Tell us a little bit about yourself and your background?
Hi, I’m Ewan, a second year Analyst on the SG MARK Graduate Programme. I studied Economics & Management at Oxford University and after coming across a Linkedin post advertising the summer internship scheme offered, I successfully applied – hence starting my SG journey. I interned on the Prime Services Clearing desk over the course of eight weeks that summer, spending time working for the team alongside participating in networking events, core learning sessions, and a group project.
Having successfully received a return offer for the Graduate Programme and having passed the regulatory exams, I started back in September on the G10 Rates Sales desk, where I’m still working to this day after mutually agreeing not to rotate to a different desk.
What would a ‘normal’ day look like for someone in your role?
As cliché as it sounds no two days are alike, but the one certainty is that every day starts with coffee… I’ve never been a morning person. The desk usually arrives in and around 7am in advance of our FICC morning call at 7:10 where our research analysts give us their overviews of the day ahead and key events and themes to watch out for. This is where the similarities in the schedules end – the rest of our days will comprise pricing and trading client requests, sharing colour and views from trading and research, formulating trade ideas, running client calls and meetings, going out to meet clients (just as sales or alongside our colleagues in trading and research), liaising with our risk teams to ensure we always trade and operate within appropriate limits, and so much more – sales roles are very varied and cover a wide scope, which is part of what I like the most about the role.
Finally, any tips for anyone who’d like to apply for a similar role?
Starting early is always a good idea – thinking about what parts of the industry might suit your interests and skills will help you narrow down what opportunities might make the most sense for you. I would also recommend attending careers fairs and other outreach sessions that are put on - these help you ask any specific questions you might have alongside getting first-hand testimonials from people across the bank – you might well find roles that interest you that you never knew about before.