Huge congratulations to Georgiana on securing an internship with Silicon Valley Bank. We caught up with her when she came to visit Bright Network HQ. During our chat she told us why she applied to Silicon Valley Bank, how she found the application process and what tips she would offer to future applicants.
Why did you choose Silicon Valley Bank and this role in particular?
I chose Silicon Valley Bank as I want to work in finance but not in the classic sense. SVB is different to other banks mainly due to three things: its focus, its clients and its environment. SVB has a strong focus on its clients, which is not common in the industry. SVB focusses on the tech sector (most banks do not focus on a specific sector), I find the tech sector very exciting due to its forever changing nature and constantly new ideas. The bank has a dedicated Life Sciences team which I particularly like. SVB has a very friendly and supportive environment, this was one of the key reasons I applied.
What was the hardest part of the application process? And your favourite part?
I did not find that there was a particularly hard part of the application process, I felt supported at all stages. My favourite part of the application process was the half-day of interviews. I was interviewed by four people over 3 hours and genuinely had a great time. All the interviewers were really friendly and I felt like they actually had an interest in me. I also really liked that I was kept in the loop throughout the application process via phone calls and emails.
Were you surprised by anything in the process?
I was surprised by the amount of communication from SVB during the application process as I was updated regularly which is not common with applications. I was also surprised by the speed at which the different application stages occurred. I applied in November and got an offer in February. This is so fast for internship applications!
Do you have three top tips for BN members looking to follow in your footsteps?
My three top tips for people looking to follow in my footsteps would be:
- Apply for something that you actually find interesting. It is so easy to just apply for jobs because they are a good opportunity but finding something you actually enjoy is extremely worthwhile.
- Speak to people and learn about their experiences. What you think a job will be like and the reality can be very different. Take time to try to find a contact in the company you are applying to and find out from them what the company is actually like to work for. Carry this on into the job and speak to co-workers wherever possible to learn about their experiences.
- Learn as much as you can. Employees will most likely teach you technical details but spending time looking into different sectors and reading up on company and worldwide news around your area of business will help you greatly.
What was the toughest question you faced at interview?
The toughest question I faced at the interviews was to tell them of a weakness I have. I think this is genuinely a tough question as one wants to come off well when answering which cannot always be an easy thing. I focussed on a weakness which I had been working to improve as it showed that I knew and was developing myself.
