Investing in the Future - An Internship with Escala Partners

By Samuel Dunnett

I recently completed an internship at Escala Partners as part of the University of Melbourne’s inaugural Bachelor of Commerce Internship subject and am grateful to both the University and Escala Partners for enabling me to apply classroom skills in a real-world setting.

I was invited to apply for the BCom Internship subject through the Faculty of Business and Economic’s Abernethy Scholar’s program at the end of my first year of University, and following multiple interviews I was fortunate to be selected for the position.

Escala Partners is a leading wealth management business with extensive expertise in investing in public equities, fixed income and alternative assets as well as creating, preserving, and deploying wealth for high-net-worth individuals, families, and not-for-profit organisations.

During my time at Escala, I worked in an investment team whose clients comprise high-net-worth individuals and not-for-profit organisations, where the primary focus is to ensure a client's portfolio and service best meet their needs. I worked alongside some of Australia's most experienced investment advisors and enagaged with bankers, fund managers, accountants and lawyers, providing me with a broader view of the industry, invaluable mentorship and education in both the soft and hard skills required to excel in the industry.

As a part-time associate, my primary responsibility was to prepare client reviews and presentations. This required me to set out the performance and rationale of client investments (managed funds), which drew upon my understanding of financial markets and the macroeconomics learnt at university. I was also fortunate to be involved in team meeting discussions regarding client investments. I was given a platform to provide suggestions on portfolio rebalancing, providing a different view to others given I did not have bias nor an attachment to portfolios and was exposed to different information. As I gained more experience, I interacted with clients and fund managers and believed I could add value and was supported in doing so.

I can now fondly look back on my time at Escala Partners as the starting point of my career in business, where I established connections and skills to support my professional growth going forward. I have been afforded the opportunity to interact between different roles in commerce and have a newfound direction in what I would like to pursue professionally following the completion of my degree. Since my internship with Escala Partners, I have completed an additional internship in investment banking, which has furthered my skillset and enhanced my passion for working in finance.

Are you a business interested in getting involved in the Business and Economics Internship? Please contact us to discuss how we can work together.

Are you a Bachelor of Commerce student wanting to do the next Commerce Internship? Find more information here.