“You don’t just learn about banking—you learn a lot about yourself. You might not realize it until the end of your internship, but you truly grow as a person. You’re constantly encouraged and challenged to go outside your comfort zone.” – Monica Bhakri, 2016 and 2017 Deutsche Bank intern.
Monica just wrapped up her second summer internship at Deutsche Bank as a Global Transaction Banking Summer Analyst. Her fellow intern, Dustin Hwang, also just finished his internship as a Structured Credit Analyst. We talked to both of them about their internship experiences and what you need to know if you want to work at Deutsche Bank.
Why did you choose Deutsche Bank for your internship?
Monica Bhakhri: As a sophomore, there are a select number of internship programs available in the banking industry, and Deutsche Bank’s dbAchieve program is considered one of the best. The program is targeted to rising juniors with a diverse background to expose them to the industry at a young age in hopes of hiring them in the future.
DB is also consistently an industry leader in diversity initiatives (like their Women on Wall Street employee group). As a minority woman, it was very important to me to pick a firm that realizes the importance of diversity in the workplace and empowers employees of all backgrounds.
Dustin Hwang: I interviewed at many different firms when I was looking for an internship, but nothing stood out to me like my interview at DB. Many of the people I interviewed with had been at the firm for their entire careers, which said a lot. I realized that by joining the intern class at DB, I was entering the first phase of being a full time analyst and learning what is important to me in a job.
What was the most exciting project you worked on?
MB: Creating an Excel dashboard for our current portfolio and using it to forecast revenue. It really allowed me to develop something from scratch that I was proud of.
DH: [I worked on] a transaction to finance a solar panel grid. It was amazing to see that the work I was doing had a real economic impact on the development of this grid as well as an environmental impact on the world. The deal ended up closing and a solar farm in Arizona now exists because of our hard work!
What advice do you have for future DB interns?
MB: Set your own standards for what you want to get out of the experience and the impression you want to leave. If others aren’t asking questions, not willing to stay late, or not asking for more exposure, you don’t need to follow their lead. You know what you are capable of, so make sure to bring your full self to work every day.
DH: Work hard but also work smart. Ask why you are doing certain tasks so you can understand what your work is being used for. The more you understand, the more value you can add.
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