A huge congratulations to Nicole Kuek for securing a role with Goldman Sachs. Here she tells us how she found the application process and gives some great tips for future applicants.
Why did you choose this firm and this role?
I decided to apply to Goldman Sachs as they are a renowned, international firm. I also spoke to an employee at a networking event who had attended the GS spring week, then summer internship, then finally landed a grad role. This structured career progression appealed to me.
I chose the role of Technology Spring Intern as it seemed most relevant to my degree and my skills (I study Engineering). When I actually arrived at the firm I felt out of my depth since most of the students did Computer Science, and I had very limited programming skills. I told the Human Capital Management team that I thought Operations was a better fit, and they were very accommodating, putting me in touch with Ops analysts and arranging an exit interview in that division.
What was the toughest part of the application process? And your favourite part?
I initially accidentally applied for the summer internship, which I wasn't eligible for since I wasn't a penultimate year student. (GS later moved my application onto the spring internship process). I thought the maths assessment for that was harder than any other company's, however I'm not sure if the spring internship required this maths test too. I wouldn't say I had a favourite part, but the virtual interview had some unusual questions which made me think, and hopefully gave the company more insight than if they'd asked standard questions.
Were you surprised by anything in the process?
I expected there would be more rounds in the application process. I also expected not to hear back from GS for a while after my virtual interview, but they called me within 2 weeks.
What three top tips would you give your fellow Bright Network members?
- Talk through your thought process in the interview, don't sit in silence while you try to perfect a response in your head
- Do research on the firm and topical news, don't give a generic answer to 'why do you want to work here?'
- If you get the internship and like the firm but not the division, don't be afraid to talk to HCM and learn more about what the best division is for you - if you want to go back the next summer make sure you're doing a job you like
What was the toughest question you faced at interview?
The hardest question was about an ethical decision, as there were many different components to talk about in a short amount of time. Something along the lines of: 'If you discovered another student was cheating in an exam, what would you do?'
