face encounter.

The social networking/ social event opportunities were good fun as previously mentioned as they allowed us to branch out and meet more interns rather than our peers within our own department. At times the events would be an issue as they were mandatory and I had to complete work for my firm, however, that is also a personal skill of time management that I need to develop on. I am glad I took part in the events although at some points they seemed to be in excess.

The firm is very much appreciative of the work life balance and does not want its employees to feel that work is overwhelming and ruining their personal life. Because of this opinion they hold social events out with the firm and have a flexi time policy that means employees are able to leave early from work and work later another day to make up for it. This give employees flexibility to participate in activities outside of work.

I could not speak more highly of my summer experience and enjoyed every minute of it. The internship gave me the chance to network with people I normally wouldn’t have the chance to. Furthermore it allowed me to develop on my university learning in a way a textbook could not and have my crucial professional experience in the field that I am interested in. It also allowed me to understand more about the firm and the operations it conducts.