Investment Banking Summer Analyst Review

- Working on around 1-3 client projects at any one time - Can be live M&A / Capital markets transactions, pitches for potential deals, or retained client work - You will also be working on your individual intern project - which will be a mock transaction - From the start, you get lots of responsibility, but also a great support network (including, Analyst Buddy, Senior Mentor, Intern Captain, and Team Manager) - Typical tasks include valuation analysis (trading/precedents transactions), preparation of presentation materials for upcoming meetings, creating company profiles and market research / benchmarking - The deal teams are very lean (as small as 3-4 people) so you will get daily exposure to senior members of the team as well as the Analysts / Associates - There were also several events (at least once a week) organised by HR. These included socials (e.g., mini golf, bars, lunches) with the other interns. lunch & learn sessions, and wellness events (e.g., yoga)

- Developed my financial knowledge (particularly valuation analysis/modelling) through both the initial 1st week of training as well as through tasks on the desk - Became much more proficient in Excel, Powerpoint and Bloomberg - Improved my soft skills through interactions with the team, formal training and presentation experience

I was given a lot of responsibility, much more than I had expected. You are essentially staffed on projects as if you were a first-year Analyst - so you get a real sense of what it would be like to work in the team full time. The lean deal teams mean that there is even more work for you to get involved with.

There is a great formal support network (including, Analyst Buddy, Senior Mentor, Intern Captain, and Team Manager) who are all there to guide you through the internship and make sure you are not overwhelmed. There is also a very strong and supportive culture more generally - which means you get plenty of informal support from others in your team throughout (as well as fellow interns).

It was a very supportive and welcoming culture. The teams are very tight-knit, with even the largest teams not being more than 20-30 people. It is very easy to integrate with the team and everyone made a conscious effort to make sure that we felt welcomed. I always felt comfortable turning to an Analyst / Associate sitting next to me to ask for help.

It was a demanding experience, as to be expected with an IB role, but it was equally rewarding. I learned a great deal and thoroughly enjoyed the experience - making close friends along the way.

Yes

Make sure you have a good understanding of Lazard's culture and there positioning in the industry among other Independent firms. Don't feel that your extracurricular / non-finance experiences aren't relevant - unconventional backgrounds are very much welcomed