Finance Summer Internship Review

by Royal Bank of Canada

This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.

Rating

4.4/5
  • The Role
    4.5
  • The Company
    4.7
  • The Culture
    3.8

    The Role

  • 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?

    • Was my best internship ever. RBC has an amazing corporate culture. Everyone is helpful and works towards your personal development. I worked on challenging projects for the bank, involving both technical and soft skills. Expect a lot of Excel, and a lot of responsibilities. For RBC is a global company, I was also involved in some projects which would have a global impact and attended conference calls with people from Toronto, New York or Sydney. Your good work will get rewarded (positive feedback) and the HR department keeps in touch with you during your internship to make sure things are going well. Various groupworks/fun activities with the other interns help you network, and some company-wide events are even organised (RBC summer party). All in all, I can't think of anything negative to say about this internship, especially when I compare it with those of schoolmates at other banks. (And this survey is anonymous) RBC is smaller (in London, not in the world) but that means you will not be part of the crowd.

    5/5
  • 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?

    • Collegues were always very helpful and tried their best to keep me involved with everything that was going on (and that I could understand without requiring 2 hours of explanation, some financial instruments are very complex when you start). I was invited to various management meetings, just to listen and see how such a big organisation works.

    5/5
  • 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?

    • Regular meetings with my management kept me on the right track when working on difficult projects. Managers gave me a few hours of their time to help me understand the most complex topics. One of them also gave me one hour (he is a division's head for Europe & Asia, so his time is very valuable) to share his experience/give me some advice on how to pursue career in Finance and I learned a lot from it.

    5/5
  • 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?

    • Some days are quieter than some others, but RBC features an e-learning platform with hundreds of classes, so you are never truly idle. When you finish your work earlier than your manager expected, you can learn how to value a Bermudan swaption thanks to it.

    4/5
  • 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?

    • I was in charge of a few stand-alone projects and presented my work to my division's top managers. I definitely had an impact during my time at RBCCM, which, I think, is what interns should aim for.

    5/5
  • 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?

    • I learned a lot about many different tools (Excel, Bloomberg, VBA, Access, MySQL) and about the Finance industry at large. I now have a clear, detailed understanding of how every single finance-related business generates money. Understanding financial markets is a key asset, whatever you decide to do with your career (Marketing, Strategy, Management..)

    5/5

    The Company

  • 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?

    • The scale goes from "Dull" to "Fun Never Stopped!" The general atmosphere was neither. My floor was cool, relaxed, and focused at the same time. RBC is a business, and people don't spend the whole day laughing at internet jokes. Yet, it was a pleasure to go to work in the morning. Employees chat together, smile and have fun, while remaining professional and helpful.

    5/5
  • 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?

    • The programme is very well structured. HR-organised events flow well and are not boring nor intrusive. There are a lot of activities, but spread among the eight weeks.

    5/5
  • 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?

    • To a great extent. I mentioned the e-learning platform already, whose licenses are very expensive. Managers' time was also very valuable to me. The programme also starts with a training session running over a few days, and which is extremely helpful if you don't know much about finance when you start.

    5/5
  • 10. What were the perks on your work placement?

    • Subsidised Canteen

    Company Parties/Events

    Staff Sales/Staff Shop
    5/5
  • 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?

    • RBCCM recruits almost exclusively through its summer internship programme. That means that if you make it, you have a good chance to get an offer at the end of the programme. The company itself seems to be great (spent only 8 weeks there) and the future employment prospects are very appealing.

    5/5

    The Culture

  • 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?

    • Yea. Most of the interns are very cool and funny. Drinks/Nights-out are organised

    4/5
  • 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?

    • City of London. Very expensive stuff, but some nice places, especially during happy hours.

    3/5
  • 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?

    • Nightlife is so-so in the City, but awesome in London.

    4/5
  • 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?

    • A lot of activities were suggested by email to all the interns (RBC Summer party, Conferences, Charity events..)

    5/5
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Details

Internship (1 Month+)

London

August 2012

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