Global Investment Banking Summer Analyst Review

RBC was highly invested in my career development. Our first week consisted of outstanding training in topics relevant to investment banking with an outstanding professor in terms of engagement and ability to convey information to pupils with very different backgrounds. We were provided with content before the internship to insure a level the playing field for all interns, which made classes very dynamic. Throughout the internship, we were encouraged to socialize in group activities, which has allowed me to build lasting relationships with my fellow interns. We were also invited to weekly talks with high level executives who gave up some of their time to explain what their department consisted of and about their own career stories. I came out of my internship with a very broad understanding of how RBC works and a greater appreciation for the banking industry, which has further encouraged me to work in this challenging environment.

I was very fortunate to join a great team at RBC. Every member from analyst to MD level were invested in my learning experience. The analysts and associates taught me a lot from a technical and analytical perspective, whereas the VPs and directors taught me more high level concepts such as client relationships and long term career lessons. I have maintained a very good relationship with every single one of my colleagues. Many events were organized to help integrate my fellow intern and I into the team, including lunches and dinners. Team members payed attention to my abilities and progressively gave me more complex and relevant tasks, further improving my learning opportunity.

My supervisors were always very direct and clear about what I was doing well and areas where I had could improve. Initiative was expected from my side, but was always received extremely positively and with full support. I received a mid-term review which set very clear objects and things to reflect upon, I strongly appreciated to time they put into evaluating me.

The work load was heavy but fascinating. The benefit of working at a global company like RBC, is that you work on big projects which often have a global component. This broadness and relevance makes the job extremely exciting and time go by very quickly. In addition, the knowledge acquired from every task is unmatched by many other areas of work I have experienced.

I came with a desire to make the most of my internship opportunity, and my team took note of that and progressively gave me larger tasks. Management was very attentive to how much work I can handle and adjusted accordingly. The work environment I was in never ran short of things to do, I was fortunate enough to be in a team that evaluated my capabilities early in my placement and progressively entrusted me with bigger responsibilities.

One skill I particularly sharpened during my time at RBC was my ability to increase the speed of my critical thinking process. In other words, I developed an ability to better select relevant information in my research but also better decide on how to allocate my time. This significantly improved my efficiency. I also developed very good financial modeling skills, first during my first week of training but also during the internship during which senior colleagues taught me invaluable modeling skills. Working in a intellectually dynamic environment like RBC also developed my intuitive skills. As an interned, you are driven to think on a daily basis about how external events happening around the world are affecting your clients, but also how companies (our clients) develop and deliver products to their clients. You get a very tangible understanding of the economy as you are exposed to all this information, which allows for greater appreciation for the theory around it. I also developed invaluable team skills by working with other interns on a presentation we had to make in front of senior members of RBC. For this presentation we were encouraged to be forward looking, and to think about the future of the industry we were in.

The atmosphere was very dynamic. Because the entire investment banking works on the same floor, there is a very powerful energy that motivates everyone to work harder and collectively. RBC employees are very proud of their achievements of their colleagues and this sense of pride is infectious. RBC employees are very social and want to get to know their colleagues, which gave me the opportunity to get to know many people during lunch breaks as well as more official events. All employees were invited to our intern group presentation, and many full time colleagues came to watch us present our ideas. Many of the full time employees were happy to share their feedback and further discuss the topics in our presentations. The atmosphere is therefore very collective, dynamic and intellectually stimulating.

I was very impressed by the smoothness of the overall organization. Our training was always on schedule and included delicious lunch and snack breaks. We had other training sessions with external companies and internal people which took place very seamlessly. Our individual team management was very respectful of these training sessions and would make sure we attended all of them. We were provided with mobile phones, with continuously up to date calendar with upcoming events we had to attend. When the organization is of such a high standard, it makes it much easier for interns to focus on their learning experience. I am very grateful for the effort RBC has put into the organisational aspect of the internship which has allowed to focus on more value adding things such as my work and overall internship experience.

RBC invested in my learning through the training program during the first week. Kieran Maguire was a truly outstanding professor, with a passion for his subject and a overwhelming desire to make sure each and every one of his pupils understand the concepts he is teaching. RBC invested in our overall well being by organizing a number of external activities for our internal class, including an event which allowed us to work in teams and explore the city of London, a group presentation with members of different teams during which a lot of company employees voluntarily attended to listen and provide feedback to us afterwards, a visit to a theater in London where professional actors taught us how to speak publicly with confidence, lunches and dinners with team members where we got to speak in a more informal manner, allowing us to feel more comfortable with our team. RBC is a truly unique environment to work in. I could feel how invested RBC was in me and my other team members, and I am able to tangibly observe how I have evolved personally from this investment.

RBC is investing heavily in its European presence. It has bought a big portion of the new skyscraper on 100 Bishopsgate that is expected to be finished next year. This means that future employees will be working in best in class modern facilities, which is always a great contributor to company moral. I myself got an offer and chose to accept it.

The social scene was great. RBC picked its intern class very well, as we were all able to get along very well. Many events were organized with our fellow interns during the weekends. On the last day we had a goodbye dinner and have maintained contact with each other through a whatsapp group.

The cost of living in London is high but is dropping. The City is reasonably close to many reasonably priced areas such as kings cross and shoreditch. In addition, many of us were able to rent student housing, which priced significantly below the average market rents in the area. RBC pays a competitive salary to its interns allowing them to comfortably afford housing in the area and be able to attend to other daily costs as well.

London is known across the world for its nightlife. The City itself has some very nice bars to go to after work, and as there is a very lively nightlife in the Shoreditch area, with old street being only a 20 minute walk from the office.

London is a very diverse and dynamic city with endless opportunities to get involved in activities. Many RBC employees go to the work out session together (bary's bootcamp, Kobox...). RBC also has a number of activities it sponsors, such as plays at the Old Vic, with whom they have a longstanding partnership.