Equities Sales and Trading Summer Intern Review

The internship was fantastic - well organised, exciting and fulfilling. The environment was by far the most nurturing I've ever experienced, allowing me to learn immense amounts about the industry and the role from the first day to the last. The day to day was thrilling with a constant availability of people to sit with, projects to get involved in and things that needed to be done for whatever desk I was on. There was no force on the hours to be worked but finding myself staying in the desk for long hours regardless really showed how enjoyable the atmosphere was.

On both my rotations, I was really able to be a part of tasks that I knew were important to the bank. Being responsible for tasks which you know have impact really demonstrates how valued you are by the teams you're a part of, and there were several tasks I completed after which my colleagues were vocal about their appreciation. Everyone in the bank is supportive of any work you're completing and their openness to helping really shows how much they value your presence.

Having a direct line manager was always an immediate source of any support I needed on the desk. There's always people who can help with a wide range of queries, and the HR staff were always available for any more administrative issues that needed resolving. Any more personal issues were more addressable to our buddy, a junior at the bank who could help us out with matters we didn't want to take to HR or a manager.

Extremely - on top of the daily tasks to complete on my desk, the internship specific program of stock pitches, trading related activities and market conversations meant that you were always short of time. With that said, the amount of work you had was ultimately a function of your own curiosity. Everyone always has things they need doing and they always appreciated a hand with small tasks, with which I was able to occupy any free time I had during the day, and in the evening I would catch up on all the other work I had.

At the start, not so much - obviously there was a degree of trust to be built up, but as the internship progressed, I found myself completing tasks I knew had significant potential to go wrong, and the feeling of responsibility there really drives you to perform in those tasks. The level of trust builds up very quickly and you soon forget how much responsibility you have, but it definitely helps with making you feel integrated with the bank.

Firstly, some of the technical and market knowledge specific skills I learnt were far in excess of anything I could ever self teach. Theres always such an excess of knowledge around on the trading floor that on that front, I was always learning. The broader skills I had such as presentation skills, organisational and some of the talks I was able to attend allowed me to reflect on some of the more personal skills I needed to develop. I definitely feel theres a lot of skills I can take away from my internship that will support me far beyond the rest of my studies.

The office is very busy - the floor is always so hectic with the general atmosphere even during the Summer when things are supposed to quieten down. With that said, we were always encouraged to visit everyone on the floor to understand the greater roles in the bank and everyone I approached was very open to sparing some time to teach me about their work. There are several areas that seem very technical and some that seem unapproachable but ultimately everyone is far friendlier than expected and even if they aren't free, they always invite you back later.

The structure of the internship was great. The first week was an easing in with some training, presentations and team building activities which set the scene nicely for the rest of the internship. My second week was a set of mini rotations to get around the banks and engage with all the desks to understand where I might want to be, and the rest of the internship was 2 rotations on 2 desks to settle in and gain a deeper understanding of the roles. In the background, internship specific activities were organised almost every day and the general fluidity of the internship was relieving.

At the start of the internship there was a lot of work around the idea of personal development. Throughout the internship, several presentations and teach-ins really helped to drive this area but more importantly, throughout the internship I always had people around asking with how I was doing, and whether there was anything I needed help/advice with. This was indirectly the greatest aspect of training that I experienced, and those people really supported my role.

Definitely far beyond what I was expecting, the bank has really left a great impression on me and I really believe there's great channels to progress and make an impact.

At the start, everyone is willing to participate in social activities but as the internship progresses, naturally everyone has their own things to be getting on with. With that said, I was able to form a strong group from the start and managed to always have people around with whom I could socialise and go out with at the weekends, which was really good.

Having gone to university in London, I was well aware of the existing living costs. Its expensive, but it's also worth noting that you're paying to live in a city where there's always something to do. The price points of socialising especially are extremely diverse and you can always find something to do with friends. The expense of living is just something you have to accept early and move on with enjoying your time in the city.

The nightlife in London is amazing, the range of bars, clubs and restaurants around means that theres always an easy night out and with a bit of planning, the variety of big nights is endless. Theres such a big student scene that theres always great clubs with similar social groups around. More directly, the area right outside the bank has a great area for drinks, and at weekends its always bustling with people and a great way to enjoy a relaxed night out.

Yes, several events organised for the internship were frequently available including a volunteering session at the start. I was able to take part in some other events with the teams I was on, including a charity dodgeball tournament.