Equity Research Intern Review

Very much so. The learning curve was steep but I think that is why I will look back on the experience with so positively. Put crudely, it was 'worth doing' - I never felt that I was wasting my time.

Again, very much so. Managers took time to help me out, praised me for good work, etc. You need to be able to work independently for long periods but that is the same for everyone on the floor.

This was really good from start to finish. People in the bank are very busy but I found that they worked hard to make time for me. It is still important, however, to use common sense about when it is appropriate to ask questions.

I had one main, overarching project to work on for the duration of my internship, and also completed ad hoc tasks as requested. This is one reason why I think Equity Research is such a good place to intern - you can do more of the actual role than in, say, Sales and Trading (b/c of regulatory/clearing requirements)

The amount of responsibility you can have as an intern is of course limited - especially in such a highly regulated industry. If you go in with reasonable expectations, however, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

It is difficult to comment usefully here because I study social sciences, not finance. Working long hours, meeting deadlines etc. is always good training, though, I suppose.

Good atmosphere on the whole. Naturally people are concentrating pretty intensely on their work for most of the day, but there was occasional talking/joking etc. which I found quite pleasant, and you do feel more involved in this sort of thing as time goes on.

Well organised from start to finish. Good email communication to inform interns of any changes to the schedule. Points of contact were generally made quite clear, but it could've been made more obvious who the allocated HR represenative was for each business line (this is a very minor issue, as you can normally ask someone on your desk for help/advice).

There was a training week at the start of the internship which was quite useful for those coming in without a finance background. We had access to important software (Reuters etc.) throughout the internship which was positive from a training perspective. There was also quite a lot of investment in personal development, 'branding' sessions etc. - these were a mixed bag: some really good, others not so much (on balance they were fine).

Global firm, lots of mobility, plenty of investment in training/development, good exit options if you realise further down the line that it isn't for you. I view the bank as a very attractive future employer, especially to someone coming straight out of university.

I would say so. In Research there were around 10 interns and so we got to know one another pretty well, and would occasionally meet for food/drinks etc. outside of working hours. We had a really good cohort. The interns from other divisions were equally nice, and it was always good to spend time with them at the social events hosted by the bank, and in activities/talks to which everyone from ICS was invited.

Central London is expensive... It is possible to find relatively inexpensive accommodation as an intern, though (at least in London terms). This tends to be in fairly basic student flats (the bank has some recommendations for this, so you won't be isolated), but it is mostly acceptable for the 9 weeks or so for which you need to stay there.

I can't say that I really experienced this, but it is Central London, so I imagine it is good but also expensive. Plenty of nice bars/restaurants, including some close to the office for after-work get-togethers. Lots of good places for coffee, and of course no shortage of museums/parks etc. for the weekend.

There were social events dotted across the internship - at the start, at the half-way point, and to wrap things up in week 9. These were generally quite good, and didn't feel like a chore to attend (there were good speakers, nice food, alcoholic/soft drinks etc.). We also did some community affairs work in Week 1 with a local school, which was something a bit different. At weekends etc. it is nice to do your own thing if you have the time off, as the weekdays are very busy and you will be putting in long hours.