Spring Intern Review

I had a thoroughly enjoyable two weeks. The insight was a well-balanced mix of firm-wide and division-specific introductions from employees at every level in the firm. We were given adequate opportunity to meet and learn from a huge range of bankers in our chosen division and the additional week allowed for an extremely comprehensive immersion into what a position in our division might entail.

Whether it is because most people at the firm recognise the importance of the spring programme as a crucial feeder for the summer analyst position, or if the average employee is just naturally very approachable, everyone I met was both aware of, and engaged with, the spring programme. I met numerous current analysts that had completed the spring internship themselves and all the senior managers that came to speak to us made it very clear that they held the programme in high esteem. In my division, we were assigned desks from which we worked on a project and it was very easy to speak to any of the employees sat in our vicinity. We were also allocated a buddy which was a great way to ask any and all questions we had. Overall, a very inclusive two weeks.

Feedback was mentioned as a key part of being an employee at Goldman, and this was replicated during our two weeks at the firm. We had two official feedback sessions, one on Monday of the second week to address any issues that we'd had during the first week, and one on the last day that included feedback from our final presentations. In terms of support, the mentor/ buddy system mentioned above was extremely useful, especially as we were all matched to analysts with similar backgrounds to our own, who were able to relate to any issues that we may have had. We were provided with all the resources we needed to complete our projects, but it was also clear that there was an attempt to leave some aspects of the presentation guidance ambiguous. This makes sense, because a lot of the value of the assessment was found in leaving us with some scope to define the parameters of the presentation as we saw fit. Therefore, some intuition was necessary, but if you've been successful enough to make it onto the programme, chances are that you're already equipped with the necessary skills to succeed in this.

I do not study a course derived from finance or economics, so much of the information concerning finance will not be strictly relevant to my degree studies, but certainly the training we received and the things we learnt will be invaluable once I graduate or continue to work in the industry in my other vacation periods before graduation. Equally, many of the more general skills that we practised, such as time management and the summarising of large amounts of information, will of course be relevant, both consciously and subconsciously, as I commence university assessments in the future. Much emphasis was placed on thinking about how to approach new problems by being intuitive and willing to learn, and I think this will also have an effect on how I conceptualise challenging tasks.

I can't speak highly enough about the structure of the insight, and this is probably a decisive factor in the level of employment that I gained from my time there. Before starting I wondered how we would be able to complete two weeks on an introductory programme without sometimes getting in the way, but this was never the case, and probably stems from the great organisation of the programme by the HR team and the varied nature of activities we were offered. It is quite an intense two weeks and as well as all the formal training, overviews and project work, the inclusion of time for informal socialising with the other interns (which wasn't attended by any assessors or employees) was a really useful way to get to know some of the interns from other divisions. We could relax a little and discuss our own experiences and hear about the programme in other divisions.

The general atmosphere was impressive and professional, but not intimidating. I was frequently struck by the quality of my fellow interns, as well as all the employees that I met. The professional culture at the firm is, from my experience elsewhere, unique, with a level of self-assurance existing in conjunction with an appetite to learn and an awareness that you can't always get it right. Of course, for everyone that wanted to progress from the spring internship to a summer analyst position, there was an inevitable level of pressure that arose from constantly being assessed. However, I think what comes across is that those who were somewhat more relaxed and able to enjoy themselves whilst still being engaged and professional, were likely to do better. This is easier said than done, but one of the things I often thought about was how privileged I felt to be on the programme. It's not every day you get to hear a Goldman MD discuss their views on the future of the European economy, so you just have to appreciate and enjoy it.

We were provided with a lot of training. It is astonishing to think where I was before the programme in terms of knowledge and where I am now. This came formally from an external company, with a whole day devoted to training on financial valuation and accounting metrics (amongst many other useful sessions on everything from philanthropy to Excel across the two weeks), but equally useful were the informal discussions I had with my buddy and other junior analysts who were able to offer some perspective on some of the things I was thinking about.

There is always an aspect of you that questions the extent to which you can really comprehend a role until you actually do it and I think it would be naïve to claim that in two weeks you get a complete overview of the nuances required in the full time role. That being said, I have a much clearer understanding of the skills required to be a good analyst and having also worked on a project that closely resembles the kind of work that goes on in the division, I think my appreciation of the competencies required in a full time role has developed greatly.

I think genuine company culture exists when there is a clear link between what you hear in the formal introductory setting from a senior manager and the impression you get of the firm when talking to more junior employees. This link was evident throughout my two weeks at Goldman and a professional, client-facing culture was constantly apparent.

It helped confirm my desire to work in financial services by allowing me a greater understanding of where institutions fit into the workings of the financial system. I also learnt about aspects of the role that were crucial to success which I hadn't considered to be relevant at all before I started, so from that perspective, I am even more engaged in the potential for a career in the financial industry than before.

This has been covered in my answers to the previous questions, but the point to stress is that the level of engagement from senior members of the division was quite striking. A lot of attention was given to helping us consider the wider context within which our division was operating, both within the firm and within the industry as a whole. Senior directors often have an enhanced perspective that comes from greater experience and greater involvement with many broad themes at a high level. It was wonderful to be exposed to this.

Again, this has been covered in many of the previous answers.

We were able to attend some of the events that were open to all employees whilst on the programme to get a taste of what sort of things are run by the many different support networks at the firm. Whilst we were there, a paralympian came to speak, and a few interns were able to attend this sold-out event.

I would, without hesitation, recommend this insight to a friend. It was intense, and by the end of the two weeks you are well-worked, but it is immensely rewarding and the scope to learn new things is unparalleled. I would be surprised if there were a more comprehensive spring internship anywhere, and the chance to converse with, and learn from, some of the sharpest minds in the industry is one that everyone should take, should they be offered the opportunity.