Spring Intern Review

I thought it was a lot of fun and very informative. The shadowing was a personal highlight - it allowed us to ask a wider variety of questions as well as enjoy a much more relaxed conversation with a worker. Additionally, being able to apply my university studies to the challenges they set was enjoyable.

They clearly put in a lot of effort into the spring insight programme. The organisation was of a high quality and it was obvious that they cared about how we feel about the industry, the firm and our future careers. Even with over 100 spring interns, they kept a close eye on everyone, ensuring they were enjoying their time at BofAML.

Everyone who was introduced to us via the networking dinner, the welcome reception and shadowing was very open and willing to take the time to have a conversation and answer any questions. While they suffered a natural disadvantage in supporting everyone due to the sheer number of spring interns, a lot of effort was put into making supporting everyone.

I think that I have become a lot more skilled at networking with people in the industry as well as digesting a lot of information in a short amount of time. The latter was a skill practised many times during challenges, assessments and tests. This will no doubt help me at university when I attend networking events there as well as my exams (we looked at some finance and economics)

The insight week was very structured. We were given a timetable for the whole week which they stuck to quite strictly. I knew what was going to happen next at all times. However, there were many points where we did not have much to do e.g. mornings before the first event as well as before and after the testing period etcetera.

Everyone who worked at the bank was very calm, relaxed and friendly which contributed to a gentle atmosphere where I felt comfortable. The bank did a good job of managing the competitive element between the interns by giving us a lot of time together where we worked on activities and were able to chat.

They put a lot of effort into ensuring that we evaluated our own skills and competencies and worked on them throughout the week. There were many feedback sessions which allowed us to reflect on what skills we showed and how we could have improved. I feel like I am stronger in terms of basic competencies.

They put a lot of effort into ensuring that our knowledge of the investment banking industry was enhanced. I feel like I have learnt a lot about the industry as well as a role in their particular firm. They constantly emphasised their team values and how it differentiates them from other banks.

They repeatedly stressed their group values and how it differentiates them from other banks. This was reflected in the attitude of the workers they introduced us to. All of the workers were friendly, kind and attentive. The talks some of the senior workers gave about their own experiences also really helped.

After learning a lot about the industry and how it would be working one of the leading banks, I think I have a much better idea of what I would like to do in the future. I would definitely like to secure a summer internship following the spring insight programme at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch.