Investment Banking Summer Intern Review

I had a fantastic time during the internship, both in work and outside of work. The pooled system allows interns to interact with many teams and then focus as the internship progresses. This structure means interns can be quite independent in searching for projects, and also means teams hold plenty of events to get to know you and offer to work with them. The capped hours for interns also means there is lots of time to enjoy London.

Interns were treated with respect and all employees were happy to talk/give advice. There was an effort made to give us worthwhile work: there weren't any coffee runs etc.

We're allocated a buddy, mentor, staffer and development officer, so there are plenty of people willing to offer their advice

The workload varied a lot. Projects come with an estimated time commitment (e.g. 30% for 2 weeks), however these were often not accurate. Especially in the first few weeks, many interns had little to do, and this was just down to chance, as many of these interns were staffed to '100%' capacity. Then there are times when all projects require work at once and things become hectic. However most of this cannot be avoided and is just the nature of having multiple work-streams.

Much of the work done was not crucial/urgent, however there were opportunities to be involved in important presentations going to clients etc.

Skills not relevant to my degree but will help after university.

Overall the atmosphere was very pleasant. All employees were welcoming and happy to give you their advice, from junior to very senior members of the team. Different teams clearly have different cultures and this is usually quite easy to pick up - and the pooled system means you can work more with teams that suit you. Teams were also very happy to socialise with interns outside of the office

Overall the process ran smoothly. Training was helpful and prepared us enough to get started. Some interns had trouble contacting their buddies for some time, and I feel it would have been better to have been told who our buddies/mentors were sooner, such as during the training week, to give us a chance to reach out and organise to meet in the first few days of being in the office. There were review processes through the internship that allows interns to get structured feedback on their performance.

Though training was short, it was enough for most of the tasks we completed during the internship. Towards the end of the internship, teams were eager to introduce you to their senior team members, who were very encouraging and supportive. The firm clearly has a strong emphasis on personal development, as even after extensive graduate training, graduates are staffed via a central system that ensures they are getting exposure to industries and types of work they are interested in.

Very appealing. It is clear that the firm invests a lot in its graduates, being so large means it has the resources to provide great training and exposure. As the bank continues to take market share it will be a great place to get exposure to transactions and gain experience. The bank hires people from a wide range of backgrounds and teams made it clear a finance background wasn't necessary.

There was a fantastic number of drinks events and socials with people from the bank, with each team running multiple drinks nights throughout the summer. These were often throughout the work week, with more casual drinks happening after work on Friday. Most interns were lots of fun outside of work too, we went to restaurants, clubs, bars etc. at least every weekend - an often during the week too. This was made possible with the capped hours and not working weekends.

Central London was expensive for food, drinks, clubbing etc. It was a choice to eat at restaurants, go to clubs etc, and your cost of living can be lowered dramatically if you choose not to do this as often. Also, the teams were always very generous when having drinks events with them and would buy drinks and snacks for interns. Accommodation was expensive for those who don't live in London, but was expected for Central London

Nightlife was great. St Paul's is a great area, very accessible and close to loads of great restaurants, bars, clubs etc. As a whole, the area is much more pleasant than Canary Wharf as there's far more to do. There were favourite bars in Paternoster Square for the events to be held at, but we went to many other places that were short walks/taxis away. Being so accessible meant it was always easy to meet up with people after work or on weekends.

There were plenty of opportunities to get involved in social events outside work. There was also a series of touch rugby training sessions throughout the summer, in preparation for a touch rugby tournament at the end, with an intern team playing. There was also an opportunity to take part in the JP Morgan corporate run through London, with a big tent from the bank at the end.