Trading Intern Review

I was on the trading floor for the summer, spending time in two different areas. My first rotation could have been better, the I didn't get the best vibe from the team whilst I was there. The second was better, though this could be due to my personality matching up better with the product.

This summer followed a pretty severe restructuring in the firm and so there was not the same level of time available to the remaining staff to dedicate to the internship process. Everyone was very busy most of the time and this definitely made it harder to know what was required of you whilst you were actually there.

In terms of projects and work one desk gave more guidance than the other, some colleagues were definitely more willing to help (especially noticeable were those who would initiate conversation with you, but no managers would do this due to being too busy). In terms of landing a job and headcount, there was no real guidance from any of the managers throughout which left me in a strange position especially towards the end

I proactively ensured that I had work to do throughout the internship, something which was not possible for everyone on the scheme. Hence I was generally busy throughout the day.

You legally cannot assume any real responsibility as an intern. In terms of my work I was never micro-managed and given the freedom to work at my own pace.

I learnt a lot about the trading floor, the different products and the markets in general. This will help me in any finance related career in terms of applying and working. My degree is only partially related to the job so it was more about what skills can my degree allow me to bring to the workplace than the converse. I did a huge amount of excel over the 10 weeks.

Due to the restructuring, at times it was not the best. It varies with where you are on the floor too; one rotation was quiet all the time whilst the other was far more lively throughout.

This is the one area I think that improvements have to be made. There was little in the way of structure to the internship and t made it difficult for all of us to gauge how we were performing relative to other years. Activities that are offered every year were not afforded to us due to the current state of the company

The company does provide significant investment in you considering your status as just an intern. Where it could come up short is the time with colleagues you got to learn and be tested on various products and areas.

Because the bank is going through a difficult time, there are definitely opportunities to develop a lot and very quickly as a junior. However there is always the spectre of another restructuring that removes you from the firm not long after you begin to contend with.

All of the other interns were great to be around and we had to use each other for support rather than competition due to the radically smaller class size than previous years. Some of the interns you wouldn't see after working hours but there was always someone to hang out with. Last years grads were always around as well.

Its London.

Again, its London.

Perhaps if you actually work here full time, I am not sure.