Rory Keaveny

University:
Dublin

Degree Subject:
Commerce

Desk:
Credit Default Swaps, Commodities, Interest Rate Swaps

There was a great deal of variation in my day-to-day role as an intern. Some days I would listen and learn, ask questions and try to help. Other days I would cover for someone and send prices and relevant information out to clients over the computer, this requires awareness, accuracy and sharpness. Other days involved work shadowing and listening to conversations with clients and brokers.

The prospect of being in the cutting edge of the financial markets, the opportunity to live a lifestyle that involves hard work during the day and entertaining clients in the evening without taking home risk in the evening - that is what attracts me to IDB. I want to work in a fast paced environment that has great future prospects and ICAP as a massively growing FTSE 100 company offers all of the above.

My expectations of working at ICAP and my experience were miles apart. Very little can prepare you for what to expect on the dealing floor - the noise, the pressure and also the fun. ICAP has an absolutely unique culture and this is completely different to any expectation I had. People work hard and are under pressure but can always find time for a laugh and a joke! It is a unique, challenging and most definitely an attractive and engaging culture.

It is a sink or swim environment whereby you can easily stay afloat if you are the right character. I would advise people to look at themselves and see if they tick the boxes. Be a team player, have a sense of humour, be a hard worker and able to handle pressure but at the same time you must be able to socialise with absolutely anyone.

I'm a keen sportsman - highly competitive and a keen team player. Sports helps massively not only as an icebreaker in conversation but by being naturally competitive and being able to fit into a team are massive factors that help an intern in ICAP.

A great thing about the internship is meeting the people at ICAP. The range of rotations allows you to meet different people each week and by being pro-active I became friends with many people and enjoyed sports events, restaurants, bars and clubs. As a student it is difficult not to enjoy these things.