The Paris internship was pivotal for Susanna. It sparked her passion for travel and led her to a permanent role rooted in global collaboration.
“I had to complete a placement as part of my Masters in Management degree. I chose Bank of America’s Summer Internship in Paris in 2019 because it seemed like an exciting and progressive company that does interesting work. I also wanted to experience living in a different country to Italy,” she says.
“We started off with a training week in London followed by several rotations in Paris, with training and networking events. People within the bank really took the time to speak to you and I quickly became close with the other interns. I left with an invaluable European experience and friends for life.”
After she graduated, Susanna became a full-time employee in the Paris office. “I didn’t know anything about Global Markets before I started, but I was eager to learn, and Bank of America has so many resources. You don’t need a background in finance to work here, just an open mind and collaborative can-do attitude.”
Within a year, Susanna was a valuable member of both the Italian and French Rates Sales teams. “I had a diverse portfolio of clients and it wasn’t long before I was collaborating with the Greek and Spanish businesses, too.”
“Now I’m confident in dealing with clients, customers, traders and colleagues around the world. That’s the biggest lesson I’ve learnt here; how to manage professional relationships.”
As well as professional learning and development opportunities, we encourage all our colleagues to get involved in clubs and organisations. Susanna plays an important role in the bank’s Women Leadership Committee, which organises regular events for women across the London and Paris offices.
“Our last event was about how we can empower women on the trading floor. We asked members of staff at every level to share their thoughts so we could open the discussion to all. Promoting gender equality is so important, and I’m proud to work somewhere that takes real action.”
Supporting colleagues in everything they do is fundamental to our culture and one of the reasons why Susanna enjoys working here so much. “Your managers trust you and encourage you to pursue your interests both within and outside of work. There’s a lot of internal mobility here, and so you have the chance to spend time in different departments.”
Susanna’s advice for anyone applying? “I’d strongly recommend the internship to anyone. It’s so inclusive, there are people from all over the world here. I knew this role would be a totally new experience for me and that took me out of my comfort zone. But as long as you’re openminded, there’s nothing you can’t learn, no matter how new it all seems at first.”
Ready to shape your world? If like Susanna, you’re excited by the possibilities of a Bank of America internship, discover more and apply today.
