Nomura ‘First Step’ internship

After a competitive process, 12 GDST students were selected to take part in Nomura’s ‘First Step’ work experience programme during the Easter holidays.

Students had the opportunity to see for themselves what life is like working in an investment bank, and were tested through various activities to see if a career in the sector would suit them.

This included ‘Stock, Pitch, Idol’ where students had one minute to present their ideas in an impactful way, following training on how to structure a pitch effectively; ‘Trading Game’, which recreated the frenetic atmosphere of a trading floor to see how quickly students were able to react to new information; and also training and practical exercises on the recruitment process.

Students commented that the practice interviews were particularly useful – even if they were out of their comfort zone.

On the final day, students were asked to put together a professional group presentation on topics such as how China’s position affects the global economy; how to improve financial stability and the economic effects of the EU vote. GDST students impressed with their willingness to take the lead and also answer questions on the fly, demonstrating the depth of their knowledge.

The programme culminated in a networking event for students with views of the Thames, and parents were invited along to see for themselves what their daughters had experienced.

Amy Johnson from Newcastle High School for Girls commented; “I thoroughly enjoyed my time on the course. It was fun, informative and action-packed. The experience will hugely benefit me in the future and I highly recommend it!”

Olivia Wells, from Norwich High School, added “It was so inspiring to be in such an important bank and to learn so much about the various different sectors from trading to sales, not just through talks, but also through workshops and presentations we did during the three days. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting so many new people, from the other people on the three day programme to the graduates, analysts and directors we were able to socialise with.”

The successful students were:

  • Helen Stephens – Sutton High School
  • Tegan Hull – Portsmouth High School
  • Charlotte Hurst – Northwood College for Girls
  • Eleanor Gauntlett – Portsmouth High School
  • Amy Johnson – Newcastle High School for Girls
  • Amy Swift – Notting Hill & Ealing High School
  • Olivia Wells – Norwich High School for Girls
  • Amelia Zeffert – Sydenham High School
  • Eleanor Fitzroy-Ezzy – Northampton High School
  • Fariha Baba – Croydon High School
  • Anamika Kumar – Howell’s School, Llandaff
  • Tilly Elliott – Portsmouth High School

This event is part of the GDST’s commitment to lifelong learning as part of the CareerStart programme. Events are also organised with organisations as diverse as Rolls-Royce, PwC and the Royal Opera House to give as many students as possible a taste of what their future careers might look like, and what they will need to do to achieve this.

Please get in touch with Karen Kimura if you think your organisation would like to get more involved in this initiative.