BNP Paribas

Based in	Amsterdam
Job title and business area	Investment Banking Analyst
Year joined BNP Paribas	2024
Year attended the International Banking Cycle	2022

 

Are you curious to experience what Investment Banking (IB) is about? The International Banking Cycle (IBC) is a
great opportunity to learn about IB and meet the leading Investment Banks in the Netherlands. First and
foremost, you gain content knowledge by experiencing first-hand the various steps in an M&A process.
Furthermore, through network opportunities with the banks, you learn about the different corporate cultures
and what bankers do day-to-day on the job. Attending the IBC helped me to make an informed decision as to
why I wanted to pursue an internship and at what banks I would be looking to have interviews with.

At the IBC one of the workshops I attended was with BNPP. During the day we worked through an entire M&A
process, including negotiations with debt providers to secure financing and interviews with the target
company’s management. At the end the BNPP team presented the rationale behind their approach on the
transaction, which was particularly interesting as this was one of their recent transactions. This day proved to
be a great learning experience as I obtained a holistic view on every aspect of an M&A process.

Although the case was challenging due to time pressure, I felt the BNPP team was open to converse with us.
We had ample opportunity to ask questions during the case and connect at lunch, coffee breaks and the
reception afterwards, where bankers from all IB departments joined. All in all, my interactions during the day
provided me with good insight regarding the corporate culture at BNPP.

The IBC led me to land an internship at BNPP. During my internship I worked on a wide range of topics, across
many industries, and met people from the Amsterdam office and abroad. Within one week, I could be
preparing information memoranda, analyse public-to-private potential and do valuation work for pitches (LBO,
Comps, etc.). The nature of this type of work meant that every day was different and I never knew what the
day would bring, which is an aspect of the job that I enjoy. At the start of my internship I mostly worked with
Analysts and Associates but, as I progressed, I also had the opportunity to work with VPs and MDs directly – at
BNPP you may be entrusted with a lot of responsibility quickly. Overall, I look back on an exciting and
rewarding internship. I signed my return offer because to me BNPP’s corporate culture creates an environment
that offers a steep learning curve and has me look forward to being in the office.

Following my internship, I started as Analyst in July 2024. Your onboarding at BNPP starts with two weeks of
training in Paris at the BNPP campus with all the other new hires in Europe, a truly unique experience. With
your cohort you have trainings throughout the day and networking events, such as dinners and parties, in the
evening. Before dinner you get to bond with your colleagues as the campus offers many activities, like tennis
and football. After these two weeks you know your peers from Portugal to Sweden and you are fully prepared
to be off to a great start at the bank.

Overall, the IBC is great if you have a keen interest in finance and are eager to learn more about banking. My
recommendation is to visit as many banks as possible, and interact with bankers to find out where your
interests lie and what bank you feel connected with. I wish you good luck with your applications and I hope to
see you at BNP Paribas’ workshop!