Virtual Summer | How to prepare?
My summer internship (among many others) got moved to virtual. Do you have any piece of advice on how to prepare for it? What to be cautious of during the internship? How to make a good impression and actually help Analysts instead of being a pain in the ass for them?
I am not asking about a dress code or equipment, as those were already covered in other threads.
I'd be thankful for your advice.
A few things I can think of:
Print preview all your work (mostly for CIM and teaser edits), it's common to print all work before you pass along for comments, but I'm assuming you don't have access to a printer like you would in the office. Familiarize yourself many items with past engagements: how CIMs and teasers are written, how the model flows, etc. Try ALL OPTIONS possible if you run into technical/other issues before asking analysts. They're there to help you out but problem solving goes a long way. Save and store questions and ask at appropriate times. Overall, be someone who "gets it" if you know what i mean (not putting off work, asking inquisitive questions when the time is right, being hyper-organized, always going the extra mile)
It will be more difficult to learn, but just be patient. Many people are starting their careers in "these unprecedented times."
NP. Not sure what size of bank you're interning at, but I'm 99% sure they won't let you create any parts of the model. You may be asked to spread financials if you get assigned a new deal, so be able to do index match, and if statements. It'll be a lot of throwing in quarterly/monthly financials into yearly models, so figuring out the fastest way will be helpful.
Also, many prospects think that you'll be in excel the majority. For my SA and I'm sure many others, it was about 80-20 between powerpoint and excel. Be able to learn how to use powerpoint more efficiently. Utilize and customize the quick access toolbar for many shortcuts (align, group, insert box, fill color, order (front to back), borders, etc.) Make sure you always spell check and triple check all work (that is highly important, I usually walk around the house for a few minutes and come back to do one last look through)