My SMBC Internship Experience

by Devon Sweeney

I spent the past 10 weeks as an SMBC summer intern, an opportunity that provided me with a deeper understanding of the financial services sector and the bank’s cultural heritage, community involvement, and corporate values. From a weeklong orientation that delved into all aspects of the bank, to a speaker series with senior bankers and Americas CEO Hirofumi Otsuka , to Japanese ink painting and community service, every week was filled with interesting opportunities to learn. Here's a glimpse into my experience as an SMBC intern.

We began our internship with a welcome event that was a great opportunity to meet my fellow interns engaged in roles across the bank.

As part of our program, we had the opportunity to hear from leaders at SMBC, including Carl Adams , who leads the Structured Debt group in the Americas. Since I spent a semester abroad during my sophomore year in South America, I particularly enjoyed a session with Martin Perez Peña and David Gonzalez about Latin America corporate and project finance. These sessions provided invaluable insights directly from team leaders.

As part of our internship, we were all assigned to teams for a case study presentation that gave us an opportunity to demonstrate our ability to pitch an idea to a group of bankers. It was a fantastic way to showcase all the information that we learned from our teams and mentors.

One of the characteristics that makes SMBC unique is its strong cultural link to the bank’s Japanese heritage. We participated in workshops with local Japanese cultural organizations. Check out our paintings below:

Giving back to the community is another value that I enjoyed experiencing at SMBC. We were given the opportunity to spend time with Free Arts NYC , an organization that engages underserved communities through art and mentoring programs.

One of my favorite experiences was getting to spend time with the other interns across the bank.

Throughout the summer, we had plenty of opportunities to bond with and learn more about our fellow interns and the bankers. Around the midway point, the interns and our bank mentors spent an evening together playing pool, ping pong, and other games. It was a reminder of how fast my time with SMBC was flying by!

Towards the end of the internship, we visited our Jersey City office to celebrate National Intern Day, which was a fun opportunity for us to regroup and share our different experiences after a few weeks apart working with our banking teams.

During our last week I was able to join four of my fellow interns on a panel during an Americas Division town hall. Our panel took place after a fireside chat with the co-head of SMBC’s Global Banking Unit, and several thousand colleagues were tuned in, so it was exhilarating – and a bit nerve wracking – to have that many eyes on us. Our farewell event was a bittersweet experience. We celebrated our time together and reflected on the valuable lessons we'd learned. I am certain the friendships formed during my time at SMBC will carry me long into the future.

Overall, my internship at SMBC was an incredible experience that offered professional growth, cultural enrichment, and meaningful connections. As a communications intern, I was able to create social media posts, attend meetings with senior bankers, and even be part of an internal communications event. When I interviewed, I was told that SMBC is growing, and this summer would be the perfect time to join for a more hands-on experience than I might get elsewhere. I can undoubtedly say this was true to my experience.