International banking internship - Merrill Lynch
Fang Guo, a finance, international economics and management graduate, speaks about her internship with Merrill Lynch International.
EMPLOYER Merrill Lynch International
EDUCATION International economics and management (2006); finance graduate programme (2008), Bocconi
University
NATIONALITY Chinese
LOCATION Italy
Investment banking is very fast-paced and intense work, so for a finance student an internship in this area is ideal for putting university-learned knowledge into practice, picking up new skills and getting to know the financial world.
During my three-month internship I had to support the work of the analysts by contacting the business information and desktop publishing departments in London and through preparing the data and graphs needed for presentations. I was also a teammember in an IPO (initial public offerings) project. Using information sources such as Cerved, Bloomberg and Factiva I created news pieces as well as a public information book and presentation slides.
Job satisfaction
I acquired financial skills and valuable knowledge on how IPO and merger and acquisition operations work. I improved my computer skills and learned how to work efficiently with people and the importance of being precise. Following the whole preparation process for an analyst presentation was satisfying as the final presentation went successfully and I got the chance to communicate directly with the firm’s president.
Experiencing the business world
It was the first time I had been involved in the real financial world, especially abroad. Learning how to involve myself in a foreign working environment was a great experience. The most difficult thing at the beginning was learning to judge how much time I needed to finish the work assigned to me and then trying to remain productive during long hours.
Working in an investment bank abroad was challenging but it’s proven to be a valuable experience. Everyone in the Milan office speaks Italian so, on occasions, I couldn’t interact in conversations as well as I would have liked. However, I didn’t encounter any problems or awkward cultural differences.
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