Global Advisory Spring Insight Programme Review

A fantastic opportunity. 4 days long. Primarily consisting of talks from different areas of the business with a focus on the Global Advisory division. There was time for networking and work shadowing. There was a tour of the Rothschild Archive which was very interesting if you like history. There are also a couple of games for team building but also related to some areas of the business. You are also put into teams before the week begins for a week long (you can start before) project on a potential M&A deal. This project is a lot of fun and great experience. You will present this in teams on the final day in front of a panel of senior bankers who will choose a winner. Everyone on the program also has the opportunity to opt-in for a fast track to any division, which guarantees a first round interview for the summer internship starting the following year.

It provided a fantastic insight into the different areas of the business. One day had a deep dive into the Global Advisory division which was the focus of the programme and is the firms largest division. This looked into M&A, Debt Advisory & Restructuring, Arrowpoint Advisory, Global Market Solutions, and Redburn. Another day was more broadly focused on the other divisions such as Five Arrows and Wealth Management. Each talk gave a really in-depth, unique insight into the workings of the divisions and some of the firm specifics.

They run a 3 hour session led by Financial Edge. This introduces some basic theory behind investment banking and introduces some basic technicals too. The pace is relatively fast, and coming from a non-finance background was very engaging. Some who know these concepts already may not find it as engaging but overall a really well put together session.
Through the games and competitions you will develop many of the soft skills required in banking such as teamwork and communication. As well as (especially with the M&A project) developing some relevant experience to the role.
They also run a session on etiquette when it comes to banking and networking. And another session on how to perform well during interviews and assessment centres.

One of the firms main selling points is the culture and it shows. Everybody there, from HR to bankers to the cohort, were all amazing people. Very high calibre, very genuine and welcoming and just nice to be around. The firm puts a lot of emphasis on its ability to form relationships with clients and this is a very important factor when it comes to hiring.
We also had a talk from R&Co4Generations, the firms philanthropic foundation, on how the firm gives back and how to get involved, which was great to see.

The programme was not only a fantastic insight into IB, and especially into Rothschild & Co, but was also a very enjoyable time. To meet a great cohort, and to work with them across the week was a pleasure. The bankers were extremely helpful and easy to talk to. The early careers team were lovely, organised a very good programme and made it run smoothly. Overall, extremely useful and enjoyable. Thank you to those who helped organise it - and to anybody prospective, you should definitely try and get on this programme if you can.

Yes

From a knowledge perspective, know what makes the firm different to it's competitors. You should be able to answer "Why Rothschild?" as naturally as your name.
The other side is personality, their culture is what it is for a reason. You must be personable, have a good attitude, and generally be pleasant to be around.
If you can attend any Rothschild events beforehand (they run a work experience programme for year 13s, a networking event for prospective spring weekers in the winter before, and a couple of insight days throughout the year), this will give you a massive head start when applying.