Student Review

The Discovery Day was an insightful and holistic introduction to the IST division of BP. The day was well structured, and the activities were useful in gaining more knowledge about trading and the BP application process. Was made more enjoyable by meeting like-minded students who were also eager to learn more about the company.

Different BP employees of varying seniority came in to give us talks and workshops, and they always had time to listen to and answer our questions. Seemed like they wanted to make sure that we were always learning and listening throughout the day, meaning that we were engaged and contributing.

Georgina Warren, who was the lady in charge of taking us around the offices, gave us great support throughout the day and was helpful in answering questions. Not as much 1:1 guidance support, but this was to be expected, as this was only an insight day and not a full-on internship.

The application process for BP, from online tests to interviews and the Assessment Centre was clearly explained, with tips on how to answer competency questions especially useful. The information was not necessarily applicable to my degree studies, but was more useful for general application and interview skills for the future.

Overall, the day was well managed. We started off with introductory talks outlining BP's structure and business model, then we heard a senior trader come in and share her experiences with us. Afterwards, we played a trading simulation of WTI on the NYMEX before having lunch. We subsequently heard from current interns and analysts, before finishing off with competency questions practice.

The employees were generally very friendly and helpful, and nothing seemed to be forced in order to give an overly pleasant atmosphere. The other candidates were also eager to share their experiences and background with each other, and it was useful in getting to make new connections with more like-minded people my age.

The main way BP invested in our personal training and development was by taking us extensively through BP's application process, from online tests to technical interviews and Assessment Centres. This was useful, especially as it can be generalised for other application procedures for different firms, and I found the STARS interview technique to be useful.

It was useful to hear from employees of varying levels of seniority and expertise, as it provided a fairly holistic look at IST at BP. However, the talks were not necessarily extensive due to time constraints, while we couldn't get too much hands-on and interactive experience of actually being at a trading desk.

The 5 core values of BP (One Team, Respect, Excellence, Safety & Courage) were touted throughout the day, giving us a good feel for what they were looking for in candidates. The tour around the trading floors also gave us a brief impression of how traders live and work in the office.

It was insightful seeing how traders at BP work, as they are distinct from the traders at traditional Investment Banks. Further, I learnt about the diversity of skillsets, experiences and backgrounds at a large firm such as BP, and even within the same divisions. The day was ultimately what it says, an 'insight', and so expectations should be matched accordingly.

There was an option to be reimbursed for travel expenses up to £100, but I opted not to claim this.