Trading ans Structuring Intern Review

I thought it was pretty interesting and provided a lot of insight into what working in a fast paced environment was like. It really trained me well in terms of understanding the field better and has helped me realize what goes into making a good team. It also made me understand the qualities required to work in such a field.

I felt fairly valued however I found that there was a lack of a community as everyone was very busy and there was no overall sense of a team on the floor. This is understandable however due to the stress of the jobs that they are assigned to, but at times it could get quite lonely.

I was given a fair bit of guidance. The mentoring was effective and providing a good foundation for me to build my skills but also gave me insight into what working there would be like. The line manager was very understanding but this did differ desk to desk across the department.

Over the course of the last few weeks I have been very busy with project work which took the majority of my time, as I spent a considerable amount of time working on it at home as well. Occasionally work becomes very limited as colleagues are very busy but will provide when asked for.

I was not assigned a lot of responsibility but this differs again from desk to desk as some would assign you with a lot of important work but sometimes work is limited. It is hard for them to give you very relevant work as they are dealing with large amounts of risk.

The skills i attained will be very useful in the future as Q databasing skills and interpersonal skills will be something that I will most likely be encountering in the near future. Working under high pressure conditions and meeting deadlines is also a very important skill to remember. This will come into play when i work on projects in the future.

Very buzzing, the office is high paced during market hours everyone is in for long periods of time and in order to keep everyone going the atmosphere is required to be active. This helps you be more productive throughout the day and ensures you do not get tired of the task at hand.

The work placement that was set up was very well set up with four week rotations and very structured with HR dictating the flow of the overall internship with appraisals throughout the process. HR also met up with the interns to understand how they were progressing with their work and health.

The firm through the appraisal process allowed for insightful information into personal performance and how to develop further, both personally and professionally. In addition the tasks given provided valuable knowledge and skills to develop which will be very useful for me in the coming years in a fast paced job such as this one.

Prospects seem very good at the firm with progression clearly outlined. Though factors such as turnover need to be considered and could be different desk to desk typically the progression ladder is close to set in stone. The progression can be sped up with superior performance and luck on your side.

Very good social scene with drinks, dinners and lunches with colleagues. Very much a work hard play hard culture within the bank. You find yourself rewarded appropriately for the work put in during the days and weeks working in the industry. In addition you can expect many general work events.

Very expensive as is to be expected.

London being the capital city, is obviously littered with night clubs and many activities which i could participate in during my placement. However, given the massive time requirements that the placement demanded i rarely had the opportunity to experience such luxuries but did seldom go with the colleagues that i had met.

Work takes up a significant time during the day hence it is very difficult to be able to apply yourself in activities outside work. However this is a fact quite often known prior to entering the industry hence it did not come as a surprise. Weekends are largely free however.