Tell us about your placements?

For my year on placement, I did two internships. My first internship was at Dong Zheng Rong Hui Securities Asset Management Co. LTD, an asset management company in China, as a Stock Researcher. This position mainly involved assisting my mentor in writing in-depth research reports on a listed company in China's food and beverage industry. I was also responsible for completing quarterly reports on the listed companies and updating the database for the food and beverage industry weekly. During this internship I recommended two stocks with growth potential to the investment manager. 

For my second internship I worked at RSM China as an Investment Manager Assistant. During this internship, I was responsible for compiling a 30-page research report on the energy storage sector. In addition, I completed one-page research documents on several unlisted companies to assist the investment manager in finding investable targets. I participated in a lot of meetings connecting investment institutions and start-ups. This role also required me to assist in the completion of research for five renewable energy companies and successfully attracted investment institutions in related fields.  

 

Which areas of your placement did you find most rewarding?  

The areas I found most interesting on placement were  the primary market and secondary markets, this is the field I found I am most suited to. I have established a good network of relationships with my colleagues and leaders, which I found very rewarding as this will aid my future development in the financial community. I benefited a lot from the professional experience taught by the Placement Coordinators in the Schools Placement Office (Link to secure a placement) and the superiors in my internship. 

 

Did you encounter any challenges? 

I found it difficult to quickly adapt to the real pace of work in my first internship. At the beginning, I was not proficient in the operation of some financial instruments, such as Wind and Capital IQ, which led to my slow completion of tasks. Fortunately, my mentor was very friendly and offered me a lot of help even though she was very busy. After my mentor's instruction, I spent a lot of time on independent learning. 

In time, my work efficiency improved significantly. I think it's important to be optimistic because you’re new to the field. Furthermore, it’s important to try your best and not compare yourself to current employees as they have a lot more experience in the field than you do.  

 

How has placement helped to shape your future career aspirations? 

Before I started my placement year, all I knew was that I was interested in market research. I didn't know whether I would be suited to a role in primary market research or secondary market research. Therefore, I did two internships. The first internship was as a stock researcher in the secondary market, focusing on the food and beverage industry. The second internship mainly focused on researching unlisted companies in the primary market.  

By comparing the tasks of the two periods of internship, I found that I was more interested in studying companies in the secondary market. After studying many industries, I found that I enjoy working in consumer goods, and want to become an expert in this industry in the future. 

 

What advice would you give to a future student starting their placement? 

Before the placement starts, you can independently research and start learning the skills required for the position you are about to begin. Contact more senior people in industry to ask for guidance or tips. This will help you quickly adapt yourself to the rhythm of the internship and improve your work efficiency.  

I would also recommend that you build relationships with current employees to establish connections which will help you find a career in the future. Finally, it’s also vital that you understand how to balance work and life to ease the pressure you experience when completing internship tasks. 

 

Find out more: 

• Securing a placement   
• Queries about placement   
• Are you a business looking to hire a placement student?  

Jie Jiao

BSc Finance student

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