Equity Swaps Trade Support Summer Analyst Review

A challenging, stimulating and ultimately very rewarding 10 weeks with some extremely talented individuals.

I was given extensive early responsibility as I joined during a very busy period. My colleagues were very approachable and assisted me in formal training and in generally getting me up-to-speed. I quickly felt like a valued member of the team.

My team went above and beyond to assist me with support, training and guidance to ensure I got the most out of my placement as possible. I could always approach them with a problem that they'd assist me with, or request guidance on future career or out-of-the-workplace issues.

I was extremely busy during the first 3 weeks of my placement and then the volume rapidly declined to a point where there was little to do in the last week or so. However, there was always opportunities to shadow, gain further training online or in person and so I never felt bored.

I was trusted with a great deal of responsibility, and by the end of my placement I was performing the majority of Trade Support functions. This enabled me to feel a valued member of the team and allow me to gain a lot of the program in terms of skills and experience.

I've developed a number of key soft skills during my time at Morgan Stanley, including presentation, time and project management, leadership, teamwork and communication. I've also gained extensive product knowledge across a number of products that I gained exposure to through day-to-day functions and utilising additional learning/shadowing opportunities. I feel the aforementioned skills and knowledge will be vital in both further studies and a future career in banking.

The atmosphere was lively and really enjoyable. My colleagues were really good fun and were extremely sociable, making my time at Morgan Stanley really enjoyable.

Very well organised. HR provided excellent structure whilst offering a personal support service as and when required.

I was given access to all the online training, which I used to good effect taking a number of courses on Derivatives to support my line role as well as other areas of interest such as Commodities. In addition, we had a number of highly informative Intern/Industrial Placement lectures on the future of banking, Morgan Stanley, the various business areas etc which were really interesting.

I was offered a line role immediately after completing my placement in the team I had interned with. The majority of other interns applied to the grad scheme which has a decent conversion rate of around 50% at the moment.

A very collegiate atmosphere with a lot of interaction between peers and colleagues. I attended numerous after-work events organised by HR as well as going for drinks etc with fellow interns and colleagues. Thoroughly enjoyed this aspect of my placement!

Meals and beers are not cheap in Canary Wharf by any means. There is a Tesco Metro and a Weatherspoons though to cater for those on a cheaper budget. I lived at Claredale House in Bethnal Green which was very affordable (£160pw).

Really vibrant nightlife in Canary Wharf up until about 11 on a weeknight or 12 on a Friday. The bars are always busy but there are no nightclubs in the area.

I was given the opportunity to volunteer in Hackney Park - re-sanding and generally improving the children's play area, as well as weeding, cutting back trees/plants etc - which was very rewarding. There's also a charity run in addition to other volunteering opportunities. I also participated in an intra Morgan Stanley 5-a-side football tournament as well as playing 5-a-side with colleagues every Monday.