AI, algorithms and after-work adventures – Markets interns on learning, evolving and belonging
They come with different backgrounds, talents and aspirations. But our three interns at the trading floor in Copenhagen all agree they've come to the right place to grow, network and have a great summer. With front row seats to the financial markets and supportive professionals by their side, they’re busy e.g. building an AI knowledge agent, developing a Python dashboard for trading, and diving deep into programming — all while making friends and memories along the way.
Our five summer interns, Layla, Sofie, Elena, Matyáš and Tobias, attending a presentation by Annalena Heck, Associate Director in Markets Business Technology, explaining the Trade Lifecycle.
Meet Layla, Tobias and Elena who are among the five talented Markets interns that have joined us at the trading floor in Copenhagen this summer.
Layla is intern in Market Risk Access Channel team within Quant & Analytics.
Layla Gaziyeva
I'm currently pursuing a Master's degree in Finance and Strategic Management at Copenhagen Business School (CBS). I completed my Bachelor's degree in International Business Economics in Budapest. I've also lived in the U.S., and I'm originally from Azerbaijan.
I applied for the summer internship at Nordea Markets to challenge myself in a fast-paced environment, and develop a deeper understanding of the financial markets. I had also heard very positive things about Nordea from my classmates at CBS, highlighting a collaborative culture and strong focus on learning and development. Almost one month into my internship, I can say that what I was told is true – and this internship is exactly what I was looking for.
Developing AI knowledge agent for risk controllers and traders
Working in the Market Risk team has allowed me to connect the theory from my finance courses with real-world applications, particularly in areas like risk management and trading. The main project I'm working on is developing an internal AI knowledge agent for a risk management platform used by risk controllers and traders. The goal is to make it easier for users to navigate the platform, understand its functionality, and quickly find information related to areas such as Value at Risk (VaR), risk corrections, and validation processes.
I find this project particularly exciting because it combines finance, risk management, and AI. It's also been a great opportunity to apply concepts I've learned during my Master's in a practical setting while gaining experience with technologies that are shaping the future of finance.
Social activities pave the way for friendships and insights
The internship has also been full of social activities, which has made it easy to get to know both the other interns and colleagues across the bank. We’ve had many social events organised for us almost every week.
Layla together with the fellow interns, Sofie, Matyáš and Tobias, enjoying sushi in the evening sun in Kongens Have, Copenhagen.
Just last week, we visited Tivoli, where we played games, went on rides, and had dinner together. In previous weeks we've gone out for pizza, played Mölkky (a Finnish outdoor game) and had sushi in Kongens Have, and next week we're planning to do an Escape Room. These activities have been a great way to build friendships and learn from interns and colleagues working in completely different parts of Markets and Nordea.
A culture that encourages curiosity
Another thing that really stands out is the culture. The onboarding process was well organised, and from the very beginning everyone has been very welcoming and glad to help. There's a lot to learn but you never feel like you're on your own. Everyone is approachable, supportive, and genuinely willing to share their knowledge. With so many systems, tools, and concepts to get familiar with, having that kind of accommodating environment makes a huge difference. I feel encouraged to be curious, ask questions, and continue developing every day.
Tobias works as intern in Trading Capital.
Tobias Petersen
I’m from Aarhus, now living in Copenhagen and pursuing a MSc in Economics at the University of Copenhagen.
Moving closer to graduation, I applied for this Markets internship as I considered it to be a great opportunity to learn more about the financial markets and gain insight into what day-to-day life is like on a trading floor. I was also eager to see how the theories and concepts from university textbooks translate into real-life practice with opportunities to gain hands-on experience – and I am certainly getting that here.
I’ve worked at Nordea previously as a student in a Risk Management function, so I already knew that I’d really like and appreciate the culture at Nordea. So, when I saw this opportunity to spend the summer on the trading floor, I didn’t hesitate to apply.
Interesting collaboration with traders
During my internship, I am part of Trading Capital within Markets Trading. Though, during the first few weeks, I have been working with the Delta One trading team to help build a Python dashboard for monitoring the different trading algorithms used at Nordea. It has been very interesting to work closely with traders and other stakeholders to understand what they want to track and how the dashboard can best support their needs.
I have also learned a lot about how the Trading Capital desk works and its role within Markets. Furthermore, I’ve worked on adding features to and optimizing an internal tool that the Trading Capital team uses to calculate the impact of different trades and positions on various risk measures.
Tobias at his desk on the trading floor flanked by Sofie and Elena.
On the social side, it has been great to spend time with the other interns and colleagues, enjoying the good weather and taking part in various outdoor activities and games.
What has surprised me about this internship in Markets is how willing people here are to share and explain what they are doing and why. Also, people here are extremely knowledgeable in their respective fields, so it is a great opportunity to learn from the best.
Elena works as intern in Rates & Business Technology.
Elena Mitran
I recently graduated with an MSc in Software Engineering from University of Southern Denmark.
I applied for this Markets internship as I believe it’s a great opportunity to achieve work experience and deepen my programming knowledge. I applied with Nordea specifically as I was impressed by the fact that it’s the leading financial services group in the Nordics, and because the internship description seemed to be a perfect match to what I was aiming at doing during the summer. I actually don’t have any background in finance, but I’m eager to learn more and see how I can apply my knowledge here.
Building a new trading-related component
As intern in Rates & Business Technology, I’m working on building a new component that listens to trading events, using mostly Java programming language. Besides this main project, I’ve also taken part in team meetings and e-learnings, and I’ve overall familiarised myself with finance concepts and the platform and tools my teammates are using.
Reflecting on my first month here, one thing that has surprised me is how welcoming everyone here at Nordea is. They are all eager to help and answer your questions. I was also surprised by the many social activities organised specifically for us interns, which are really nice and a great way to get to know the other interns better, and make this experience even more enjoyable.
The interns taking a break with a game of table football in the social area at the trading floor.
Stay tuned for the next blog in our series featuring our summer interns in Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland.
Meanwhile, check out the previous blogs by our interns on our Career blog.
Interested in a career at Nordea Markets LC&I?
Nordea Markets LC&I (Large Corporates & Institutions) is the leading international capital operator and investment banking partner in the Nordic region. Let some of our student interns, graduates as well as experienced professionals explain it to you; how it works, what we do, and about the many career opportunities we can offer you.
Three weeks, five desks, countless lessons learned – Markets interns on their summer journey
(#2 SE) Time flies when you’re busy having fun, learning and networking - which is the case for the three summer interns at our trading floor in Stockholm. The past three weeks, they’ve been quite busy investigating interest rate risks, digging into portfolio theory, hybrids bonds and autocallables, while cracking cases, and getting a taste of what it’s like to work in Equity Sales. All topped with nice lunches, fun after-work drinks and dinners with various team.
“My most rewarding, interesting and challenging internship” – Meet Axel and learn why
(#3 FFP) Halfway through his internship in our Future Finance Professional (FFP) programme, Axel reflects on his FFP journey and his work as assistant analyst in Group Finance, which involves hands-on experiences with market risk, data analytics and software development. In his blog, Axel sheds light on why this is “the most rewarding, interesting and challenging internship”– spotlighting a motivating international learning environment with “amazing colleagues”.
A welcoming culture where you can take real ownership – Hear it from our Markets interns
(#1 DK) Matyáš and Sofie are two of the five talented summer interns who have joined us at Nordea’s trading floor in Copenhagen – in Market Risk Access Channels and FX Business Technology, respectively. They’re here to gain hands-on experience and challenge themselves - and have come to the right place. Two weeks in, they’ve got their hands full with building an internal market risk analysis platform and diving into hedging and optimisation of processes and much more.
