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The Big Picture

My rotation in Operations started last week. I had no idea what exactly to expect from it, but one thing was sure – it will be very different from my Front office experience. So was it. First thing that once notices is how quiet it is actually! No brokers shouting bids, no traders shouting their...

Posted to Undergraduates by Zvezdelina Todorova on 24-Aug-2010
Filed under: Filed under: RBS, Tokyo, Japan, Mt. Fuji, week6

Half way through... sad face

After spending two very exciting, dynamic and busy weeks, I am feeling a little sad today, realising that most of my internship is over now... Probably this feeling has been boosted by the farewell party of the other RBS interns, recruited in Boston, that took place last Friday (their programme started...

Posted to Undergraduates by Zvezdelina Todorova on 17-Aug-2010
Filed under: Filed under: RBS, Tokyo, Japan, week5, week4

Structures and Solutions

It is amazing how quickly another week went by! I spent it with the Global Structuring team. Those guys find out what customers need (also known as the Solutions Side of Structuring) and structure products which depending on different underlyings could be Hybrid Product, Equity Derivatives, FX, Interest...

Posted to Undergraduates by Zvezdelina Todorova on 26-Jul-2010
Filed under: Filed under: RBS, Tokyo, Japan, week 2, SDI

I, the intern!

It all fact now– I have been a Saltire’s intern for a week now and I can only say that it is amazing. So much happened over the last seven days that I have the feeling I have been here for a month! I woke up pretty early on Monday morning, I guess due the excitement about going off to work...

Posted to Undergraduates by Zvezdelina Todorova on 19-Jul-2010
Filed under: Filed under: RBS, Tokyo, week 1, Japan

Make it happen!

I left blogging to the very last grasp deliberately in order to have a record of my exact feeling prior leaving. Well, I am quite nervous and at the same time feeling extremely excited. I think I have done well and at the same time I am afraid that I don’t know enough... As we all are undertaking...

Posted to Undergraduates by Zvezdelina Todorova on 10-Jul-2010
Filed under: Filed under: Saltire Foundation, RBS, Tokyo, Japan

Home Sweet Home

Normal 0 After much packing, many farewells, a taxi ride, an express train, two flights and 4 movies, I made it back to bonnie Scotland! Even though I've been home since Sunday night, it still feels really strange not to hear cicadas screeching or see any Japanese people walking about... It's...

Posted to Undergraduates by Holly Batchelor on 11-Sep-2009
Filed under: Filed under: RBS, Tokyo, Japan, finance, week 8

This is all happening far too quickly…

Normal 0 These last few days have just sped by and my flight home seems far too soon! I spent last week in the bank with the real estate guys and the porfolio managers. My week in the bank was very different to the front office - it was so quiet! The office is a lot smaller and there are far fewer people...

Posted to Undergraduates by Holly Batchelor on 01-Sep-2009
Filed under: Filed under: RBS, Tokyo, Japan, finance, week 7

Revision? In the summer holidays?

Normal 0 Not what I expected! I have not got a huge amount of work to report on as I was stuck inside revising all weekend and on Monday AND on Tuesday. I had a lot of revision to do for my JSDA Sales Representative 2 exam, as I had attended the course last week and had lots of past papers to go over...

Posted to Undergraduates by Holly Batchelor on 24-Aug-2009
Filed under: Filed under: RBS, Tokyo, Japan, finance, week 6

Who needs an alarm clock when an earthquake will certainly wake you up!

Normal 0 I was woken up at 5:07am on Tuesday because my room was being shaken by a magnitude 4.3 (6.6 at the source) earthquake. It took me a few seconds to work out what on earth was happening, why my bed was shaking, and why everything that I could see through my window was moving, but I woke up pretty...

Posted to Undergraduates by Holly Batchelor on 16-Aug-2009
Filed under: Filed under: RBS, Tokyo, Japan, finance, week 5

One month down, thankfully one still to go.

Normal 0 Just like all the other the interns, I’m finding it hard to believe that I’m already half way through my placement. On one hand, it feels like I’ve hardly been in Tokyo for any time at all, but on the other it feels like I’ve been living here for ages. I’m comfortably...

Posted to Undergraduates by Holly Batchelor on 11-Aug-2009
Filed under: Filed under: RBS, Tokyo, Japan, finance, week 4

It's all Greek to me!

Normal 0 After burning a considerable hole in my wallet while shopping in Harajuku and Shibuya on Sunday, I started my third week at RBS Securities. I spent the week at the exotics desk with the guys who trade options and hybrids. The hybrids trades are so mentally complicated that even after learning...

Posted to Undergraduates by Holly Batchelor on 03-Aug-2009
Filed under: Filed under: RBS, Tokyo, Japan, finance, week 3

Sushi for breakfast and a pipe band in the evening

Normal 0 I started off my first weekend by waking up at 4am (!!) and heading straight to Tsukiji Market. This is the world's largest fish and seafood market and has a massive fruit & veg market on-site too. I watched the famous frozen tuna auction at 5.30 and then wandered around the market before...

Posted to Undergraduates by Holly Batchelor on 26-Jul-2009
Filed under: Filed under: RBS, Tokyo, Japan, finance, week 2

The Gaijin has landed...

Normal 0 That’s me been in Tokyo for almost a whole week now. Writing that actually makes me feel a little sad as I’ve had such a fantastic time already that I don’t want to only have 7 weeks left – I have completely fallen in love with Japan! Thankfully, I don’t have time...

Posted to Undergraduates by Holly Batchelor on 18-Jul-2009
Filed under: Filed under: RBS, Tokyo, week 1, Japan, finance