Deal Advisory Vacation Scheme Intern Review

Joining in on meetings, completing accounts on Excel, writing reports, online training. Deal advisory has clients how wish to buy or sell part of their business. You will likely work with clients in a specific industry such as consumer, infrastructure, private equity or energy but it does depend what team you are placed in. Some people also did rotations throughout different teams. I was placed on a specific project so got involved in all sorts of work for that.

I considerably improved my Excel skills because this is what you spend a lot of time working in. I learnt lots of shortcuts and became much more efficient in Excel. I developed my confidence and ability to take initiative because to make the most out of the programme it is important to make contact with lots of different people and not be afraid to talk to them and get involved. I also improved my understanding of how the deals process works and terminology in this area.

I was given a good amount of responsibility during the internship. Since I was working on a specific project, the work I was doing was directly for a client. When I was set a piece of work, I was trusted that I would do it right after being taught and not checked too closely so that I felt as though I had responsibility for it. Some of the work I did was actually included in the client report.

The support and guidance I received on my placement was very good. I had a buddy and a performance manager who gave me guidance but I also felt like I could ask anyone questions and they would be willing to help. The induction day and online training sessions during the first week gave some guidance as to what to expect through the programme and we could continue to contact the internship team throughout the four weeks.

My experience was of very good company culture. It is a very large company so different people can have different experiences, but for me it was entirely positive. The atmosphere was a lot more relaxed than I expected, in a good way. The team were flexible with working from home and the atmosphere in the office were very friendly. The dress code was also smart but quite relaxed which I liked. People were generally in shirts but rarely ties.

I really enjoyed my placement and I would highly recommend whether you think you would like a career in this sort of area or not. I am not sure if I am going to accept the graduate scheme offer because there are other roles that I am considering but it was still a great experience to earn some money and experience the corporate environment as this teaches you a lot of skills including communication in that sort of environment.

Yes

I would recommend fully researching the company before your apply because you need to be able to demonstrate knowledge and interest in the company. Don’t regurgitate exactly what is on the website but put it into your own words and let the interviewer know why that attracts you. Also you need to be patient because the application process is long and if you do get an offer, it can also be a long process for this to be confirmed. But do wait because it is worth it.