Investment Banking Analyst Review

I really enjoyed my internship at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Interns were constantly respected and supported, and I was able to work on a broad range of projects, which was great for learning more about what the job entails. The firm also organised several intern events throughout the summer.

My colleagues always told me when my work had been valuable for them. Despite their busy schedules, many of my colleagues took the time out of their day to help me develop my technical skills, which I appreciated greatly.

I had no experience in finance prior to my internship, and my supervisors were very supportive in helping me learn. We had a strong support network including mentors, staffers and buddies, who were there to take care of the interns' well-being and personal development.

My business largely depended on the day. On some days I was incredibly busy, trying to balance several projects at once, whereas other days were slightly more quiet, which I used to learn more about the computer programmes we were using.

The level of responsibility depended on the project. Interns were also given responsibility based on their performance and experience, which was good.

I am a lot more capable of handling unfamiliar situations and tasks. I am also more aware of my capabilities, and developed many transferable skills. Furthermore, the skills I developed will help me in my career after university.

The general atmosphere was hard-working yet friendly. Obviously it was slightly more quiet as it was summer time. It was very supportive, and I felt like I was able to talk my superiors if I was uncertain about any task I was given. Everyone seemed to work well together, and it definitely seemed like an environment I would want to work in.

We had one week of training in the beginning, which included workshops in accountancy as well as numerous introductory talks. My division had a pooled system, which was good as it meant that I was able to work with several teams, and see what area I was most interested in working in. We had a strong support system that included a staffer, development officer, mentor and buddy, which meant we always had someone to talk to. We had many intern events throughout the summer, during which we could talk to the business representatives.

My colleagues took a lot of time out of their days to teach me about the companies/industries I was working with, as well as technical skills. We also had a week of training in the beginning, which was very useful for those of us who had never studied it before. However, the personal training and development was also dependent on one's proactiveness. If an internsaid they wanted to learn more about something specific, they would usually get the opportunity to do so.

At least during my internship the firm was hiring quite a lot, and a lot of interns received full time offers.

A lot of the interns would go out occasionally on weekends. The interns got along well together.

The cost of living is extremely high. However, the central location of the office meant that great bars and restaurants were closeby.

London has a great, but expensive, nightlife.

Many interns participated in a charity run, and the firm also organised sports games in the evenings.