Spring Intern Review

The 4 days were centered around the different areas of the bank: a general overview, global markets, corporates (technology and risk) and investment banking. The day started with a senior member of the bank providing a brief overview and career journey highlights, and then featured other talks with different members providing insight into the organisation and its day-to-day running. The first day also had a training session held by an external provider, where an interactive , high-level overview of how banking works (at Nomura) was provided. A variety of other sessions were also incorporated, including a networking lunch, an open out-cry trading simulation, case-study prep and pitching and a social with the Women's Immersion programme.

We did a couple of sessions centered around pitches, where members of the external training provider gave helpful advice on what constitutes a good pitch, in terms of content and execution. The case study workshops were also incredibly helpful in seeing the standard and level of analysis required for interview preparation and what to look for when assessing the suitability of a company. Overall, the programme helped develop my teamwork, communication, presentation and analysis skills.

Because the programme allowed all of us to see all of the areas of the bank (even though you applied to one particular area e.g. Global Markets) it helped with understanding in depth not only your chosen area, but how it fit in with others. Additionally, the training session on the first day allowed some of the theory to be connected with the bank more practically, which was great. The potential roles available were integrated into the talks, which meant again that it was easier to see how they fit into the wider team structure.

Definitely the best I have seen so far. It was something that was referenced by everyone and was not just a throw-way statement. Everyone was incredibly friendly, open, diligent and innovative, and the competition was centered more around doing what was best for the bank, rather than each other. It was also obvious in the actual work that was done at Nomura, that the investment bank (with its Japanese roots) would be a fantastic place to work.

The whole programme was enjoyable. Partly because the sessions were organised with a lot of thought going into them, and structured so that we could be engaged throughout the day and learn alot. The other part is also because all the people we interacted with were very helpful and willing to divulge all the information we wanted, which meant that going through the week and making a decision on our own careers was a lot easier. The number of us on the programme also meant that we got to know everyone well.

Yes

When applying, make sure that you have a good idea of the culture of the bank, roles available and the one you are applying for, and most importantly, make sure you can convey this well. Also, ensure that you have some underlying knowledge on how the financial system works (e.g. the secondary market) especially if you are studying a related degree. When you are on the programme, make sure you speak to everyone you can because there are such a variety of role available in order to get an idea of what they do day-to-day. Additionally, remember to learn and engage on all of the days, even if they are not specifically the one you applied to, because they are all very inter-related.