FP&A Analyst Review

The internship was an amazing opportunity, to get to know the kind of job I am being prepared for by my degree. On top of meeting several amazing and clever people, I take pride in having worked for one of the biggest firms in the world, having received great trust from the firm and the opportunity of actually playing a part in the financial procedures of the company.

The support I was given was fantastic, although the mentors changed throughout the internship. All were very friendly, supportive and you could really feel like they wanted me to get the most out of this opportunity i.e. using their time to explain certain mechanisms, terms and actions or being always very helpful.

The days varied, however I was never bored, through being invited to meetings, presentations on top of being assigned the consolidation of data, preparation of presentations, sending important communications or carrying out small projects. After some days I would come home completely exhausted, while on others full of energy. Yet, I am glad there was a balance.

Developed practical skills, the use of IT industry tools, hints and advice in areas one could think there was nothing more to learn in. Cardinally, I feel like my employability skills have improved the most i.e. communication, confidence and problem solving. However, work almost completely different from my area of study, I was maybe using 10% of my knowledge gained at university.

The atmosphere was a perfect mix of fun, laughter and professionalism. Everyone, although working hard throughout the day, always had time to stop and talk to one another, greet each other with a smile. When going for lunch, people would go in large groups inviting one another so that no one would be left behind.

The internship was generally well organised although I did not have a set timetable or specific list of task I was to complete. Throughout the internship the change of mentors went very swiftly, all being very engaged and helpful. All formalities were completed and approved very fast and I had full access to all perks of a normal employee.

I was provided with all needed equipment, including my fully equipped cubicle, a laptop and ID card, thus I possessed all means to get the most of my internship. I was able to access an online learning platform provided by the firm for their employees to deepen and strengthen my knowledge in the industry, above a general 'bootcamp' at the beginning of the internship

Living in Zurich is very expensive. Especially, when one is on an unpaid internship. All restaurants, clubs and bars have horrendous prices for both drinks and food. However, I must admit there are not much more places around the world, where the quality of life is on such a high level.

Although being very expensive, and quite limited mostly only to weekends, the nightlife in Zurich was enjoyable and quite luxurious, with several well-known DJs visiting on a daily basis. There are multiple bars and puds (even English ones!) around Zurich, both by the lake and inside the town. The downside is that night public transport (after 12pm) is only available on Fridays and Saturdays.

As to events and activities provided by the firm there were a few such as a community service day, a ping-pong tournament, a BBQ or a general meet-up at a restaurant. Generally, I spent most of my time, sight-seeing, swimming in Lake Zurich, hiking in the mountains and enjoying the views. Thus, I took a more relaxed approach outside of work and was not eager on searching for many activities or events.