Finding your feet in finance: Work experience placements with Deutsche Bank

As our Pathways to Banking and Finance applications open, our Head of Donor Relations, Laura Solomons, shares an inside look into the work experience placements our founding corporate partner Deutsche Bank offers to our Pathways students.

“I never knew someone of my background could have a place in Banking” – Pathways to Banking and Finance participant

Sutton Trust students on the Pathways to Banking and Finance programme take part in a range of activities designed to give them an insight into working in the sector. One of the most important of these are work experience placements which enable students to see first-hand what a career in banking and finance is like. Deutsche Bank, our founding corporate partner on the programme, generously hosted students at their offices, giving them an invaluable look at life in a leading financial institution.

Over three packed days, 27 students took part in work experience placements at Deutsche Bank’s London and Birmingham offices. They learned about the range of careers open to them in the sector and shadowed Deutsche Bank employees from a number of divisions. In the words of one of the participants, this gave the students ‘…a real insight into the inner workings of a global firm’.

Students built their employability skills through workshops on CV writing, interviewing and their personal brand. They also had the opportunity to hear from and network with recent graduates who are now working at Deutsche Bank. After an inspiring Q&A session with these graduate employees, one participant fed back that ‘…after listening to the panel I feel more confident to go to university to study a subject that I am most passionate about’.

The wide range of informative, exciting activities and the whole-hearted involvement of so many Deutsche Bank employees meant that students left the placement energised about a career in the sector. As one student remarked when asked to reflect on the placement, ‘I can’t describe it. All I can say is that it was invaluable’.

Students then had the opportunity to build on what they’d learned through their placements. On 15th-17th July students travelled to Warwick University for the annual Pathways to Banking and Finance residential. They engaged with professionals from across the industry, enabling them to draw on the skills and experiences they gained through their work placement.

Students also engaged with Deutsche Bank employees after completing the programme. On 29^th July, Pathways to Banking and Finance alumni joined Deutsche Bank employees for a ‘Keep in Touch’ event at the bank. Alumni were able to pose questions to a panel of graduate employees, which they afterwards described as the session they liked the most. Students were also able to hear about the various paths into careers at Deutsche Bank, and network with employees from across various divisions. This experience put students in a fantastic position to take up opportunities in banking and finance and fulfil their potential.

Sir Peter Lampl, founder of the Sutton Trust said: “We are delighted that our students are able to gain such valuable work experience at Deutsche Bank. This opportunity allows them to gain an important insight into working in banking and finance and take their first steps into the industry.”

Rachael Blanchard, Head of Human Resources at Deutsche Bank, UK and EMEA, said: “Each year we are delighted to welcome young students on the Pathways to Banking and Finance programme into our offices for their placements. I hope the experience of the latest group helped build their understanding of life at Deutsche Bank and they enjoyed learning from our employees. I very much look forward to meeting them again soon and hearing about their next steps.”

We would like to thank Deutsche Bank for hosting these transformative placements, and our university partners at Warwick and LSE for their continued support.