Investment Intern Review

I really enjoyed my internship with M&G plc. I didn't know what to expect with the virtual internship but I ended up really enjoying it and meeting a lot of great people through numerous online networking and workshop sessions. I also enjoyed learning about the asset management industry and the work that M&G plc does for its clients and the unique sectors it operates in. Overall, I had a great experience and felt like I could take away a lot from it.

I was part of a smaller team but one of the benefits of this was that I got to know each of my team members very well. Due to the fact they all did different things, I was able to gain insight into different parts of the financial services industry and complete different projects both technical and client-related in nature. I really enjoyed getting to know my team and feel they valued my input on their areas of work.

My manager and team were all very supportive and willing to set up a call with me if I had any questions. I could always approach them when I didn't know something or just wanted to clarify a point, even if they were busy working on something. I felt I could also reach out to other graduates or HR in situations where I had a question and I felt the atmosphere was very open and inclusive to questions.

I was fairly busy during my internship, with many presentations and workshops for interns as well as working within my team. While there were periods of downtime between calls and presentations, I think this was mainly a result of the virtual format. If the meetings were in person I would be able to chat more with other interns and people at M&G to learn more about the projects they are working on and how they impact the business.

I was given quite a bit of responsibility for a few major deals within my team during my internship. I had the opportunity to see multiple sides of the deal-making process from client relationship management to the modeling and structuring that goes on behind the scenes. By the end of the internship, I was able to give a few concrete presentations on some of the projects I worked on to my team and other interns.

I think the skills that I developed during the internship will help me greatly in the future. I was able to learn more technical skills and how to forecast cash flows for different types of products and just in general learn about a completely different industry. The networking and social aspects of a large corporation were also insightful and will definitely help me with developing my professional development no matter where I end up working.

Although we weren't in the office, the general atmosphere was still very friendly and HR and my team were always very happy to chat about anything. Even though it was a very unusual situation, I feel I got to know a few of my team members and other interns/graduates very well through the positive atmosphere and never felt left out. The people at M&G, while extremely passionate about their work, also make sure that everyone feels included and satisfied.

Given the virtual format, the overall set up of the internship was great. The IT setup process was relatively seamless and I had no trouble joining any sessions or communicating with my team. There were also scheduled sessions for catch-ups and other events so that interns could get an overall view of the business which is something I did not expect. Overall, I am very happy with the level of organization of the internship given the circumstances.

M&G definitely invested a lot of time into developing me and the other interns. The main way this was done was through presentations by people from all areas of the business which gave a strong foundation for all the different projects and regions M&G operates in. They also set time aside for networking and campfire sessions where we would get to know what other interns were working on which was also pretty unique and interesting.

Future employment prospects are very appealing at M&G. I would love to spend more time getting to know the different business areas and meeting more people in the company. I think their work culture and unique position in the asset management industry are extremely interesting and I am confident that I would very happy working for M&G in the future. I would highly recommend applying to M&G for their fantastic wealth of knowledge and company culture.

Yes, there were a lot of networking sessions with other interns and a few virtual socials including a virtual pub quiz and an escape room. Socializing virtually was something I was skeptical about before starting the internship but I ended up really enjoying the socials and it was definitely a good solution given the current restrictions. I was able to get to know quite a few other interns and might meet up in the future if restrictions ease.

Virtual format so I did not have to relocate to London.

No nightlife due to the virtual format and COVID

Not many due to virtual format