Summer Analyst Review

I genuinely really enjoyed the internship, and would recommend it to everyone who was interested in banking. Not only did I learn a lot, but also met some incredible people and made great friendships I can take away with me after it.

We were given a variety of different contacts of varying seniority as mentors, buddies and general points of contact. I became very close to my buddy, who I now consider a friend, and also felt that my mentors showed me immense support throughout the internship.

Some days were busier than others, but overall I felt that the balance was very good. We were always occupied with something, be it something adding value to the firm or helping us learn.

The internship was less targeted towards high responsibility jobs, and more at showing how well suited we would be on different desks within the firms. It also was intended more as a learning experience, which it succeeded in being.

The skills I gained are invaluable to me now, as I feel more confident with public speaking and find it easier to work under pressure. These new found skills I plan to take with me back to university and use in my society positions.

The atmosphere in the office was very balanced - different desks had different dynamics, but the people on the desks seemed to get on very well and fit in. The change between social conversation and professional was always subtle and appropriate.

The internship was very well organised, as interns we always knew what to expect in terms of events/activities held. Our calendars were always kept very updated, and e-mail between HCM and us was also useful and informative. It is clear that this structure has worked well for the firm before, as it seemed to play through quite seamlessly.

The firm invested a lot in us in terms of training, and the first 2-3 weeks of the internship were actually financial training. After that, throughout the programme we had senior speaker events and trading challenge competitions etc.

There was a very good social scene amongst both colleagues and students. Thursdays were usually the day that desks would go for a drink in the evening, and fellow placement students would get together on most fridays to socialise.

London is generally quite expensive an area to live and work in, and therefore the cost of living was on the higher side of the spectrum. However, as you get to know the area better you begin to find which places are better value for money etc.