Women's Horizon Programme Intern Review

I thoroughly enjoyed this virtual experience. I originally had apprehensions about what the insight week would be like after it had been moved online, however, I was not disappointed. The whole week was well structured and taught me lots about Rothschild & Co from their history to the structure and different departments of the firm. I also really enjoyed having the opportunity to meet analysts who worked at Rothschild & Co as it allowed me to ask the many questions that I had.

I felt very valued during my time at the company or firm. The whole experience felt very personalised. We had a structure of lectures and seminars that the whole cohort followed. In addition, every intern was also allocated a 'buddy' with whom we had coffee chats and catch up's. This allowed us to get to know an employee of Rothschild & Co personally and ask specific questions directly. Additionally, throughout the programme, we would have regular coffee chats in slightly larger groups (around 10 interns and 2 analysts).

The virtual internship was very well supported and the guidance was clear from prior to the internship. The week before the internship started we were sent a timetable for the week, information details of whom would be in our project group, and details of our buddy. During the internship, we had a 'support network' which consisted of the graduate recruitment team, our project group, and our buddy. Everyone was very friendly and always happy to answer any questions or provide additional support if necessary.

The skills I developed and the information I received will definitely assist me in my degree studies and beyond. Firstly, during the programme, we undertook many seminars and lectures based on departments and functions of Rothschild & Co, as well as an introduction to investment banking. I am studying Economics at university and learning more about investment banking (directly from an investment bank) has helped me with many modules this term already. Additionally, I learnt and built on many soft skills. For example, through collaborating with a group virtually to create a presentation taught me invaluable teamwork and communication skills.

The experience was very well structured. Prior to the internship, I was sent emails containing the timetable for the week as well as information about my project group and the project I would be undertaking. Every session, every day, started on time and through the use of the timetable, I was able to know exactly what would be covered each day. The internship was structured as to balance lectures where we would learn about Rothschild & Co, with interactive sessions, such as coffee chats.

The general atmosphere was positive during my virtual experience. All of the interns (and staff) seemed very happy to be there and part fo the internship. As a result, the staff worked hard to make sure that it was a success and the interns worked hard to make sure that learnt and benefitted from the experience as much as possible. The atmosphere was relaxed, but not without formality and structure. It was the perfect atmosphere for learning.

The firm did investment in training and development for the interns through the seminars and lectures that were conducted throughout the week. This allowed us to learn more about Rothschild & Co and investment banking. However, I would say that the training and development were not specifically personalised to each candidate. Although, this is understandable as the virtual internship was only a week-long as I think it would be difficult to personalise the training to each specific candidate without being unfair or biased to other interns.

The lectures we undertook allowed us to understand what different departments would cover in their roles on a day to day basis, from global advisory to wealth management, to private equity. The lectures from each department also allowed questions in which people would ask more specific questions about day to day tasks. However, I did not feel as though I could grasp fully what it would be like to have a full-time role, as the internship was very short and we did not conduct any 'real' work ourselves. Although we did work on the presentation, which provided a taster, I am still not sure how directly this would relate to what the day to day work that would be. This happens when you are taking part in an insight week as you can only show so much as interns are not being employed to work for Rothschild & Co. Also, I did find it hard to find out the work-life balance of analysts and the hours that they would work as many were reluctant to tell me.

The virtual experience helped me in understanding the company through the lectures about the company and through the coffee chats we had with staff. I understood clearly from the week, that the history of Rothschild & Co is what makes them unique as a firm and that it really influences their culture today. This was really interesting to learn about as it is not what I would expect to learn from an insight week. I also got the impression that the culture was inclusive and hardworking and happy from people's attitudes and mindsets which were shown during lectures and networking sessions.

The content was invaluable in helping me to decide my future career path. I started the internship knowing that I wanted to work in the financial sector as I thoroughly enjoy my Economic's degree and work to work with numbers. However, this internship taught me two things. 1. That I want to work for Rothschild & Co as I believe that the firm is unique in their culture and reputation. The staff were friendly and I got the impressions, that unlike other investment banks, that Rothschild & Co care about their employees and clients. 2. That I do want to work in Global Advisory. This part surprised me the most as I thought M&A's were where my dream job would be. However, this internship did aspire me to work in wealth management. From talking to members of the wealth management team, I realised that these skills align more closely with mine and that I would find the work personally more interesting. As a result, I have applied to the Wealth Management Summer Analyst Position at Rothschild & Co. Something that I wouldn't have done had I not undertook this internship.

I was not paid or reimbursed expenses as this internship was online and therefore had no expenses.

There were plenty of opportunities for networking and meeting other employees of the firm. We were each assigned a buddy, who was an analyst at Rothschild & Co. Throughout the week meet with our buddy and were able to ask questions 1-1 which was very helpful in learning more about Rothschild & Co and understanding the opportunities available. We also undertook coffee chats in small groups with other internships and a couple of analysts, which allowed us a chance to get to know more employees who worked at the firm.

There were many networking and social event opportunities. This included regular coffee chats with other interns and analysts at Rothschild & Co allowing us to ask questions and listen to questions that other people had. I also got to know my project group very well with whom I was working on a presentation. My group and I met every day of the internship and still have regular catch up calls. In addition, at the end of the internship, after the presentation, the cohort had a large group chat to discuss the internship and celebrate the completion of it.

I did find out about some of the activities that employees can get involved in outside of work. We were all sent the wellness pack which provided details of how to improve your wellbeing. The information pack also included details about virtual exercises classes which are offered to staff and that we were able to join for the week. This information was further built on with a seminar about wellbeing during the week, talking about extracurricular activities that employees get involved in.

I would definitely recommend this virtual experience to a friend. This experience exceeds my expectations and I learn lots about Rothschild & Co and investment banking. It was a fantastic opportunity to ask questions to employees of Rothschild & Co allowing me to gain an in-depth insight. I also particularly enjoyed the project work that I undertook with my group. My group and I friends and still have catch-ups on zoom. We are all looking forward to meeting in real life and I have friends that I would not have if I didn't undertake this internship.