A heads-up! We open for application to our Graduate programme in Markets on Monday 3rd October. Find more information at the bottom of this blog. Now lets' meet Christian and Timothy.
The summer internship at Nordea Markets has been a fun and educational experience. Before joining the internship, I only had theoretical knowledge of the industry, so getting to work in the industry, and see how a markets function work at a big bank like Nordea, has been very interesting and insightful. The time as an intern has passed by unbelievably fast.
All the people in Markets are very welcoming and are always ready to answer questions and help you out. Talking to the different teams within markets has given a better understanding of how a Markets department operates, and what the people in Markets are actually doing on a day-to-day basis.
Additionally, it was great to share the experience with other interns. Even though all of us did not work in the same team, there was a lot of social activities, and it was nice to have someone to share challenges with – let alone have fun with.
If you find the financial industry interesting, I would recommend others to apply for student positions or internships at Nordea, regardless of educational background or previous work experiences. You will get a hands-on experience with Markets, and perhaps also get a better idea of what you want to do after your studies.
During the past two months’ internship, I would say that my two main learnings have been in financial products and Excel. I have spent a lot of time reading about, discussing, and calculating various derivatives in the FX and interest rate areas. Coming from Economics at KU, these are areas that I have not used much time on but they are definitely areas where my background has given me a solid foundation to understand them.
Another area I spent time on is Excel. I think the most interesting task was to improve an Excel-model for Monte Carlo simulations. I would say that I can now solve a large variety of issues in Excel with some logical thinking and a couple of really long formulas, if necessary.
For me, the most interesting part has been to follow the markets full-time. At university, a lot of energy is spent on trying to understand the macroeconomy, but to actually witness, hands-on, the way that changing conditions actually affect markets has been an eye-opener for me. The exciting part about the FX markets is that so many factors can have an influence on currency prices; interest rate decisions, business conditions, commodity prices, you name it. With countless currency crosses, one can study them until the sun dies out – or financial markets become efficient, whichever comes first!
The most enjoyable part has been working with Nordea colleagues. I have been excited to go to the office every day. At the end of the day, I would often be shocked to realize that it was already time to head home.
Furthermore, Nordea has been equally good at introducing me to other areas apart from those in the FX/Derivatives, Sales & Research teams. I have spoken with top-professional, quick-thinking traders, fixed income geeks, and many more, and we even got a guided tour in Asset Management. With all the insight and new learnings, I am now even more unsure than before of what I would like to do post-graduation, as I’ve now learned that there are so many areas within finance that I would love to explore.
A challenge for me was to trust that the work I had done, could provide value for others. Having to present implementable solutions which I had come up with to several people was a bit scary for me. So, it’s been an important learning for me to realize that we all come with different backgrounds, and that my work can create value even though I don’t necessarily find it to be special and flashy.
My internship at Nordea Markets was a great opportunity and I would encourage anyone interested in markets to apply for an internship or one of the many student positions offered from time to time. It doesn’t matter what you study. Apart from the economist and business graduates, I have met physicists, mathematicians and political scientists, and I am sure that there is value waiting to be created if there were more diverse backgrounds.
If you manage to get your foot in the door at Nordea, then be yourself instead of trying too hard to fit in.
2+2=5 when we have different ways of thinking. Also, ask all the stupid questions and explore as many different areas as possible. You might find an interesting career that you didn’t even know existed. Just apply!
If you missed out on the blog by Christian's and Timothy's fellow interns, have a look at "Super valuable learnings, generous people, great friendships - we're staying" by Emma, Andreas and Christoffer, who actually did stay and today work in student positions at Markets.
You can apply for a graduate position at Nordea Markets from Monday 3rd Oct. - 31st Oct. 2022. We'll keep you posted here on Meet our Talents blog, and on our Markets, Large Corporates LinkedIn channel, and you can also check Vacant Positions.
Meanwhile, you can find for more information and inspiration in these blogs featuring some of our graduates - all of which since their time as graduates have stayed on, and advanced their careers at Nordea Markets, as Investment Advisor, Senior Dealer and FX/Derivatives Sales Manager, respectively. Meet Sanna, Matteo and Camilla for insight and tips.
Stocks rock if you ask graduate Sanna - click for tips
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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