Julius started his Berenberg journey as a dual student in 2020. Now Julius is an Analyst in our Equity Capital Markets Team in Frankfurt. We recently talked to Julius about his experience as a dual student and how it prepared him for his career.
What do you love about your dual study program?
Looking back, the dual study program at Berenberg provided me with an invaluable skillset which is key to my daily work in the position I’m working in now. Being able to see so many different divisions throughout the program, you can really develop a macro view on what exactly Berenberg’s business areas are, what our value-add is and how we can leverage our expertise across the bank to deliver the best solutions to our clients. At the same time, you’re able to build a broad network throughout the bank – the value of this shouldn’t be underestimated either.
What do you enjoy most about working at Berenberg? Why did you choose Berenberg for your dual study program?
Berenberg’s unique position in its different fields of business translate into a culture I enjoy working in, which is why I joined our investment banking full-time after finishing my study program. In my opinion, working at Berenberg is the perfect sweet-spot between being able to work on exciting projects and deals while on the other hand being in a supportive environment with fast and efficient decision-making.
What skills, characteristics or behaviours have helped you thrive in your role?
Transparent communication, being open to taking over responsibility early on and a diligent, detail-oriented work ethic, coupled with a certain level of curiosity is key for thriving here at Berenberg. It’s only normal that – especially in the early career programs – you still have a lot to learn. What I really appreciate about Berenberg is how open everyone is to help you succeed and to transfer their expertise.
What surprised you the most about Berenberg once you started working here?
The short ways of communication and responsibility you receive early on after joining. Through the ‘cold water’ moments, you’re able to develop much faster and improve your skillset, especially your soft skills. I was also surprised about how open the people at Berenberg are and how quickly you’re integrated into new teams, which is very important when spending only a couple of weeks/ months in each team.
How has Berenberg supported your professional or personal development?
The program structure enabled me to rotate through numerous different teams throughout the bank, allowing me to get a very good understanding of the bank as a whole and figure out which business areas suit me most. Berenberg invests a lot of time and effort into developing their employees, especially in the early careers programs. For someone who is at the very start of their career, the value of this is immense as you’re able to get a far broader spectrum of work experience than 99% of other graduates/ young professionals.