Summer Intern Review

I enjoyed my experience at Deutsche bank because it gave me an in-depth look into an area of finance that I am extremely interested in. The opportunity to network and liaise with senior and junior members of the FIC division was invaluable. If I was given more exposure and had access to more tools such as the Bloomberg terminal and was able to work for live teams then I would have given this internship a higher score.

Surprisingly, everyone across the firm was well aware of the program and was keen to engage in conversations with us. This made me feel especially valued and made me feel as if I was a full employee of Deutsche bank. Working in groups and collaborating with other interns on group projects and in sessions meant that I was able to make connections with specific interns and work collectively on projects. This process made me feel particularly valued by the other colleagues.

I was fortunate enough that the manager I worked with, worked in a division I was extremely interested in learning more about. So I was ecstatic that I was able to work with a professional who was extremely knowledgable in this specific area. I had heard that other interns did not have as responsive managers, but my manager was extremely supportive and was prepared to work with me to ensure I increased my knowledge base and develop my network within the division.

I was extremely busy at the beginning of the internship. In my opinion, this was a personal choice. I decided that I wanted to maximize my experience so I often worked long hours and did the extra-circular that I wanted to ensure that I left no stone unturned. This lead to me having a few long hours and late nights. I believe this is a necessary characteristic of a successful intern. However, if you are focused on having a 'perfect balance' then I am sure that is something that can be achieved with a majority of the sessions starting at 8 and finishing at 5:30.

Due to the length and virtual nature of our internship it meant that Deutsche bank was unable to give us access to all the tools previous interns and analysts have access to. This was mainly due to compliance and technological issues, but this prohibited our ability to develop our technical skillset and contribute to live trades or deals. However, with that said we were fully unboarded onto the DB intranet which meant that we could access a wide variety of DB's resources, and having our own email address meant that we were able to talk to and network with a wide variety of people.

Some of the concepts used at Deutsche Bank in the FIC division specifically overlap heavily with my course (BSc Economics), so much so I am able to use increased knowledge to help to excel in my course and dissertation in my final year. This is invaluable and I hope this will set me apart when it comes to academia. The skills set and training I received I believe will be able to do me well in all walks of life and if I am able to translate some of the traits from my internship to my final year I believe it will make me a lot more efficient and effective as a final year student.

There was a clear plan and structure for the internship which was well communicated to all the interns before the internship started. Like anything in a virtual setting, this was prone to hiccups but overall the experience was smooth and effective in attempting to mirror a real internship as closely as possible. The HR team demonstrated that they had thought through every stage of the internship and the impact it would have on the interns.

Deutsche Bank really focused on ensuring that we were as well skilled as possible. Our personal development was a key part of the internship. Deutsche Bank demonstrated this by offering a variety of different training vendors and sessions for us to use before, during, and after the internship. The managers on top also ensured that they were able to facilitate our learning of the business and specific sub-areas of the division to help us develop that knowledge further.

Deutsche Bank confirmed that there was headcount for all interns to convert the internship into full-time offers which was a strong sign of the firm's organization and health. The graduate program was well explained and advertised throughout which ensured that the interns knew exactly what type of work they would be doing if they started as a full-time offer at the firm. On top of that Speaking with senior members of the bank meant that I understood the progression that was most likely going to occur as a full-time employee

Due to the virtual nature of the internship inter placement collaboration was quite difficult. However, the group projects enabled us as interns to meet and connect and work on projects together which encouraged the creation of a social scene among interns. On top of this, we had arranged activities and sessions which were focused on team bonding and inter-intern collaboration such as virtual escape rooms and weekend mini-projects. This really boosted morale among interns.

Due to the internship being conducted in a virtual format. All interns were working from home and as a result, our ability to socialise had to change dramatically. As mentioned in other sectors, the firm does an amazing job of ensuring that all the interns were able to connect either through group projects or other fun tasks such as the escape room. Many people invested in improving their setups, however the extent to which people did varied.