“My mentoring session with Andre was extremely valuable and gave me the clarity and direction I needed at an important stage of my application journey. He was kind, approachable, and generous with his time, creating an atmosphere in which I felt comfortable sharing my experiences, asking questions, and discussing my doubts openly.
One of the most helpful aspects of our conversation was his guidance on how to organize and communicate my personal story. Andre helped me understand how to connect different experiences into a coherent narrative, identify the elements that matter most, and explain their significance more clearly. His perspective was fundamental in helping me see how to present my background with greater confidence, purpose, and authenticity.
I particularly appreciated his advice on what to avoid. He helped me recognize that including every detail does not necessarily make a story stronger, and that being selective can make a message much more effective. Our discussion gave me a clearer understanding of how to avoid unnecessary repetition, keep my narrative focused, and ensure that each part contributes something meaningful to the overall application.
Andre also provided valuable guidance on how to organize the application process itself. He helped me think more clearly about priorities, how to approach the different components, and how to make the work feel more manageable. Having a clearer structure has made a difference to my mindset: instead of seeing the applications as one overwhelming task, I now feel better equipped to approach them through specific, achievable steps.
Another important takeaway was his advice on how to use the coming days effectively. Our conversation helped me understand where to focus my energy, which tasks deserve immediate attention, and how to establish a realistic plan. I left the session with a stronger sense of direction and a better understanding of how to balance thoughtful preparation with consistent progress.
What made the experience positive was the combination of practical guidance and encouragement. Andre offered suggestions in a considerate and constructive way, helping me reflect on my choices while also making me feel supported. His kindness made it easier to engage honestly with the process and to see areas for improvement as opportunities to strengthen my applications.
Overall, this session was fundamental in helping me understand both what I want to communicate and how to move forward. I now have a clearer approach to telling my story, organizing my applications, avoiding common mistakes, and planning the next few days with intention.
I am very grateful for Andre’s support and for the care he brought to our conversation. His advice gave me useful tools, renewed confidence, and a more focused approach to the work ahead. I would highly recommend a session with him to anyone seeking thoughtful guidance, practical direction, and a supportive space to develop their application narrative. The session helped me turn uncertainty into a clearer plan, and I feel much more prepared to make the most of the time ahead and present my experiences in a meaningful and convincing way.”
It's almost as if someone read my mind and figured out my dream career path, and made a programme out of it.
I applied, and I'm going to my 2nd round interview next week. So excited! :-)
wow... this program sounds pretty amazing. i would like to hear too if other people know of similar programs.
...can i quit my job and do this instead? wow
looks great except it lacks in prestige. Noone will know what NBIM is lol
It is true that NBIM isn't the most prestigious of funds, it doesn't pay the highest salaries either(CEO 800 000 USD/y). However, as it is in all essence a Scandinavian fund it will provide you with quite good work/life balance as you climb the ladder. But it seems like you need to be Norwegian if you want to attain the highest ranks. http://www.nbim.no/en/About-us/nbim-organisation/Leader-group/
The fund is quite known in Scandinavia and Northern Europe but not as much overseas. The fund manages approx 550 billion USD.
NBIM is a branch of the Bank of Norway (NBIM=Norges Bank Investment Management for those who didn't know), and is managing one of the world's largest funds: The Norwegian Government Pension Fund (or what it's also called; the Norwegian oil fund). So, well-known outside Europe or not, I would say it seems like it's a really good programme.
hence the moral of the story is:
Goldman or bust
i'd take this NBIM talent program over goldman anyday. seems like a much more interesting experience.
also norway has hot girls :)
Haha. Thanks.
Okay, but seriously - I would say trainee positions (given it's in a good company) are much more valuable than just an analyst position for graduates, as they're actually built to make great leaders and they put so much resources into training you. Not to mention, there are only a few trainees hired every year (in NIMB I believe it's 10), so obviously they can focus more on each person than a company that hires 100 graduates or more every year.
I really like this program because you get the opportunity to move around so much - starting in Oslo for one year, then going to NY, London, Shanghai or Singapore for one year before you get to possibly move again before you get a sponsored MBA from a top Business School in either Europe or the U.S. It's in other words a great opportunity to get international experience.
I'm definitely applying for this program when the time comes.
Due to the size of the fund I would reckon that the year spent doing I-banking will probably be at a BB firm.
thanks OP. i'm not that hung up on prestige but this looks like an AWESOME program. seems like straight out of college thing though, and i'm almost 2 years deep in f500 finance.
Interesting
Miss A, how were the interviews like?
First there was a phone interview, which was pretty standard. Then there were two assessment tests to do at home, one verbal and one numerical. They were also pretty straight forward. Third step in the process was a day at the assessment center - the original plan was to start off with taking a numerical assessment test again on one of their computers (to make sure you didn't cheat when doing it at home), before a group case solving and presentation with the other 4 candidates who were there for the interview that day, before individual interviews and feedback on the assessment tests.
The day at the assessment center did not go exactly as they planned, though: They had some technical problems, so we spent almost two hours or so waiting for someone to fix the computers we were taking the tests on. There wasn't enough time to take them by the time we were done - we had to move on to the group case.
As the assessment test obviously, for some reason, was very important, and as we were short on time, they prioritized that we took it rather than having one-to-one interviews. So instead of the one-to-one interviews we were "interviewed" just after our case presentations, i.e. in front of all the other candidates who were there, with all the executives including the CEO in the room. That part of it kind of felt like the elimintation process in an episode of the apprentice, where Slyngstad (the CEO) would be Trump. Hah. It was kind of intimidating.
Also, in case you find it interesting to know, all the other candidates had a masters degree - one even had a phd. I was the only one with only a BSc (This is not suprising, though, as it's more common than not to get an MSc before you start working in Europe).
Ha, The Apprentice part sounds a bit intimidating. How did it go and did they give you any feeback (send me a message if you don't want to give away too much)? Did you get any more info about the program that you cant read on their website?
Well, I didn't get it - but honestly I didn't really deserve it as I had barely been preparing myself for the interview (kind of stupid of me, as it would have been a really great program to be accepted to). Will most likely apply again next year, or possibly the year after if I decide to get an MSc in Finance.
So, the part of the case that I was going to present (it was randomly chosen) was really the worst part to present since it was so little to say about it. And during the case "solving" phase, the discussions, I guess I didn't focus on the right things and maybe even had too little knowledge compared to the other candidates - as I said they all had a master's degree or higher whereas I don't. Also, before applying I had the impression that they wouldn't even consider you if you didn't have a master's degree (which is common for good jobs in Norway and some other places in Europe), so I am quite satisfied that I made it as far as I did.
I think my chances would have been a lot better if I had gotten the one-to-one interview that we didn't get because they found the re-testing more important, but oh well. Now I know more what to expect next time I apply.
Do they have any specific school preferences? Do they hire from Handelshoyskolen BI?
Any idea who their partner banks are?
UBS....
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