Summer Intern Review

by Bank of America

Best Student Employer

This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.

Rating

4.2/5
  • The Role
    5.0
  • The Company
    4.2
  • The Culture
    3.0

    The Role

  • 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?

    • I have had a fantastic experience at Bank of America Merrill Lynch this summer. I've met some fascinating people, vastly increased my knowledge (both technical and of the industry) and have gained an invaluable insight into the areas I wish to pursue a career in. I would greatly recommend this internship to anyone considering global markets as a career choice.

    5/5
  • 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?

    • On both my rotations during my summer internship with Bank of America Merrill Lynch, members of the team have always emphasised my role in any projects or tasks that I have been involved with. This is to the extent of sending emails around the team to highlight my involvement in tasks. I was praised and given feedback, when I completed tasks well.

    5/5
  • 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?

    • Throughout my time with Bank of America Merrill Lynch, everyone has been very willing and open to sit down with interns, including management. This has enabled us to build relationships with people from all over the business and at different levels. We've also had great exposure to UK and US senior management - if it's by web talks or through presentations.

    5/5
  • 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?

    • Every day I am very busy - I haven't had a single second of being bored, which is what you want. There was always work towards our longer term projects for each rotation or work for a colleague to complete. Your line managers and buddies aim to utilise interns and as a results set tasks which the desk needs to be done. You still need to use your initiative to get work though.

    5/5
  • 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?

    • The level of responsibility you are able to take on varies with each desk. I felt like I had a high level of responsibility - given the limitations of not being able to talk to clients or trade. I wrote summaries and helped with documents which were sent out to clients and also designed a spread sheet that the desk would use after I left the role.

    5/5
  • 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?

    • I have learnt a great deal and improved my skill set significantly. I've gained an invaluable insight into the industry and will definitely be able to utilise the skills I have gained on my internship into the future. Bank of America Merrill Lynch had an excellent first week of training, which was well organised and taught me things I will definitely use in university and in the future.

    5/5

    The Company

  • 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?

    • Bank of America Merrill Lynch has a great atmosphere and culture from what I've experienced. However, I can only comment on the equities floor, because both my rotations were within this area. Everyone is willing to speak to interns and there is a fun atmosphere on the floor, but at the same time everyone is extremely hard working and focused.

    5/5
  • 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?

    • The HR department and each desk organised the internship very well. The training week was seamlessly run, providing the perfect mixture of technical training, exposure to senior management and interesting, thought provoking talks. The desks also had obviously put in extensive work before the internship started to plan projects and tasks for the interns.

    5/5
  • 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?

    • Bank of America Merrill Lynch definitely have invested in us. The external training we received was high quality and I can't imagine it is cheap. Furthermore, BAML have continued to further our training and education through putting on internal Equity and FICC training sessions. This has provided exposure to all areas within the business. We also completed multiple trading games.

    5/5
  • 10. What were the perks on your work placement?

    • Above 25 days holiday
    3/5
  • 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?

    • The future hiring prospects for Bank of America Merrill Lynch are very appealing. This is because the bank tends to only hire from the internship for graduate jobs. However, being on the internship doesn't guarantee a job afterwards. The graduate jobs are still extremely competitive and some won't receive job offers.

    3/5

    The Culture

  • 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?

    • It has been fantastic to get to know the other interns on the programme. Most interns socialise at the weekends and we all get on very well since meeting on the internship at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. We often meet for lunch or breakfast and socialise outside of work. There are also many other sports activities and networking events interns can get involved with,

    4/5
  • 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?

    • Being in London, it is always going to be more expensive than other parts of the country.

    3/5
  • 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?

    • There are a good selection of bars in the local area.

    3/5
  • 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?

    • There have been a few sporting activities and networking events to get involved with outside work.

    3/5
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Details

Internship (1 Month+)

London

August 2016

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