Spring Intern Review

The insight was a really useful opportunity to understand what working in a team (in my case the M&A Consumer Team) really means. I think that there is no other way to explain students what they can expect from working in banking and words are never enough to make us fully understood what are we dealing with.

I was surprised by the amount of time that even the senior members of DB dedicated to us. I spent two days on the desk and I could see with my eyes that people were extremely busy because of a deadline the next day. Nevertheless, in their lunch break, analysts, associates and even directors,took the time to answer to every of my questions. They want me to really understand what they were doing and I felt really valued. I believe that this is peculiar aspect of DB and it can be seen from the very beginning. Right after the interview, you do not have to wait more than one day for the outcome and you will also receive a call from your interviewer.

I received a lot of support from everyone. The Graduate Recruitment team was always there to help us with everything we need. Moreover, during the Insight there was a buddy programme in place. My buddy was an analyst that joined the Graduate Program last summer of the same age as me. I felt really comfortable in speaking with her and I could ask her any kind of questions.

When I decided to join DB for the Spring into Banking programme, I was almost sure that Investment Banking is what I wanted to do. After the Insight I am convinced even more and it helped me a lot to understand which courses are more useful for my future career path, maybe more Corporate Finance and Accounting oriented. Moreover, I found out that the environment at DB is friendly and collaborative and not competitive as usually. And if, hopefully, I will join DB as a summer analyst this is a thing that I will take into consideration and appreciate. In addition to this, the CV and interview skills workshop with the Graduate Recruitment Team were really useful to let me understood what kind of candidate they want and how to "sell" myself.

The insight was really well structured. The first two days was full of opportunities to let us know each other. I met 40 new people that shared the same interests as me, I could share my feelings with them and the activities were structured in the perfect way to allow this. The next two days, each of us shadowed in a different team in order for us to understand a typical day in banking from the very very insight and the presence of the buddy with us helped so much. Finally, the closing day each of us did a presentation regarding the team where we shadowed. At first I thought that the presentation was a way to assess us but I was wrong because from the presentation of the others interns, I could understood a lot about the other Corporate Finance team. If, hopefully, in the future I have to choose a team, that presentation will be my guidelines.

The atmosphere were surprisingly friendly and collaborative. We usually left DB at 6 and we went to a pub nearby to have a drink in order to better socialise without ties and heels. I was surprised by the collaborative environment between the interns. For example, if someone finish his/her work at 9pm, he/she will ask to the other if they want to share their work in order for the team, and not for the individual person, to finish early. I found this behaviour amazing and this is why I really want to work for DB.

It is not common for a students to be placed on the desk of a global universal bank. I had the possibility to see analysts and associates working on a deal that have not been announced yet. The company is their employees and everyone during my week in DB, invested so much, especially in time, in training me. We all know how much the time is worth in an Investment Bank.

The two days of desk shadowing was the perfect way for me to understand what it would be like to work full-time for DB. In particular, I could ask any kind of information to my buddy. She passed through the interview process and trough the summer internship by herself and she could advice me about what I should expect from joining DB as a full-time analyst : positive and negative aspects. Her best advice was to make friends inside the bank, the division and the team because if you have to spend 12+ hours per day in the office, it's better to get along with them.

Deutsche is a client- centric global universal bank and what distinguish it from the other banks is the European culture. DB is able to show that they care about you, trying to retain the best talents from the beginning. In addition to this, the less competitive environment gives you the possibility to make friends and have a good time while working. I have noticed their different approach since my first interview. Miss Phoebe Raley gave me the outcome after a few hours and then I also received a call from my interviewer.

It was incredibly valuable. Before the Spring week I was sure that working in Corporate finance is what I wanted to do but I was afraid of the competitive environment that I could have found in banking. After the week in DB, I am even more convinced that Investment Banking is suitable for me and the atmosphere in DB is everything rather than competitive. I believe that this is because they tried to retain the young talents from the beginning and they do not want you to compete with the colleague next to your desk. Obviously we are in banking, but working with friends rather than with just colleagues really makes the difference.

I am now studying in Hong Kong so it was a long and expensive flight from HK to London. DB reimbursed me up to 500 pounds for travel expenses that was enough and paid me the accommodation 10 minutes walk from DB office in Liverpool street.

It was plenty of opportunities. The first day, the Graduate recruitment Team organised for us a Welcome Drinks where we had the possibility to spoke with them individually and more informally. The second day, there was the Graduate panel where graduates answered to all our questions but the most interesting part came during the two days of desk shadowing. I had the possibility to speak with 2 directors, 4 analysts and 2 associates for an about an hour each and this is what really networking means.

The opportunities were really well organised in order for us not to feel uncomfortable. The second day we did the buddy lunch that was a networking opportunity but, most importantly, they advised us on how to network with the more seniors members.

I found out about the corporate citizenship responsibility at DB and a lot of initiatives of the bank. Nevertheless I believe that these activities are less common for Corporate Finance employees because it is difficult for them to take three or four days off but still there are a lot of things that they may do.

Absolutely. If you already like and you are sure that you want to work in banking, it is an amazing opportunity to have an insight about Deutsche and a lot of internal opinions. Moreover, you can have access to the fast track interviews and if you are successful you can have an offer one year before the beginning of the summer internship programme. If you are not sure about your career and you just want to discover more about banking, the Spring week is the perfect opportunity to do this. People at DB do not expect anything from you, they just want you to learn as much as possible. Nothing will happen even if, in the end, you understand that banking or DB are not for you.