Mixed Schools A-Level Insight Day Review

The Morgan Stanley insight day, aimed at A-Level students, was a fantastic first insight into the world of banking. Especially being at the start of my career, it was important to have such an insight to gain additional clarity about what a career in banking might entail, what the different divisions in the bank do, and which programs Morgan Stanley had available to apply for, and the path to a full-time job with the firm.

I felt valued during my time during this insight day as it was very clear from the onset that a lot of effort had been put into the event from both HR and business. The day was well organised, starting off with an introduction from HR. This was followed by both formal and informal networking sessions as well as presentations. This showed me that the business was invested in recruiting the next generation of talent.

There was good support and guidance throughout the event. Alongside the different scheduled activities, there were also presentation events. What was good about these presentations was that not only did they provide information about the different business areas, and how to apply to Morgan Stanely, but they also offered guidance to us in terms of how to approach networking sessions and how to behave, which was important for us as the session was for year 13 students, going to university.

The skills and information received in this event were instrumental for my further future development, and career choice further down the line. This insight day introduced me to the different business areas within Morgan Stanley, including the Institutional Clients Group providing services such as IBD, and Markets. It was good to get an insight into the growing technology department in the bank. This event gave me an idea about what future career would be suitable for me.

The insight was very well structured. The Insight started off with an introduction from HR, which outlined the schedule for the day. This entailed presentation sessions and networking events. There was also a networking lunch session which was a good opportunity to meet people from different businesses, and also build my network with the cohort participating in the insight. One of the best sessions during the insight was a speed 'dating' networking session where each table had 1-1 time with a business professional.

The general atmosphere was great during the insight. It was a good atmosphere because of both the cohort and also due to the huge effort from the frim from both HR and also the business area. Everyone in the cohort was eager to learn, and participate in the activities, and as a result, it was a good opportunity to learn from each other, the participating business professionals were also great in the presentations, and willing to speak to everyone in the networking events.

The insight was the perfect opportunity to understand what it would be like to have a full-time role at the firm. In both the presentations and networking events, a lot of initial misconceptions I had about the banking industry was cleared up. This meant I was able to understand the divisions more clearly and as a result, it enabled me to get a better understanding of what to expect on a day to day basis with the firm.

This insight was very valuable with helping decide my future career path. What it taught me is that a career in banking was a good option and matched my personal skillset. The individual content delivered in the presentations was also good as well. These sessions introduced the different divisions available to apply for at Morgan Stanley and taught me about which divisions adhere to more specific skill sets, and in turn, which ones matched my skill set.

There were fantastic opportunities for networking with other employees of the firm. Firstly, during all the presentations, the professionals were open to answering lots of questions and always stayed behind after they finished to provide contact details and talk to people at the end of the presentations. Furthermore, there were formal networking sessions over lunch, and break, alongside a speed dating style networking sessions where each table was able to have 1-1 time with the professionals throughout the day.

I would 100% recommend this Morgan Stanley insight day to a friend. Firstly, it was one of the only available events open to A-Level students who had just finished Year 13, and having such an early insight into banking was extremely important for my future applications with both the skills gained in the insight important for me as well as guidance in terms of how to access such a career allowing me to secure further insights, and internships, and eventually a full-time job in the industry.