Summer Analyst Review

I really enjoyed my placement at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. It taught me many skills like networking and being more confident. I also learnt a lot more than I thought I would about how an invest bank works and it was great to have a first-hand insight into what each function within the bank does.

I felt very valued by my colleagues, especially when I was given tasks to do. They took me to meetings with them and asked me for my views on certain situations. I also felt valued by those outside of my line of business, because they gave up their time to meet me for lunches and coffees even though I am not working with them.

The skills I received at the bank will definitely assist in my studies because I learnt how to manage my time better, as well as increase my confidence. I was also advised by my networks at the bank on what modules would best help me in the banking sector and what would be the most useful in general. I was also told which books I should read to understand finance better- which will help me with finance modules at university.

Everyone in my office was so friendly and welcoming. They were open to helping me when I was struggling with anything and enjoyed learning more about me. They were also good friends with each other so there were lots of laughs and entertaining conversations every day. It was a very nice office to spend my time in.

I think the internship was well thought out and organised by HR, in terms of events and talks we had to attend. We had lots of learning sessions and informative training set up just for interns. However, when we went to our desks it was a lot less organised and quite often there wasn’t much work we could do as interns.

There was a week of training at the start of the internship which helped all the interns understand investment banking a lot better. This helped us learn what to expect before getting to our desks. There were also plenty of learning sessions throughout the internship which helped us continue to learn more about how the bank works.

Personally, I think that future prospects for me at Bank of America Merrill Lynch are very high. I have enjoyed my internship and I love the environment here. I also love the diversity in the bank, which is something that is important to me. I have made strong connections with many employees and I hope to keep close to the bank

Because the bank is situated in central London, there are many places to go outside of work to socialise with colleagues. There were many options for socials that were really close to the bank. As interns, we mainly went out together which was really enjoyable. I also went out to many amazing food places with colleagues which was a nice experience for me.

Working in London will always be very expensive. However, I was living at home so I didn’t have to rent a place for my internship. This helped cut down the living costs significantly for me. But I think the bank provides financial support for those who have to relocate for the internship. So all in all, the area is expensive, but the bank makes it more affordable for the interns.

There are many volunteering opportunities in the bank. The internship had a project which let the interns focus on something other than just their work at the desk. There was also a charity run that interns could participate in and a subsidised gym. As for outside the bank itself, I’m pretty sure there are lots of activities in London.