Summer Intern Review

I really enjoyed the team atmosphere. It was a very busy summer for the team, but they always took the time to explain things to me, and to answer my many questions. I do not come from a finance background, so it was exciting to keep learning new things. I would definitely recommend it.

My colleagues were, on the most part, very welcoming. I was able to work with many members of the team and was given a range of tasks on a few live deals, or marketing books that were going directly to clients, so I never felt like I was being given boring tasks which my colleagues did not want to do.

The analysts and a couple of the associates in particular were very helpful - whenever they gave me tasks they would take time to sit down and explain it, and were always open to answer any questions I had, and would give feedback at the end of the task. Inevitably, catchups sometimes were postponed due to their busy schedules, but they would always come back to answer my questions. Interactions with the team leader and senior members were a bit more limited due to their busy schedules and travels, but my team leader took the time to check up on in the interns now and again.

It was a very busy summer for the team, so I generally was kept very busy. At the beginning of the internship, I first had to learn the ropes so was given fewer tasks, but this increased as the internship progressed. Some days I would receive many requests for help at once, but my colleagues always took it upon themselves to prioritise tasks so I wouldn't be overwhelmed.

The amount of responsibility I was given increased during the internship. At the beginning, everything was new and therefore I took a lot longer to complete tasks, and the tasks were a lot simpler. As the internship progressed, I was given more exposure to the technical side such as building outputs for a financial model, which were sent out to clients.

Invaluable. I learnt so much not just about M&A, but also fundamental skills like using Microsoft Excel (especially shortcuts), handling financial statements, research, and presenting data. Learning to work in a team structure was also invaluable. This will definitely come in useful when writing up and presenting my dissertation, and also in any future career.

A great team atmosphere. The team works very, very hard, but they have a great team spirit and always help each other out. There were inevitably some nights where the atmosphere was quite intense and stressful with deadlines looming, but on the most part, I got the impression that this team genuinely have fun together.

Very well organised. We were informed of our team allocation before the internship started and were provided with a schedule right from the beginning of the internship, including team presentations so we could learn more about each sector in the bank, and mid-term reviews / HR catchups so that we could have feedback as the internship progressed. Staying in one team during the whole internship meant that we could go into greater depth in terms of sector knowledge and get to know the team better.

The technical training right at the beginning of the internship lasted only 3 days so I was a bit apprehensive when starting the internship, but I learnt everything on the job so this was not a problem. The internship class wasn't too big (around 30) and there were only two interns in my team, so I really felt valued as an individual and not just one of a number. My colleagues really took the time to teach things to me even though I was only there for a limited period of time.

The employment process is very clear and fair. They take into account all your reviewers' comments, and will offer you a job if you reach the required standard. From what I understand, they have the capacity to take on every intern in a full-time role, but the number will vary year on year depending on how many reach the required standard. I was certainly not the only intern to receive a graduate role offer.

There were a couple of social events organised by the HR team, but socialising among my fellow interns was quite difficult due to our varying and busy schedules. My colleagues sometimes went out for impromptu drinks now and again, but it was often the case that we would have to return to the office to finish work straight after.

To be honest, most of my time was spent in the office and so I didn't have the time or energy to see if there were any opportunities outside of work. There was a fundraising challenge within the interns, which was a fun experience, but also very hard to organise since we all had very varied and busy schedules. I did however make use of the company gym.