Summer Analyst in investment banking Review

Initially it was hard to understand how to properly enjoy the summer once we were told but the environment, the team and the colleagues just made the entire summer internship amazing. I was excited to get to the office every day, regardless of the amount of work or pressure. It was truly not only work but also a lot of fun. Further, the Graduate Recruitment team made a huge effort to socialize, get to know people and give us the opportunity to meet, talk to each other and have lunch and learn sessions where we always had a great chat with the colleagues, not related to any projects. The entire job is not simply sitting on the desk and crunching, it is knowing the people you work with, it is networking, it is knowing all other stakeholders, understanding their needs and for this you need a lot of soft skills that you are able to develop on the job very quickly.

I honestly underestimated the amount of trust the colleagues are willing to show if you perform well. I can't remember doing a single task which was not used or wouldn't be relevant to the team. Everything I did always had a meaning and the team really appreciated the work and the time spent on the tasks.

Given the structure of the desks and the proximity to everyone from analysts to MDs there is a open chat with everyone. Even the MDs (if not in a meeting or in calls) are willing to interact with the summer analysts. For the tasks that needed to be done I always experienced enough support. None wants to see you struggle. They take time to explain to you anything relevant and if further questions pop up there take the time to answer those.

Super busy is an understatement. Depends on your willingness and ability to handle tasks you can be just busy or you can take on real responsibilities in live deals or projects. Then the team relies on your input and the more you are able to handle, the more you get. There is no room for boredom however, you are still able to find the time to grab a coffee with a colleague.

I was given a lot of responsibility as I was staffed on various projects and I had the lead on e.g. valuations. I had to make sure the required data was discussed and agreed, I had to do the valuation and discuss with the director and also make sure it was in line with the expectations with the other parties. At the end my associate left for a week and I was finalizing two projects entirely on my own for the director. There was no other analysts or associate in my team which again not only shows that you get real responsibility but also that the colleagues trust you and value your work.

As I study MSc in Corporate Finance and Banking with focus on Investment Banking and Private Equity the summer analyst program in IBD exactly matches my studies and required knowledge.

The atmosphere in the office heavily depends on the amount of work and deadlines during the days. Some very busy days were more driven by silent focus, however the by far vast majority of days were driven by a very supportive and nice atmosphere. As the average age is very low in the office, people allow themselves jokes, we grabbed food together and you very quickly become a part of the team. Not only because you work there but because they take you seriously as a person. Very often, you meet with your colleagues even after the work or on weekends for any activities and that is reflected in the very friendly and colleagues way of working.

If I didn't wanted to I wouldn't need to organize anything. You get support from everywhere and the organization, communication, timetables, reviews, and all the other relevant work you do were very well organized. This made the flow of the internship very smooth and enjoyable, because you can focus on your work to 100%.

We had a entire week of training in the beginning. We review all the necessary skill sets from technical knowledge (financial statements, general finance terms and basics, valuation methods, market overviews etc.) to the soft skill part. They hired professional trainers for both technical knowledge and soft skills that used to be with the industry. Those are industry experts who know what they are talking about. Also we had sessions on networking from a previous senior banker.

After having spent the summer with HSBC, I would definitely start with them without any hesitations. The colleagues and very supportive atmosphere combined with the long term career path driven thinking of senior management make it a highly lucrative employer. Especially taking about opportunities, the senior management is willing to give everyone the opportunity to see different divisions and products within the bank and if someone proves to be a good candidate, the bank does not hesitate to give you opportunities internationally and develop the candidate further.

On the skin, we've been an amazing bunch of interns. We haven't experienced any problems, we used to go out for drinks, for lunches or breakfast, there was always a very nice and easy chat and everyone was keen to stay in touch I have to say that the group of people was truly amazing.

The cost of living in London is not really the cheapest. However, if you reach out to people they can give you good hints on where to get good and cheep places [This section of the comment has been removed by a member of the RateMyPlacement Team because it did not meet our site terms and conditions]. In terms of food its a usual London level. Socializing, especially in Canary Wharf, is one of the easiest I ever experienced. You can basically start talking to anyone and find net network. Everyone is open minded and willing to talk to you.

It again depends on what you prefer to do in the evening. If someone likes to go to clubs for the entire night, central London and some other clubs across greater London are the places to be. If however somebody prefers a bar and having a nice chat with the friends or colleagues, there are plenty opportunities in Canary Wharf too. However, the nightlife in Canary wharf is not the focus so you might want to go out somewhere else.

This depends on the amount of work you are able and willing to take on. However, there is a very big amount of opportunities where everyone can get involved with HSBC that are outside of the work. Whether it is sports clubs, sport events or voluntary work, there are a lot of them. And if none of them suits your expectation (which is tough given the amount of the activities possible) it is still London where you work. You can do anything from go carting 2 stops away from Canary Wharf to playing golf on a driving range with the view of Canary Wharf.