Summer Insight Intern Review

I enjoyed the insight week immensely, we were treated with great respect by the HR team and by other senior employees which was great to experience. Having not completed any insight weeks or similar internships in the past I did not know exactly what to expect. I was very happy to come in to the office each morning as I knew that I would be experiencing something different to the day before.

I felt extremely valued at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, we were given the opportunity to network with numerous employees of all levels and this showed me that the Bank value the networks that are created during insight weeks. This also showed me how much effort members of the Bank put in to make sure our experience flowed well, which in turn made me feel extremely valued.

Throughout the duration of the Insight week at Bank of America Merrill Lynch we were always encouraged to ask as many questions as possible. There was a HR team who organised and looked after our activities and they were extremely clear with all the guidance they gave us. We also received an excellent handbook with lots of helpful information to guide us through the experience.

It was clear throughout the Insight week that the Bank were making an effort to develop our skills, and not just trying to sell their firm to us. An example of this was one of the sessions that we attended, led by comedian Deborah Frances-White. This session developed my inter-personal and communicational skills greatly and I will definitely take what I learnt with me throughout my studies and in to my career in the future.

The insight week was extremely well structured. We were sent a clear timetable weeks before starting with the Bank and the activities always finished and started on time. This made it very easy to know where we should be at all times, and reduced any pressure that I felt that would have arisen out of uncertainty of timing.

The atmosphere during the insight week was formal but very friendly. My fellow interns did not seem to act as though we were competing for places on a Summer internship, but more in a way that we were all there to learn and develop ourselves for our careers in the future. I feel that this is down to the way that Bank of America Merrill Lynch treated us; with trust and mutual respect.

I felt that the knowledge I gained throughout the week has been invaluable in influencing my decision in further pursuing a career in banking. This is particularly because I was given the opportunity to shadow an Analyst at the firm in a one-to-one environment. I learnt an incredible amount for the short period of time I was at the bank.

The bank made a great effort to ensure we found out what it is like to work for them, and they showed us exactly how they feel their culture has changed and adapted, particularly with the acquisition of Merrill Lynch in 2009. The culture at BofAML was very interesting; it is clearly a team effort and all the divisions work together to provide the most effective solutions for clients.

Bank of America Merrill Lynch covered all expenses for the duration of the insight week. These included travel to London, travel to the office, accommodation. The Bank paid for all of our drinks at networking events, and a three-course meal at the networking dinner. We were also provided with a very enjoyable breakfast and lunch each day.

It was clear that Bank of America Merrill Lynch realise the huge importance of networking. This was reflected in the programme by the numerous opportunities we received, such as; networking breakfasts/ lunches/ dinner and an event entitled 'Speed Networking' which involved ten minute sessions where we able to talk to employees from many different divisions and get an insight in to their day to day activities.

During the networking breakfast representatives of the different divisions within diversity joined us. These included representatives from the military network and LGBT network among others. They made it clear that employees are encouraged to involve themselves in these causes. I also found out about other opportunities within the bank from various employees, an example of these was the option to get involved in touch rugby with other members from different teams in the firm (which is a great opportunity to expand your network within the bank).

I would absolutely recommend the Bank of America Merrill Lynch summer insight programme. I learnt an incredible amount about banking which has no doubt helped me in deciding my future career. The way the bank treated us was exceptional, and I met some tremendously talented people that I hope to work with in the future.