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Description: I worked on a variety of assignments, most of which involved using Excel and PowerPoint. I helped prepare presentations for several risk management workshops and projects: I edited slides (in German), I created graphs, I wrote captions, included drawings etc.. I analyzed cash flow graphs on my own, and suggested new loan structures for state-owned enterprises in the eastern Länder. I created "model" Excel worksheets to be used when analyzing

similar cash flows in the futures. I created the examples and case studies which would illustrate how a company assumes risk when it takes on investment plans, when its current income does not match its current expenses. My last project was to design the whole first part of a workshop on my own, developing a model of a company exposed to market risk from importing and exporting goods. In this type of work I learned a lot, both about the group's intentions and methods, and about the tools one uses in such cases.

Other tasks: I called about 300 banks in eastern Europe and marketed the group's services (ie their risk management workshops.) That was quite interesting, especially when I had to make phone calls in Russia, Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan, where I could not use any of the languages I speak (no German, English, French, Italian, or Romanian worked) So I decided to take on Russian next year at Stanford! Seriously!

Then I did research on the Romanian banking sector, via internet, email, papers, contacts,phone calls etc, and put together a report on the current situation there. I presented the general situation in the country, looked at the banks active today, and talked a little about the prospects of doing business in Romania.
I also updated a database, did some Minor tasks like printing, photocopying, internet search, and came up with the layout for a workshops catalogue which they want to print.

Comments: I learned a lot, practical things as well as theory. That's why I liked the work so much, because it was a combination of the two. Besides "professional" things, like making a clear, succint presentation which can be presented to someone from outside my group and can still be understood, or analyzing data in excel, interpreting them, coming up with solutions etc. I also learned a lot about the pace of work, the nature of the relationships between people, the types of work. I could, for example, spend a few hours down on the trading floor, talking to people there and looking at what they are doing. I had lunch with a lot of persons, employees and interns, and had many interesting conversations. Personally, I acquired more self-confidence, which, even in itself, is a great gain... Internship in a new foreign city, in a new working enviroment, when you are on your own, can be very challenging. But when things work out, it really makes you feel great!