Ellen has done fantastically to land herself an internship at the global asset management firm T. Rowe Price. She is set to graduate from the LSE this summer and was kind enough to speak to Bright Network about her experience of applying to her role within the Corporate Credit team.
Why did you choose T. Rowe Price and the role in particular?
I chose T. Rowe Price because their global reach and collaborative culture is something that I would look for in my future career. I have decided that asset management is the right path for me because it is a career that is at the centre of global events; whatever affects the markets and their behaviour is relevant. This means no two days are the same because there is always something happening which influences the way in which people invest their assets.
What was the hardest part of the application process? And your favourite part?
The assessment centre was definitely the hardest part. It consisted of several interviews, a group exercise and a presentation in front of all the candidates and interviewers. I found the presentation the hardest part of this day since I wasn’t used to giving presentations relating so specifically to asset management.
On the flip side, I found this day to be my favourite part as T. Rowe Price really made an effort to make sure all candidates felt relaxed, and since it was a full day I really got a sense for what the T. Rowe Price culture is.
Were you surprised by anything in the application process?
I was surprised how willing the employees from T Rowe Price were to answer any questions I had no matter how silly they sounded. Many employees had been there for a long time which was admirable, and they seemed to really care about the internship scheme. This definitely helped me confirm that I wanted to work at T Rowe Price.
What three top tips would you give to BN members looking to follow in your footsteps?
1. The most important is to be confident in yourself. I have definitely grown in confidence the more interviews I have done, so I would recommend going for a practice interview at your university careers centre before you go for the real thing!
2. This is an obvious one but make sure you do your research on the role you have applied to. This should be on the firm, the role, and anything relating to the industry. For example, what key strengths the firm has over its competitors in the industry. The more you understand the role the easier it will be to talk about in an interview.
3. Try to relax when in an interview and be yourself. You want to see if the firm is right for you as well as them seeing if you are right for them.
What was the toughest question you faced at interview?
“Imagine you got this internship and it was two days before it started. What would you be anxious about?”
