Commercial Management Intern Review

It was truly a rewarding experience. Not only did I gain insight into the investment industry, but I also learnt about real life business practice which was invaluable. Additionally the work environment was great and everyone I met had a positive impact on my overall experience.

The work culture is fantastic and what is great about M&G in particular is that no matter if you are an intern or a manager, your input and opinions are valued in the same way. It really made me feel like a true employee and member of the team from the very beginning.

I had two managers who i assisted and worked with throughout my internship, both of which were really helpful and inspiring. We would have regular weekly catch up sessions where I would fill them in on my progress and they would provide useful feedback. Also, if I ever had a questions or needed assistance they were willing to help.

From day one I was assigned to help on a longterm project that was part of one of the working committees so I always had something to do. There were also a couple ad-hoc tasks but I had two main projects that I worked on. Its safe to say I was never bored. Even if I completed a task early, my managers would usually find me something else to work on soon after so it was never an issue. M&G has a good work- life balance, especially for interns so I usually left the office around 5:30 which was quite good.

My managers let me take the lead on the task that I was given and just check in with them on a regular basis on my progress. I even got to present my project and findings to the entire working committee which was exciting. I definitely felt like my managers trusted me enough to get on with the work and would trust my judgement. What I really liked was that I would usually be told what the final result was that they need and what the requirements were for each task, but the way I completed it was up to me. This level of freedom and trust was daunting at times but also it made me learn a lot in a short period of time and develop my own abilities.

I gained a lot of practical skills that can be applied to any profession in the future. Professional presentation skills in particular had the greatest improvement because M&G really push you to enhance those skills during your time there.

M&G has quite a rare corporate culture as it was professional yet friendly at the same time. In my department all my colleagues were very friendly and motivating which enhanced my overall experience there. I never felt like it was a stuffy or rigid environment and it enables you to feel welcomed and part of the team quickly.

In my opinion it was organised very well. The first day we got to meet all the other interns and then meet our managers in the afternoon. Then for the next two weeks were received regular learning sessions from different departments of the company which gave us a great understanding of the company as a whole. Also there were a couple evening activities organised especially for us interns which were always quite fun. For example, in the first week we had a ping pong tournament. All these activities were organised by a team of people at M&G who really looked out for us and planned out internships.

We had regular insight sessions and even lunch and learns with different managers which taught us a lot about the company and the industry, more then what you can just read from books or in lecture halls. M&G also test your skills throughout your time there which is great cause you can really notice the improvement by the end of it. I for one had quite basic knowledge of the asset management industry and after those 2 months I feel much more proficient in the all of the different areas related to it. The learning curve is quite steep in my case.

Fortunately I got into the Graduate scheme. But overall I think if you work hard and show that you not only have the passion and interest for the industry, but you also fit in with the company culture, then M&G will likely ask you to come back. They seem to take very good care and invest a lot into their employees.

There was plenty of social events for us to take part in, whether those were organised by M&G itself of by us interns. What is good is that you always have the option to go if you want to. Usually we would got to a pub after work during the week.

The cost of living in central London is quite high, however London is a great city and it does have a lot to offer. However as I was anyway studying in London, I didn't need to find an apartment for the duration of the internship which was quite helpful.

There is a good number of options for going out after work or clubbing. But just don't expect it to be cheap.

One of my favourites was the JP Morgan charity run. The race itself was good but the socialising event afterwards organised by M&G was really fun. It was a great networking opportunity and I got to meet so many other people who work in the organisation.