Meet: Victoria Bond, Treasury Junior Analyst '22

What’s your typical day as a Treasury Junior Analyst?

Some of my recurring responsibilities include designing and maintaining TREAP’s internal reporting dashboards, drafting pre- and post-mission materials supporting engagement managers, and managing the workflows of the team’s data management and systems improvement projects. My work with TREAP is largely project-based and collaborative, and I am juggling multiple responsibilities and deadlines on any given day, week, or month.

What is your greatest challenge and success as a Junior Analyst?

I struggled with adjusting to the autonomy of a full-time position when I first joined as a Junior Analyst. I quickly learned how to search for my value added in every discussion, either by volunteering for existing tasks that were not assigned to me or by pitching my own recommendations. Not every project will be groundbreaking, and learning to reconcile the business needs of my team with my own professional goals has been one of the more rewarding lessons I have taken away from the position.

What do you appreciate most about the Junior Analyst Program?

There are two paths a cohort can take in an analyst program like this one: be competitive or be collaborative. I am grateful to have been part of a group that embraces the latter. While we are all highly ambitious individuals, and many with similiar future goals, we recognize the value in sharing our individual skills and knowledge rather than keeping them close to our chest. From valuation techniques to new languages, I have learned as much from my fellow junior analysts as I have from any mentor or superior in the World Bank.

Name your favorite aspect of the World Bank.

While the summer internship and junior analyst programs are within the Treasury, I appreciate the seemingly endless resources and initiatives the World Bank provides to all of its employees. I developed my hard skills through free workshops and online learning tools while serving in volunteer leadership roles.  These opportunities would feel unattainable if not for the encouragement from management and other colleagues to become involved and utilize the World Bank’s resources to their fullest extent.

What has been the involvement of senior colleagues with your work?

Since one of my most frequent responsibilities is recurring and ad-hoc program reporting, many of my deliverables are handled by senior colleagues, including and especially those in management roles. I report directly to a senior financial officer, allowing me frequent proximity to upper-level activities and the opportunity to contribute to such projects.

Why did you apply to the Summer Internship Program?

As an Economics and International Relations student whose only professional experience was in private finance, I wasn’t sure if there would be opportunities to contribute to a team at the intersection of these interests. The Treasury internship was a perfect blend of my skills, so much so it seemed too good to be true. Luckily, it wasn’t!

How did the Treasury Summer Internship prepare you for this position?

The internship is unique within Treasury for the exposure provided to all three departments, the compliance and controls team, and the pensions department. Because of the vast variety of functions performed within Treasury, not all staff have an in-depth understanding of the other units they share the office with. Due to the rotational nature of the program, interns get a headstart to understand of our role within the World Bank and in all corners of financial markets.

What are your goals after your two years as a Junior Analyst?

My time at the Treasury has exposed me to the vast applications of finance outside of personal and corporate investing. I hope to apply the skills I have gained to support an investment team at a public or a non-profit pension fund or endowment whose values align with mine.

How has the Junior Analyst Program prepared you to achieve these goals?

The Junior Analyst program has developed my professional abilities, from interacting with senior management and clients to navigating a rotating class of diverse summer interns and junior analysts. I have learned how to juggle the many different roles we take in our professional lives. I look forward to joining an investment team where I can build upon the strong personal and professional foundation I established during my time as a junior analyst.