The day ran from approximately 9am to 5pm and consisted of a series of online calls with Rothschild & Co employees concerning the operations and culture of the business. The sessions gave us an opportunity to network with people at all levels of the business and learn about the investment banking industry. On all days, and more so at the end of the programme, time was allocated for a project. We had to work in a small team to research a potential merger between two companies and present our findings to a panel.
I gained a fantastic introduction to investment banking. This covered the technical side of the industry, such as financial modelling, but had more emphasis on other skills and areas, such as evaluating M&A transactions. The project also developed my teamwork and presentation skills very well.
The programme provided me with a broad insight into Rothschild & Co because we received talks from employees at all levels of the business and in a range of different divisions and teams.
Although the programme was online, the culture of Rothschild still came across very clearly. Rothschild evidently focuses on training and involving junior bankers more than other firms. Also, the programme repeatedly emphasised Rothschild's reputation for impartial advice and so came across as a principled and welcoming business.
I found the programme very enjoyable because I felt that I was able to learn a lot in a short space of time. The knowledge conveyed to the participants did not feel overwhelming, but was consistently engaging. I found the other participants to also be extremely friendly and it was very enjoyable to be amongst clearly like-minded young people.
Yes
Do not be put off by your perceptions about the typical background or education of an investment banker. The people on the programme came from a range of diverse backgrounds and university degrees. I would also advise researching the firm thoroughly to discover what makes Rothschild different from other investment banks before applying.
Insight / Vacation Scheme (< 4 Weeks)
Banking - Investment
Greater London
April 2022