What are you studying at university and what made you pick that subject?
Adrial: I am currently studying Marketing at the University of Leicester. I chose the subject as I wanted to gain a deeper understanding of the foundation behind how businesses operate and how they connect with consumers. Marketing is present in almost every aspect of our daily lives, and I was keen to learn how branding influences decision-making and connects with customers.
Evan: I'm studying Maths at Dartmouth College with a minor in Computer Science. I chose Maths because I've always really loved puzzles, whether solving Rubik's cubes or playing competitive chess as a kid, and it was the subject where I could keep doing that. I added the Computer Science minor for practicality - coding lets me test ideas against real data.
Why did you choose Aspect for your internship?
Adrial: I wanted to gain real-world marketing experience and apply my learning from university in a professional corporate environment. Aspect appealed to me because it offered the opportunity to work on a variety of marketing projects and gain exposure to different areas of the business which I was thoroughly elated about.
One of the highlights has been attending client meetings which has deepened my insight of how businesses operate in the real world. Prior to this, I had no prior corporate experience, as this was my first office-based role, I gained valuable insight of how a professional working environment operates which increased my confidence and knowledge in a corporate setting.
Evan: One of the main reasons I chose Aspect was that the internship is built around working through a real project that has potential to be added to one of Aspect's investment programmes. It offers a realistic experience of the role, as I've had to work through the many challenges involved in turning an idea into a strategy that works in practice. I can also be as creative as I like with an idea, as long as I'm willing to let the data reject it in the back test, which is exactly the balance of imagination and rigour that drew me to the job in the first place.
What has been the most unexpected part of your experience at Aspect?
Adrial: One of the most unexpected parts of my internship has been developing an interest in areas outside of marketing, particularly Investment Solutions and Compliance. It has also been fascinating to see how all the different aspects of the business are interconnected and how teams work together to support clients and achieve shared goals.
Evan: The most unexpected part of my experience was finding out Aspect has its own five-a-side team, Aspect FC. I hadn't expected the internship to be much more than nine to six at a desk, so it was a very pleasant surprise. Playing football again has been one of the highlights of my summer, and one of the best ways I've met people from teams I might never have interacted with otherwise.
If you had to summarise your time at Aspect in three words, what would they be and why?
Adrial: Fulfilling, insightful and hopeful.
- Fulfilling because I have been able to contribute to meaningful projects and gain practical experience.
- Insightful because I now have a deeper knowledge about marketing that I can incorporate in university.
- Hopeful because the experience has given me confidence and excitement about my future career.
Evan: Immersive, rigorous and collaborative. Immersive because I was given a full project in my first week and have been tasked with taking it from start to finish. Rigorous because of the level of testing and scrutiny an idea has to survive before anyone trades on it. Collaborative because of how much I have discussed ideas with other researchers across all teams, and how closely you work with people across the firm from idea to implementation.
What advice would you give to students applying for internships, and how can they make the most of the experience?
Adrial: Start early and apply for opportunities that can be outside of your comfort zone. Once you secure an internship, make the most of it by asking questions, being proactive and getting involved in as much as possible. Take the opportunity to learn from the people around you and build relationships across different teams. Immerse yourself fully in the experience!
Evan: Think about what you want from an internship and what you're interested in, because it's easy to just apply where everyone else is applying. Speak to people at the firm wherever you can to get a sense of the place, since that tells you far more than any amount of information on the website. Once you're there, ask questions, because I hadn't realised how much there was to learn. And make sure to talk to people outside your own team, whether it's over lunch, around the office or on the five-a-side pitch.
