Equities Sales and Trading Intern Review

The internship has been thoroughly enjoyable overall, incorporating a number of varied and challenging exercises alongside stimulating desk work and personal research. Taking part in the trading game in particular was a fun and engaging experience, giving us both a team and individual perspective on managing a portfolio with 'real' consequences of our choices.

One of the best features of the internship was the constant workload it provided, making every day challenging and an opportunity to learn. By mixing longer term projects and exercises with day to day desk work and research tasks, there hasn't been a single day without an adequate volume of work.

Despite the strict regulations involved with the finance industry, and resultant scarcity of client-facing tasks I expected during the internship, I was pleasantly surprised with the responsibility I have been given. I have been allocated a number of tasks that have immediate impact every day and have particularly enjoyed these.

Regardless of the final outcome of the hiring choices, the internship has provided invaluable insight into working in an investment bank or finance in general. Beyond this, the day to day work and exercises have been an amazing opportunity to learn not just about trading but also best practices in the workplace and relationship management.

The atmosphere in the office is generally very friendly, varying both between teams and business areas on the trading floor. It is very important for interns to find the work environment they feel at home in, however this can be difficult alongside pursuing the business area they are most interested in.

The internship has been extremely well organised throughout, with every colleague involved in the process fully aware of the point and logistics of each exercise, as well as eager to learn and improve based on our experiences. There hasn't been a single organisational hiccup or interruption besides occasional IT issues, and HR has been approachable and helpful throughout.

Whilst there have been few opportunities to pursue formal training during the internship, this is understandable given the qualifications required in the industry and length of preparation required. From a development and learning standpoint however, colleagues have encouraged and actively sought out chances for us to learn and stay involved.

It has been abundantly clear right from the application process that UBS is very serious about investing in graduate talent, and finding the right employees for the business. I am confident that if I were to receive an offer for full-time employment it would be a fantastic opportunity for both personal and business growth.

From the beginning of the internship, social activities within the internship cohort have been both organised internally and encouraged externally. Almost all colleagues understand the strenuous work load that the internship involves, and actively encourage we take adequate time for ourselves, maintain a healthy work life balance and get to know each other outside of work.

London is a holistically expensive city to live in, translating especially into food and living costs during the internship. Whilst UBS suggest and help organise relatively cheap accommodation near to the office, these rooms are not ensuite. It is definitely an advantage to have studied or live in London to have accommodation already established.