It’s back to school time, new term, change of season and hopefully a return to some normality!
During the last six months the need had arisen to complete a couple of projects to assist the team with our growth plans, not only for our portfolio but also for Jenson. As a small team, time and resource is precious, we therefore looked at the option of running an intern programme. This was twofold, one to help us, two to provide valuable experience and insight into the VC world to curious students interested in our area of early stage investing.
So throughout the summer months Jenson hosted two interns, Marion Khoury and Clodagh Buckley. They spent their time in our We Work office in Aldwych or working remotely and very much became part of the Jenson team.
The following interview with Marion will hopefully highlight the benefits of internship.
Date and duration of Internship: June-July 2021 (6 weeks)
What and where are you currently studying? BSc in management at LSE. Going into my 3rd year of undergraduate studies.
Description of task: Shadowing Jeffrey on his calls (covered every step of the process). Competitive analysis and market studies. Helping Jeffrey and Katie document the calls through initial reviews, cap tables, company details etc. Had an overview of how forecasts were documented and analysed.
What impact has the placement had on future career decisions? I am now confident I would like to pursue my career in the VC world after graduating in 2022.
What are your aspirations for the future? Once I graduate, I would like to continue working in a fund.
Have you enjoyed your time with Jenson? Yes, everyone was very welcoming and helpful.
Any advice to students looking to intern or companies thinking of taking them on? I initially looked at an internship in venture capital since I wasn’t sure of my career plans and knew I wanted to get into finance. I would strongly recommend taking a similar internship if you find yourself in the same position. I felt like it was a good balance between relational and critical thinking which I loved.
Any advice would be to be as proactive as possible whilst undergoing the internship and listen to every comment the team/clients adds to calls.
Jeffrey Faustin, Chief Investment Officer and Partner, Jenson commented: “I started my career in VC as an intern and completely understand the benefits of an internship. Now having worked with Marion during her time at Jenson I fully appreciate the work she has carried out and hope that we have given her a good grounding for future career decisions. We wish Marion all the best in studies and future endeavours”.