We caught up with Rajan, Transportation Department Intern at SMBC, to learn more about his time at the firm.
I chose to do my placement at SMBC Group because…
The company’s reputation as a leader in the industry. With a massive scale of 130 offices and over 85,000 employees worldwide, the company really caught my eye as one that is committed to growth. As well as the opportunity to work with very experienced teams I was very interested in the firm’s well-defined commitment to innovation and long-term sustainable growth.
My job involves…
Working in the credit management group for the transportation department here at SMBC Group. The transportation department is a front office credit/risk department operating globally using SMBC’s wider networks (SMBC Aviation Capital, SMBC Nikko Capital Markets) servicing aviation and maritime customers’ financing needs. My specific role in the credit management group provides corporate analysis as well support risk/compliance occasionally. My key responsibilities include obtaining indicative internal grading, and evaluating creditworthiness of clients, creating an internal weekly report on KPIs of our aviation/maritime clients and checking and analysing repayment/amortisation schedules. I also provide support with the risk and compliance team with deal document tracking.
On a typical day…
I will be communicating with the SMBC Aviation Capital business in Dublin quite a bit regarding financials they need or gradings they need me to run. No day is ever the same and it can be up and down occasionally. Some things that don’t change in my day is doing wider reading about the industry or general finance; I like to stay updated with our market as it always relates to my day-to-day work and aids my general understanding of the industry. In team meetings, I am responsible for making a note of what was discussed and updating other team members. As mentioned previously, one of my key tasks is also creating an internal report on the performance of our aviation/maritime clients; I will do this every Monday and send out the report to all transportation department members globally.
What I enjoy most about my internship…
Is the openness of all team members and colleagues. I quickly found that anyone will make time to answer my questions. This contributes to the working culture where everyone communicates well and is comfortable. I also like the opportunity of working from home and being able to do your job in an environment that is more laid back. Finally, I enjoy the social aspect of the placement. With 32 placement students and the bank being committed to adding more junior talent to SMBC there is positive mood and just a general enjoyable working environment
Top tips for future interns considering a placement at SMBC Group…
Really get to know the company. Whether this is its core values, long-term vision, position in the industry etc. The company has an interesting and exciting history/culture, so it is always good to know about the place you want to be spending a year or possibly longer at.
Ready to take your next step? Click here to head over to SMBC's profile!