This year, many summer analyst internships have occurred remotely, which has dramatically changed the working life of a summer analyst. However, as many people begin to return to the office, it seems that next year, summer analyst roles will once again involve time in the office. Although working life may not return to exactly how it was before the pandemic, this guide to the daily life of a summer analyst will provide a glimpse into analyst internships and how many usually operate (when fully in person).
A traditional summer analyst day is often a long one, with work starting as early as 8am and finishing around 12am. However, this time is not spent constantly working and there are often many learning opportunities incorporated into the day.
8am – 9am
Arrive at work. Many investment banks are located in Canary Wharf in London, so this is where you’ll have to be. Often the firms will offer an accommodation allowance to help with finding accommodation in London.
There are places to get breakfast in the office, which is what many employees do while they begin their work.
9am – 12pm
The morning often begins with replying to emails, followed by attending meetings and calls to prepare for the day of working on live trade deals. These will often be with analysts and other more senior team members, allowing you to gain some invaluable experience of the role of analysts.
12pm – 1pm
Lunch will often be had with other interns and sometimes the more senior members of your team. You can leave the office for this; however, many investment banks have a range of in office options for lunch.
1pm – 6pm
The afternoon will often involve working on your trading projects and may also involve some learning sessions. Analysts are keen for the interns in their team to learn and progress and so will often teach interns the technical skills that they need for their work. This may be tested later on when being considered for a graduate role and so is an important part of the summer.
6pm – 12am
While working days for many other jobs will finish around 5:30pm – 6pm, summer analysts tend to work longer hours. Even though this may not seem appealing, working this hard provides a range of development opportunities and exposure to the work of full-time analysts. Staying this late is often to help other analysts, if you’ve finished your work for the day, working later gives you a chance to help with their projects.
Additionally, many large firms will offer benefits for employees working late, such as a free dinner after 8pm and a free taxi home after 11pm.
Although this may seem daunting, this hard work will pay off – exposure to live deals and senior business members will enable huge career progression and working hard will really help when being considered for the firm (or any other’s) graduate analyst roles!
