Hear from our recent interns, apprentices and co-ops across EMEA early career talent

“Step up, have confidence and embrace the richness of experiences you can have.” Mike O’Grady, Northern Trust Global Chairman and CEO.

 

Our Early Career Programs in EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa): Internships, Co-Ops and Apprenticeships

Our internships and co-op programs are a short to medium term work experience usually for current students, that provides entry-level exposure within the financial services and funds world. Typically available in North America, UK, Ireland, and India. Students apply during the school year for a summer start date. Our interns and co-ops complete the same type of work as those in an entry level role after graduation, providing real world experience. They gain tangible skills to take forward in their careers and with a clearer future focus as they enter the full-time workforce after graduation.

Looking to build skills in a hands-on program? Our Apprenticeship programs are a successful system that combines on-the-job training with us and often some accompanying classroom study. We typically have a small apprenticeship program (technology focused) in North America, EMEA and India.

We recently asked some of our current and past interns, co-ops and apprentices to share their perspectives on our program and  their experiences.

Here’s what they told us……

 

Why did you choose to work for Northern Trust after university?

I chose Northern Trust because a previous intern shared with me how much she enjoyed working for the firm and for her boss who was hiring me. She shared how Northern Trust offered an inclusive work culture as well as an opportunity to get great exposure with those more senior and to other areas of the bank.

As someone who was intrigued by banking with a strong interest in economics, I felt as though the flexibility that the internship position could give me (not only working in internal audit but also having the opportunity to get involved in for example capital markets) would help me to discover which career path I wanted to go down.

Laetitia Jenkins | Audit | London

Why did you choose Northern Trust for your internship experience?

When reading placement reports provided by my university regarding student internship experiences, Northern Trust caught my attention as being overwhelmingly positive.

I reached out to past interns and asked them about their time here. It was only after the second conversation that my questions changed from their experience, towards application advice. I wanted to break into financial services and after researching my options, Northern Trust was the perfect fit.

How did Northern Trust keep you engaged during your internship?

In my initial weeks I set several long-term goals with my manager to have completed by the end of the internship. To achieve these, I created a document whereby each week I would make note of what tasks I had completed and how they contributed to achieving these goals. Though this was an initiative I took upon myself, it was supported by fortnightly progress meetings with my manager. This ensured my engagement while enacting a motivator to pursue goal-driven tasks.

Why did you choose to work for Northern Trust after university?

Having immediately felt welcomed into the company and culture, I soon treated my internship as a 7-8 month interview rather than just an opportunity to gain more valuable experience.

The team always provided opportunities for my growth and development beyond BAU and my comfort zone to be able to demonstrate my skills while expanding my knowledge and network to other areas across the business.

After completing the internship late-2023, I entered my final university year with the ultimate goal of returning to the organization. Having recently graduated and completed my first week back at Northern Trust, I couldn’t have made a better decision.

What was the best part of your internship?

Being part of one big team, which felt small. I built up close relationships within a global team whereby everyone was willing to provide me with help as an intern if/when required and I never felt too distanced to ask for it. This was with great thanks to my manager, James, who always looked out for us while encouraging me to network across the bank – making new connections and opening opportunities which massively contributed to my development.

Calum Dobbyne | Audit | London

Why Northern Trust?

Northern Trust has a strong relationship with University of Greenwich, its presence on the campus unit, alumni’s feedback and the head office location in Canary Wharf it was a ‘Ding Dong – Let’s Apply’ decision for me. Now, I am detail-oriented and passionate about the multiple innovative Investment Banking solutions maximising the clients’ revenue stream.

APRC Case Challenge

Participating on the APRC Case Challenge, a consulting project to find solutions to six different problems has been a particular highlight for me. Each challenge had 8 partners and I was allocated to a topic that I desired, for my passion of developing my leadership, strategy skills, and optimising B2B operations.

It was an intense three months of quantitative and qualitative research to create multiple solutions, and as a final result my team finished second. We were told the quality of the solutions made the judges sweat to find a winner!

Catia Loureiro | Asset Servicing – Banking and Markets | London

How is the Northern Trust internship /co-op preparing you for the world of work after graduation?

Working within Northern Trust has allowed me to understand what it is like to work in a professional environment. I now know what's expected of me within a professional setting and has taught me transferable skills that I can use after graduation all because of the hands on learning approach here.

What is the best part (so far) of your Northern Trust internship / co-op?

Working with such a friendly team, and being able to feel like I am contributing to the company when completing work I'm solely responsible for. It is so valuable for a current university student to apply what I have studied into practice, and knowing that I'm learning transferrable and lifelong skills that I haven't learnt yet from studying.

What do you feel differentiates Northern Trust’s intern / co-op program from other programs?

The company's culture is that employees are truly valued and given the opportunity to learn. As a student who has to return to university I felt that Northern really understood how important my studies are and always encouraged me to learn as much as I can. Northern has made me feel valued and have actively cared about my progression, to me this has set them above other companies. 

Why did you choose Northern Trust for your internship / co-op experience?

The reason I chose Northern Trust is because I have always wanted to work within the financial industry, and Northern was the perfect place for me to gain work experience. As a second year university student I wanted to complete a placement within a company that would allow to gain an understand of how their company and industry operates, Northern has provided me with this opportunity. I also wanted to choose a company that understood that I was a student who was still learning and could help me grow.

Isabel Hopson | Analyst - EMEA CAO Office | London

I completed my co-op from January 5^th, 2023 - August 25^th, 2023. I was in my third year of my business degree and wasn’t certain what area I wanted to follow. That changed when Dubheasa Forde hosted a presentation in my college and introduced me to the idea of Northern Trust. I was drawn to the Transfer Agency department in Limerick, Ireland.

After a helpful and informative interview process, I was lucky enough to be offered a role in Registration. When starting I was quite nervous but the team that took me on were amazing. They made me feel welcome and were open to any of my questions for the whole 8 months!

I was kept engaged throughout the programme with daily work and I was given my own responsibilities that kept me going each day. I worked on special projects, for example client onboarding projects. My manager constantly checked in with me to make sure I was doing okay and comfortable with my work.

Not just daily tasks but there was a Co-op project that was extremely fun. I got to pick a topic with my group, we picked mental health in the workplace and how it relates to productivity. We organised a speaker to present on the topic and we finally created a presentation in which we got to present to senior members of the Ireland team.

Overall, I am very happy I chose Northern Trust. The work was rewarding but for me the most important thing is the people, and Northern is full of amazing people. I enjoyed my co-op so much it swayed me to applying for the Rotational Development Program which I also have been very lucky to secure.

Eoin Geary | Transfer Agency | Ireland

How did Northern Trust keep you engaged during your internship / co-op?

Throughout the year, there were numerous events such as employee led Business Resource Council (BRC) events, volunteering, case challenges, and networking opportunities. As a committee member of the Asian Leadership Business Resource Council, I assisted in organizing events like the joint Eid al-Fitr and Vaisakhi celebration happened in April and a live musical event showcasing India's diverse genres happening this month. These activities broadened my network and enhanced my leadership and communication skills.

I also participated in the Advancing Professionals Resource Council (APRC) EMEA case challenge, where our team explored how AI can empower the workforce in an automated environment. This was a valuable learning experience, with potential for our solution to be implemented.

What was the best part of your Northern Trust internship / co-op?

The thing I really liked about the internship is that alongside my BAU work I got the possibility to upskill by studying for a technical certification. I recently passed a Microsoft exam to become a certified Power Bi Data Analyst Associate.

None of this would have been possible without the support and guidance of my manager, Heima Iyer. I am immensely thankful to her and to everyone who contributed to my career development over the past year, from the time I first joined as an intern to being promoted to an associate.

Navreet Kaur | Audit | London

How is the Northern Trust apprenticeship program preparing you for the world of work after graduation?

As part of the International Financial Services (IFS) apprenticeship, we work four days a week and attend college one day a week.

During that time, apprentices get to learn on the job skills along while studying for a level 6 qualification in International Financial Services.

I previously had a career in a different discipline and had wanted to change my career direction for a very long time and the IFS apprenticeship was a great way for me to do so because I studied for a qualification in finance along with gaining valuable experience in Financial Services and I will now be transitioning to a permanent contract from the start of September (24).

What is the best part (so far) of your Northern Trust experience?

I really enjoy my day-to-day role in Northern Trust in Depositary Operations. Along with this, I found that studying finance and business-related modules in college along with working in my role the rest of the week gave me a great foundation on which to build my new career on.

I have been involved in various events and initiatives since joining Northern Trust such as being on the winning team for the EMEA APRC case challenge this year, participating in various mentoring circles and joining the Women in Leadership Ireland BRC.

How is Northern Trust keeping you engaged during your time with us?

Personally, I feel there are many ways for employees to stay engaged with Northern Trust such as mentoring circles, coffee and chats sessions and Business Resource Council participation to name but a few and I have been involved in many of these areas since joining Northern Trust two years ago.

Why did you choose Northern Trust?

I’m based in the Limerick office in Ireland and so like many people I was always very aware of Northern Trust’s reputation in the area and this played a large role in why I wanted to work here. It is a large employer in the Limerick area and it is a very well-known company. It is the only company in the area that sponsors the IFS apprenticeship and I felt that this would be a suitable way of making the career changes I wanted to make.

Noranne McDermott | Depositary Operations | Limerick

 

Learn more about our global early career opportunities by visiting the Students & Grads section of our Careers site.