“Our brains have gotten a prober workout” – Meet Markets interns, Nora, Carl and Erik
Warm and welcoming, and fast paced with a lot of new information and learnings making your head spin – as our three summer interns in Markets put it, two weeks into their internship at our trading floor in Stockholm. It’s been full speed ahead, exploring macro research, derivatives, case works and the wonders of Bloomberg – and they’re enjoying every bit of it.
Let's meet Nora, Carl and Erik sharing their impressions, learnings and surprises – and looking forward to new challenges at the trading floor during summer.
Carl Hörfelt
I grew up in Gothenburg and am pursuing a MSc in Mechanical Engineering at Chalmers and a BSc at the Stockholm School of Economics.
Why I applied
Last year, I got my first real exposure to fixed income at Brummer & Partners. That experience lit a fire for rates that I have not been able to put out – and unfortunately for my friends, I have talked about central bank meetings ever since :). On a more serious note, getting hands-on experience on how fixed income products get built and traded on a trading floor made me interested in this opportunity.
Nora Engvall
I grew up in Skåne and hold a BSc in Economics from Lund. I am now halfway through my MSc in Economics at the Stockholm School of Economics.
Why I applied
I applied because I wanted to learn as much as possible in a short window, and this internship is built for exactly that. I was curious what daily life on a trading floor actually looks like, beyond what you see in the movies and read in textbooks. Nordea also left a strong impression on me from earlier encounters, so it felt like the right fit from the start.
Erik Langwagen
I grew up in Uppsala and am pursuing a double degree in finance at the Norwegian School of Economics (NHH) and Nova SBE. I just finished my first master's in Norway and start the second one in Portugal this fall. Before that, I did my bachelor's in the U.S., where I also played football.
Why I applied
I have always had an interest in the financial markets, and after speaking with a few people at Nordea who recommended the internship, I was encouraged to apply. The rotational component was also key. Getting broad exposure to all types of products on the trading floor was really appealing to me.
Two weeks in: first impressions
The trading floor at the Nordea headquarters in Stockholm has been warm and welcoming from day one. There is no such thing as a stupid question here, and people take the time to explain things properly instead of rushing past them. What stood out the most is how skilled everyone is at their job, and how well they explain it. People are pedagogical, patient and friendly, and that combination was a genuine surprise.
The fast pace here has kept us on our toes. New material, new people and new questions land every day, and our brains have gotten a proper workout. Somewhere between Bloomberg shortcuts and swap pricing, our heads started spinning a little, in a good way.
Carl, Nora and Erik cracking a business case while finding their way around Bloomberg.
We started on the Macro Research desk before rotating to Derivatives. Macro gave us a close look at how the team builds its research, including how they use AI to speed up parts of the process. Derivatives put us straight into pricing, interest rate swaps and trading mechanics, with the team walking us through real sit downs on how deals get priced and structured.
Alongside the desk rotations, we followed a schedule of meetings with people from across the bank, each one adding a different piece to the picture. Among others, we met the head of International Institutions and swapped views on markets from a global perspective. We also sat down with the head of Markets and the FIG (Financial Institutions Group) team, each giving us a different angle on how the floor operates.
Case work has already started. Our first case had us helping the Macro team explore how AI can support their research. Our second case ran in two parts: building standardized client material for the Derivatives coverage team, and a real case client presentation. Both meant hours of workshop style discussion on interest rate risk, swap pricing and macro views – nicely mixed in with after work drinks, an office tour, lunch on the terrace, and time getting lost in Bloomberg's endless menus.
Erik and Nora having lunch on the terrace with Lena Christoffersson, Head of Markets Office and responsible for Markets interns in Sweden.
What has surprised us the most is how much freedom we get with the case works. Nobody hands you a template and tells you to fill it out. You get room to brainstorm and build your own approach as you go, and that makes the work feel like ours rather than an exercise. The office premises deserves a mention too: it is huge, and one of the nicer workspaces we have seen.
Two weeks down, six to go. Stay tuned for the next post, where we dig into new learnings and challenges.
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.
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