This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.
Rating
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The Role
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The Company
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The Culture
- 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?
- 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?
- 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?
- 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?
- 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?
- 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
- 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?
- 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?
- 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
- 10. What were the perks on your work placement?
- 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?
- 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?
- 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?
- 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?
- 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?
The Role
It was a fantastic opportunity to see how the asset management industry works and what an equity research analyst does on a day to day basis. While the actual research we carried out was very interesting and I learned a lot, I also realised that equity research is not something I would want to do as a full time job.
The equity research interns sat together which was good as we all got on very well and were able to help each other. However, we did not have much contact with the graduates and the other analysts.
The support from the HR team was amazing and they were always there if I needed anything, We also had two mentors assigned to us who gave us a lot of help and advice. Unfortunately, our direct manager was not very approachable and did not seem overly interested in helping us.
It was completely up to me to decide how to organise my time which meant I could balance my workload and there was no pressure to stay late.
We had complete responsibility over our projects. Admittedly they were not 'live' projects and did not have any actual business impact, but I had to decide which parts of the company I wanted to analyse, which competitors I thought were most relevant, what time period I was going to focus on, what method I wanted to use to value the company, etc.
The first week of the internship was completely devoted to training, both at Fidelity and also at an external provider. We also had a chance to spend time with people who have decades of experience in the sector which is invaluable and taught me how companies are valued in practice, which can be quite different from what I was taught at university. Overall, the experience helped me to improve how I organize my thoughts and opinions when I have to present an idea or argument.
The Company
It was the quietest office I have ever worked in - people were very focused on their work and did not seem to spend much time talking to their colleagues while in the office.
The HR team was fantastic - we were given a calendar on the first day with all of the events that were planned for the whole internship so I always knew what was going to be happening. This was very important as it allowed me to organise my work around these events.
The company paid for a three day training course with an external provider. We also had mentoring sessions with very experienced fund managers whose time must be worth a lot of money!
Company Parties/Events
Fidelity seems like a good company to work for and has a lot more to offer than just equity research.
The Culture
We all got on very well and there were a lot of opportunities to go out if you wanted to.
It was in central London so obviously it was quite expensive.
It was in central London so there were plenty of choices.
We all took part in a charity day which was really fun and some people also participated in a charity run.
Details
Internship (1 Month+)
Investment Banking
London
October 2014