Analyst (Mergers and Acquisitions) Review

Unfortunately I did not enjoy my placement here. This was primarily due to the extreme work hours that BoAML places upon their interns. Rarely did I receive more than 5 hours of sleep. Furthermore, the experience as a whole simply was not that rewarding, mainly because there was no personal reward for the hard work I put in.

There was not one time I truly felt valued by my colleagues or indeed my superiors. From time to time I received a some positive feedback on presentations that I had given or seemingly impossible deadlines that I managed to meet. Otherwise fellow workers saw me as just that - a worker.

Upon arriving at BoAML, I was given a 'work buddy'. This was a full time employee who worked in the same department as I (M&A) responsible for making sure that I hit my deadlines. The person I was assigned to - Jonathan - was extremely kind. As an ex-intern himself, he knew how tough this sort of environment could be. He was always quick to give me useful guidance.

There was almost never a minute I was not occupied. On many occasions, my superiors would hand me a client's name, regardless of industry and ask me to prepare a briefing document and presentation for the morning after. This meant that I was always busy - particularly at nights. There are no real breaks. They do encourage you to stretch, walk around a bit, but for the most part you are always at your desk.

As a low-level intern, I was not given a huge amount of responsibility. My role was to simply fulfil the criteria required by my superiors and most importantly, the client(s). On one occasion I was chosen to lead a team of 4 interns on a group presentation regarding a recent success the firm had experienced with a client. This entailed responsibility because I had to ensure that we as a team delivered. If not, we would all be reprimanded by our manager.

Given that I would like to work in a corporate environment (perhaps one not as stressful as an investment bank like BoAML), I would say that what I learnt was invaluable. It effectively set me up for any sort of corporate career, regardless of industry simply because nothing could be harder than this!

The atmosphere was that of hard work. Everyone is at the firm to do one thing - to make money both for themselves, and ultimately, for the firm. To some extent I think this was good. It is a work ethic that would serve one well in basically any environment. That being said, it was not conducive to 'fun'. If anything, it was neutral.

The organisation of the programme was fantastic. As a well established bank and internship programme, rest assured they know exactly what they are doing when it comes to interns. The welcome process was smooth and well choreographed. There was no down time between being introduced to the team, learning the ropes and then working!

They made sure that I knew how to do everything on the job successfully. They also invested in me in the sense that they made sure that I was progressing work-wise. They would run weekly sessions with a superior in which I effectively reported back to them and told them how I was getting on. This was good for reflection.

I was offered a job with the firm on the back of this internship. I have not responded to this request as I am waiting on other offers.

Although the bankers may work hard, they also know how to party hard. On the few occasions people had time off in the evenings, there were always gatherings at top London clubs and bars. These were really fun and allowed you to get to know your peers in an informal, lively setting. Some good memories from these!

As one would expect, Central London was extortionately priced. Not to mention the fact that most of the bankers decided to splash out on the upper-end of the market with expensive bars and drinks. The cost of living was somewhat abated by cheap transport in London.

Absolutely incredible. Some of the finest nightclubs in the world can be found in London. My personal favourite is Maddox Mayfair - one that was popular amongst the many other interns at the firm at the time. There's also a huge variety of bars available, both musical and non-musical.

There were no activities outside of work besides gatherings at clubs and the odd training session (which coincidentally, happened at the office!) That said, my superiors told me of activities that they enjoy on a weekly basis.