“Super exciting weeks” rotating desks at the trading floor in Oslo – Meet the summer interns

Hennie is off to a great start in Markets Fixed Income Sales, while Eirik has been working in the Corporate Finance team, and Jørgen is in Debt Capital Markets both within the Investment Banking division. They agree the first weeks of their internship at the trading floor in Oslo has been super exciting, challenging with a steep learning curve, as well as eye-opening and fun. 

Read all about it in this blog and get insight into the various job functions, products and services – and learn what makes the internship a great experience.  

Hennie Schie Krogstad 

I am studying a master in Finance and Strategic Management at Copenhagen Business School. 

My interest in Nordea Markets summer internship started before the application process. I participated in Nordea’s Women’s Finance Insight Programme, which gave me good insight into the culture, the people, and the types of work. That experience genuinely sparked my interest, and it felt like a natural next step to apply for this internship and get a clearer sense of which area of banking I want to pursue. One of the things I’m most excited about is that the internship involves rotating between units across LC&I, so I’ll get to experience different desks and functions throughout the summer.

What’s the first weeks been like? 

I’m currently with Fixed Income Sales, which has been a fantastic starting point. My first assignment has been deep diving into a specific credit, analysing the company from multiple angles, financials, market positioning, capital structure, and building a pitch for the sales team. It’s been a great introduction to how Fixed Income Sales presents an investment case to clients.

We also have the weekly Thursday Summer Academy session for us interns, and the first session was on Debt Capital Markets (DCM) and Fixed Income. Given I’m with the Fixed Income Sales desk, it was a great way to connect to what I’d already been working on, providing a broader picture of how the business is structured. After the session, we went out for dinner together with some of the employees. It was a really nice way to get to know colleagues, and hear about their experiences in a more informal setting outside of the office. 

Learnings and surprises

The gap between academic finance and real markets is larger than I expected in terms of pace, precision, and how decisions actually are made. Also asking questions, is something that people here appreciate that you do, and everybody at Nordea Markets love talking about what their work. 

I was surprised by how open and approachable everyone here is. People come over to introduce themselves, take time to answer questions, and are genuinely passionate about what they work on. It’s also been fascinating to hear about everyone’s different backgrounds and career paths. We’re given a lot of autonomy as interns from day one, which feels like a real vote of confidence.

Eirik Fjærtoft-Andersen

I am a master’s student at Norwegian School of Economics (NHH) in Bergen, with a major in financial economics. I will be writing my master’s thesis this fall, before I finish my degree with an exchange semester in Lisbon. 

What’s the first week been like? 

I’ve been working in the Corporate Finance team in the investment banking division where I’ll be for the first four weeks of the internship, before rotating to the FX trading desk and equity research. Week one has been both challenging and rewarding. I have been working on a working analysis and materials for a sell-side live deal, which is a steep but motivating introduction. 

Surprises and eye-openers

What has surprised me the most was how fast you get real responsibility, and how the work you provide is included in the actual materials used in the transaction process. I expected the first week to be more onboarding and shadowing, but I’ve already been given trust and guidance on how to work in investment banking.

Jørgen Ellekjær 

I’m a 4th year M.Sc. student at Norge's Handelshøyskole.

The rotation program here was the biggest selling point for me. Getting to experience different departments, and learn what Nordea Markets and Investment Banking is all about firsthand, is a huge advantage when you're trying to find your career path. Plus, Nordea is a major player in the Nordics, making it the perfect place to learn from the best.

What’s the first weeks been like?

I’ve started my first rotation with the Debt Capital Markets (DCM) team within Investment Banking. I’ve been shadowing the team, and helped out where I can with e.g. pitches and bond information. The first weeks have been super exciting, but also a complete whirlwind! There is definitely a steep learning curve and a ton of new info to process, but everyone has been so welcoming that the initial nerves disappeared almost immediately. 

Stay tuned for the upcoming blog from the five summer interns in Markets Norway. In case you missed the first blog with Hennie, Jørgen and Eirik's fellow interns, Emma and Anthon, you can read it here: ”Very exciting and fast-paced first weeks” – Hear all about it from our interns in Oslo | Nordea.