Î÷¹ÏÊÓƵ

Overall the internship has been a hugely positive one. The role itself is very interesting, one where you are given the opportunity to apply your financial knowledge and form viewpoints, rather than simply churning out repetitive work on auto-pilot. You'll learn a huge amount from day one in a very friendly environment and get a great insight into the life of a new Analyst. In addition you will also complete intern case study projects throughout the summer which will be helpful for your development, however they must be completed alongside your day-to-day desk work - your evenings will regularly be taken up by these projects.

Right from day one I have been contributing to the team through meaningful work, so you feel valued right away. Training for Credit Risk interns is very thorough, and you can tell that the development of the interns is indeed a high priority for the department. The opportunity to work on any live deals that may arise is also a sign of how you are valued.

Training is a huge priority within the Credit Risk department, with an initial week of training to bring everyone up to speed followed by regular classes throughout the internship focussing on credit-specific skills. In addition everyone on your team and on the floor as a whole is incredibly helpful, everyone is approachable and they really do want to see the interns be successful in their roles.

You will certainly have enough on your plate in terms of desk-specific work to keep you busy throughout the 10 weeks, but every piece of work is different so you’ll learn a lot about various different clients or products throughout every task. As mentioned above, the case study projects which must be completed in your own time mean that working efficiently is important, or else they will swallow up most of your evenings.

As previously mentioned, straight away you will be working on legitimate tasks that an analyst would be working on, so the responsibility is immediate. In just 10 weeks it is difficult to truly immerse yourself in any long-term projects within your desk, but you will certainly be given a good level of responsibility from the start.

Through your day-to-day work you will develop a lot of credit analysis skills, which you wouldn’t otherwise pick up in a classroom. Working on real life tasks definitely gives you a new perspective when approaching problems, and learning to handle competing deadlines is a valuable skill going forward in your career.

The atmosphere throughout the Credit Risk department is brilliant - everyone is very friendly, approachable and keen to see you succeed. You’ll never be stuck with a question for long as everyone is more than willing to help you at any time. Your development is a priority for the firm.

The entire internship was extremely well organised. The first week of training was followed by regular training sessions throughout the placement, as well as information sessions, networking, breakfasts with credit executives and social events. All IT systems were set up promptly, and HR kept in regular contact with all of the interns.

Alongside the initial week of investment banking training and regular credit risk training sessions throughout the summer, your own team will often tailor bespoke training sessions specifically for you. These one-to-one sessions give you a great insight into the more detailed aspects of your desk work, where members of your team invest their own personal time in your development.

The prospects for full time employment are very good within the organisation. HR and your managers are clear throughout in relation to whether you are meeting the expectations of you, and for those interns who show potential but may have decided that Credit Risk is not for them, they are given the opportunity to apply to other business lines within the organisation, so flexibility exists too.

The intern social scene is very much dependent on the workflow for each intern on their specific desk, which can limit the amount of socialising that they can do outside of work. However there are several social events incorporated into the internship, and the atmosphere within the intern group is great regardless.

Everything is extremely expensive, but this is standard throughout London and is completely unavoidable. Renting within a short commute of the office is very expensive but is definitely worth it in the long run. Despite the high cost of living, the salary ensures that you are well compensated for these expenses.

London nightlife is excellent and you will never be short of activities or things to do throughout the city, however the costs involved are a slight downside on this. As mentioned previously, the workflows on different desks and the case study projects can limit the desire of other interns to go on nights out, but this is simply the nature of the job.

Over an intensive 10 week internship you are not likely to have much time for activities outside of work. In the early weeks of the internship you will take part in a corporate social responsibility day which is a very enjoyable day helping out in the local community. The subsidised gym runs plenty of classes that any employee can get involved in, but overall it would be easier to get involved in outside activities as a full time employee rather than an intern.