Each year since 2019, David Solomon has marked the arrival of Goldman Sachs’ summer interns with a welcome letter filled with words of wisdom.
The Goldman chief executive continued that tradition on Tuesday with a letter encouraging the 2025 intern class to “participate in team meetings” and not to “settle for anything less than your best work,” according to a copy of the email obtained by Business Insider.
In an apparent nod to this year’s market volatility, he also reminded them to stay focused on the job at hand.
“The only constant is change,” the note said, referencing the “highly dynamic environment” the interns find themselves in.
Letters from 2024 and 2023 also included five tips for success, including “don’t be in a hurry” and ‘”never underestimate the power of the collective,” a reference to the bank’s emphasis on teamwork.
This year, Goldman is hosting about 2,600 interns globally for its 10-week program — a slightly smaller class than last year’s, when the bank’s intern acceptance rate dropped to a record low.
Interns for the bank’s Global Banking & Markets division — which contains investment banking and sales and trading — started on June 2, while interns for the Asset & Wealth Management teams began on June 9.
See Solomon’s letter here:
Welcome to Goldman Sachs
I look forward to the summer internship program every year. Each class brings fresh perspectives and energy to our offices across the globe. Over the coming weeks, you will have the opportunity to collaborate with our exceptional teams as we serve our clients, while learning about our industry directly from our people who have tremendous experience operating at the heart of global finance.
Having been at the firm for more than 25 years, I will say the only constant is change, and that’s why it’s so important to stay focused on our clients in such a highly dynamic environment.
With that in mind, I would like to share some advice to help you make the most of your time at the firm:
Engage with purpose. Participate in team meetings. Contribute your ideas. Take on each day as an opportunity to familiarize yourself with the firm, our business and the people around you. Ask and listen, both are important. You’ll quickly learn that our people are eager to hear your views. I encourage you to stay curious, ask questions, but don’t forget to also listen to and absorb your colleagues’ perspectives.Partner with the people around you. It’s good to work hard as an individual, but it’s even better to deliver results as a group. Here at Goldman Sachs, we have a “we” culture. Choose excellence. Don’t settle for anything less than your best work.Pace yourself. You’re at the start of a long journey. Don’t forget to enjoy the ride.
We are excited to spend the summer with you, and we look forward to your contributions. Welcome to Goldman Sachs.
David
