Spring Intern Review

I really enjoyed the insight. It was great to get a further look into BAML and its relevant divisions, as well as networking with individuals who have been through similar experiences to ourselves. I think the variations on the programme meant that I was able to get a lot out of the insight. It allowed me to listen to various talks from employees from different divisions, as well as shadow on different desks and gain a more specific understanding of certain divisions.

I felt very valued by the company at the time. When speaking and networking with various individuals from the company, it seemed that it was a very welcoming place and the company culture and ethos came across very well. This meant I was able to get more out of the whole experience as employees were always willing to explain things and take time out of their busy schedules to help.

We received a very good amount of guidance and support during the insight. Everything was very well explained and organised, and if something was not clear then any problem was very easy to clarify. I felt that the guidance and support was appropriate for the nature of the programme, and it allowed us to create our own opportunities within the programme - such as shadowing on desks which had not been organised already.

I feel that it is hard to develop skills properly over a week insight. I found that it is more useful to find out what skills are required for the industry, and this enabled me to see how I have already started to develop these skills and what further things I can do at university and in my holidays to develop these skills. It has allowed me to judge what direction I need to take from now on if I want a career within Global Markets.

I thought the insight was very well structured. An outline had been sent to us prior to the programme starting so we knew what to expect. Furthermore, a more detailed plan was given to us at the start of the week, and the structure was very good because there was a good mix of events throughout the week. This included talks, shadowing and special networking events, which allowed us to gain a great understanding of the firm and the indsutry.

I thought the general atmosphere throughout the insight was excellent. I really enjoyed meeting all of the other interns and it was great because all of the interns mixed really well and got along throughout the week. Moreover, the BAML staff were all very friendly and willing to help with everything throughout the week, and so this meant that the week was more enjoyable as the atmosphere was very good.

I feel this was very well done, as all of the employees at the panels and networking events were very honest about their role and day-to-day activities. They were truthful about the stresses of the job and the hours they work, and this allowed me to better gauge what a regular would be like working in Global Markets for BAML. Furthermore, it also allowed me to gain an insight into the vast array of desks that they have within the division and what it could be like working on one of them.

The insight was very useful in helping to gain a better understanding of BAML's culture. This was achieved through speaking to as many employees as possible and really understanding what they thought of the firm's culture, compared to other institutions or investment banks that they had worked for. It meant I was able to see if I could see myself working or interning there in the future and that was very useful to me.

Before the insight, I was unsure whether I was suited to working in this division and in this industry. However, having been able to gain this insight, it is definitely something I would like to pursue in the future. I believe I would be well-suited to working within the division and BAML is certainly a company I would like to work at, given their gravitas and company culture.

Throughout the week there were plenty of opportunities to do so. It was great to meet representative from all different areas of the firm, not just the two divisions we had specifically chosen. This allowed me to make a more informed decision about which division I would like to be assessed on for the Friday. Furthermore, given the range of people we were able to network with, it allowed me to gauge of a better understanding of the things I should be doing to get an internship or graduate job.

Yes I would definitely recommend this insight to a friend who is interested in going into the Investment Banking Industry. It was great to gain this insight at a world-leading firm and the structure of the programme meant that everything was covered. It allowed me to see whether I was suited to the industry, division and company. Therefore, if anyone has any doubts, I would definitely recommend it.