Employer profile: Goldman Sachs, a leading global financial services firm

Global financial services firms help companies, governments, and individuals to manage and safely invest their money, but what is it like to work for them? In this guide, you’ll learn all about working at Goldman Sachs, what apprenticeship opportunities are available, and how to apply.

Goldman Sachs at a glance:

Janine Glasenberg, who is Head of EMEA Recruiting, tells us what it’s really like to work for the company.

What does Goldman Sachs do? 

At Goldman Sachs we connect people, capital, and ideas to help solve problems for our clients. We are a leading global financial services firm providing investment banking, securities, and investment management services. Our client base includes corporations, financial institutions, governments, and individuals.

Where is Goldman Sachs based?

Goldman Sachs is a truly global company. We have 83 offices worldwide, across 36 different countries and 60 cities around the world. Our 40,000 people speak over 100 languages!  In the UK, we have offices in London and Birmingham. Our new London office now includes collaborative workspaces, an on-site café, along with a fitness centre, and medical centre. Our office in the city has an acute focus on innovation and wellbeing, with barista bars, bike stores, new parents’ rooms and more.

What is the work environment like at Goldman Sachs?

We have an open culture at Goldman Sachs. Basically, as an intern you can walk up to anyone and ask for a few minutes of their time. It gives you the opportunity to network with people at Goldman Sachs you may not otherwise have facetime with. 

Who wouldn’t be the right fit for Goldman Sachs? 

We recruit people from all backgrounds into a huge variety of roles across our firm, so there is no right or wrong ‘fit’. You don’t have to have a degree or work experience in finance to qualify for a job at Goldman Sachs. In fact, we recruit students from over 150 degree backgrounds! We always encourage students to keep an open mind; our employees often find themselves on a team that doesn’t necessarily line up with what they studied and we love that! It means we’re getting to know people, and giving them the role that suits them best.

What are some of the most common roles at Goldman Sachs?

There are several businesses and functions at Goldman Sachs and therefore a huge variety of roles. Everything from:

• Advising companies
• Financing businesses
• Transacting for clients
• Supporting markets
• Managing assets
• Researching global markets

How can someone join Goldman Sachs at entry-level?

We offer a variety of pathways at Goldman Sachs, including degree apprenticeships for school leavers, internships for university students, and graduate roles for university graduates. We host Insight Days and upskilling workshops for both school- and university-level students too.

We currently offer three degree apprenticeship programmes for recent school leavers (all details can be found on our website). For university-level students, we offer both Spring and Summer internships across all areas of the firm. These opportunities are paid and are a great pathway into full-time graduate roles at Goldman Sachs.

What are the entry requirements for these roles? 

We recruit students from all degree backgrounds. For our internship and graduate roles, there are no specific subject or grade requirements. For degree apprenticeships, it varies by the specific apprenticeship you are applying for. Further details can be found on our website. See below current requirements; however, these are subject to change so we would recommend keeping an eye on the university websites for updated requirements:

• FICC & Equities Apprenticeship (BSc Applied Finance, Queen Mary): AAA, including Maths
• Operations Apprenticeship (BSc Finance & Investment, London Institute of Banking & Finance): ABB
• Engineering Apprenticeship (BSc Digital & Technology Solutions, Queen Mary): ABB

What skills does Goldman Sachs look for in applicants?

Whether recruiting students or experienced professionals, we always look for individuals that have a passion for excellence, who have integrity, as well as good leadership and teamwork skills. All of these skills can be gained throughout their studies at school, extracurricular activities, or any part-time jobs. However, the main thing we are looking for at Goldman Sachs is potential. We want to meet students who can demonstrate their interest and their drive to achieve. The best way students can do this is to prepare for the interview and come equipped with their questions for the interviewer too!

What is one top tip to help an entry-level applicant succeed at Goldman Sachs?

Be yourself! Tell us what makes you different from other students and help us get to know who you are as a person, where your interests lie, and why you think this makes you a good fit for Goldman Sachs.

Does Goldman Sachs offer work experience or internship opportunities?

Yes! We offer a wide range of Insight Days, events and internship opportunities, which all invite students to learn more about who we are and what we do, and hear top tips for the application process.

For pre-university students, we host Insight Days (one day at our offices) and skills workshops (typically virtually for 1-2 hours). These are usually hosted in February/March so keep an eye on our website. Content can include things like learning about the financial services industry, how to write a CV, how to ace an interview, and networking skills.

For university students we host Spring and Summer internships, which are paid and take place during the university holidays. The Spring programme is typically 2-4 days and the Summer internship is 9-10 weeks. We also host work placements and off-cycle internships which form part of university courses – the duration of these will depend on your university requirements.

What opportunities are there for progression at Goldman Sachs?

The opportunities for progression at Goldman Sachs are truly endless! The firm’s learning programmes range from skills-based offerings and high-potential leadership programmes to roundtable discussions and talks hosted by senior leaders. Junior employees have access to classes that focus on building foundational professional and technical skills. Additionally, we offer an expansive library of self-directed digital offerings, ranging from eLearnings on communicating with impact, to a podcast series on understanding our businesses. At each career milestone, our people prepare for their next step through tailored training programmes with an emphasis on leadership and firm culture. We take a person-by-person approach to development and progression - our annual and ongoing feedback offerings ensure our people and their managers have the information they need to excel in their careers.

We also offer a variety of ‘mobility’ opportunities, meaning that employees can move geographically to our office locations across the world, or internally across different job roles at their existing office location.

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