Spring Intern Review

It was a very intense week with a lot to learn! A great insight was given into the culture of the bank itself which is difficult to just read up about. The teamwork exercises and the networking dinner were the highlights of my week at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Overall, I would definitely recommend it!

Getting through the multi step application process itself showed that they were impressed with us. This was reiterated all throughout the week and they really gave us multiple opportunities to show them our skills and talent. We were treated with a lot of respect even from seniors and everyone was really friendly.

Everyone was very welcoming and friendly and helpful. This goes not only for the work shadowing and talks but also little things like food. HR made special food arrangements very quickly for me to suit my dietary requirements. Everyone we were with was open to questions and we were never left on our own at any point.

Teamwork was one skill that was developed during the week through several activities and especially some activities on the first day. This is something that can be of use in my degree study but also for any job that I get in the future. Presentation skills were also something that we got a chance to develop and got feedback on.

The timetables were made really well and the time was used wisely. As there was not too much time to begin with, HR did a good job of giving us a mixture of division related activities (such as work shadowing and stock pitches) as well as talks from different divisions to learn more about ones you didn't get a chance to shadow and also skills development sessions.

Everyone was very excited to be there and there was this vibe of wanting to get engaged as much as possible. Through questions from peers, I got to learn a lot. Moreover, the seniors were very friendly with us and this made us feel very comfortable and ask more questions. The varied activities made the week fun.

The teamwork exercise was really fantastic and helped us not only for future assessment centres but also our own degree studies and for any future jobs. This was a well thought out activity and I know I'm not the only one who agrees that it has greatly developed my teamwork skills.

We really got to find out the tiny details of the firm that wouldn't be possible to get online, such as the day to day tasks of a graduate. Not only did we get the chance to find out what life is like in the bank but also got to know the employees outside of the bank in the networking dinner.

The culture is the one thing that separates one bank from the other and this insight really helped me see what it would be like working for Bank of America Merrill Lynch. I could then decide whether I see myself working with the people I networked with and it has really helped me decide on my future career path.

The networking opportunities were endless! Every day had some sort of a networking event and what made them even better was the variation. Some were in the form of a dinner whereas some were in the form of a table rotation. The change from the conventional networking session made them more interesting and I got to learn new things I wouldn't have thought to ask.

Overall, I would recommend this insight to a friend as it shows you things you can't read up on the internet. I have learnt a lot more than I thought I would and it has confirmed my career path for the future. I definitely feel a lot more confident and knowledgeable on the bank itself.