Summer Intern Review

I really enjoyed my time at GS. The work was interesting, the learning intense and I really valued the relationships fostered with the other interns and full-time employees. Obviously, the programme was hard work, but that work proved fulfilling both at the time and with the benefit of hindsight.

Both full-time employees and other interns were very personable and inclusive. In particular, team members were always keen to hear my input and responsive to what I had to say. Teams also made a special effort to make interns feel included socially, even over the course of very short rotations.

The quality and range of feedback was - for me - one of the great strengths of the programme. I was given feedback and advice by almost everyone I worked with, from HCM professionals to senior managers on every desk I worked on. Feedback was constructive but sensitive.

I was very busy throughout the programme. There was virtually no time wasted; almost every minute was devoted to some form of activity.

I was amazed at the range of responsibilities given to interns over the course of the programme. Obviously an intern's contribution to the firm is limited by his/her minimal experience of the industry; given those constraints, I felt I was given a great deal of responsibility and was valued accordingly. Within a couple of weeks, teams were giving me an active role in several (more or less) live projects on the desk.

I have yet to finish my degree, but I suspect that the skills I developed will be very useful in a financial career. From a basic understanding of markets and the lifecycle of a deal/trade in various parts of the business, to good workplace habits and interpersonal skills, the programme helped me develop a wide range of competencies that will hopefully prove invaluable, both in university and, more importantly, beyond.

I felt that the general atmosphere was overwhelmingly positive. In particular, I was struck by the following: i) Inclusiveness - the willingness of team members to hear and respond to the thoughts of others, and involve them in their work. ii) Cooperation - the degree of communication and collaboration between team members and teams. iii) Diversity - the range of backgrounds and experiences of interns and full-time employees.

Very. Every detail had been planned and HCM professionals were nearly always available to discuss the structure/direction of the programme. The GS internship gives interns a great deal of choice when it comes to what they do and whom they work with, but all of that operates within a very clear structure.

A great deal. We were given extensive initial training and presentations from very senior members of he firm. The most impressive investment, however, came from the teams I was working with: I was amazed at how much time team members spent with me, even at the senior level.

Very. And we were given a great deal of advice and information about this over the course of the programme.

Yes. The other interns were very friendly and we organised weekly social events, as well as impromptu gatherings.

Yes - the firm has extensive networks for everything from tennis to football. Interns also organised impromptu go-karting and paintballing sessions at the weekends, for instance.