Updating Results

Commonwealth Bank

4.4
  • 1,000 - 50,000 employees

Caitlin Manzo

5.50 AM

I wake up to an old-school alarm clock that sits on my dresser on the other side of the room (no snoozing, so I have to get up!). In 15 minutes, I am out the door for a quick run. Some mornings I’ll be listening to a podcast, others it’ll be tunes. I return from my run pumped for my day.

7.00 AM

I make a yummy banana smoothie and walk to the station with my housemate and neighbour. I get off at Town Hall station and walk to the cafe near work for an oat milk cappuccino before I head up to CommBank’s Darling Park office. 

8.00 AM

I’m at my desk ready for what the day has in store. I check the news and start scanning emails. I plan what needs to be done for the day. If I’m presenting at our team meeting, I scan for any overnight market activity before giving my update, which I have mostly prepared the night before. We generally discuss different areas of the capital markets, interesting transactions and market dynamics, including news that may have an impact on pricing or rates of bonds. 

caitlin at her desk

9.00 AM

I get started on my tasks for the day. It’s a busy time for our team, with multiple deals at once. This morning I’m writing a credit submission for our risk team to set up a new facility for a new client. This involves working with the relationship executives to put together a value proposition on why CommBank should go ahead with a particular transaction. I’m also responsible for completing sensitivity modelling on the portfolio parameters. My analysis of different scenarios and their financial impact plays an important role in the pricing of a new facility, particularly in determining the margin base on different facility utilisation rates.

graduate-commonwealth bank-caitlin manzo-meeting

10.00 AM

Our team receives an invitation from a client to pitch for an asset-backed security deal. We’re working to a deadline. I help put together the pitch deck with information about the deal strategy, the team’s credentials and recent public deals our team has done. It’s important these pitch decks are accurate and engaging, so I spend time proofreading the slides to make sure they are error-free and interesting. 

graduate-commonwealth bank-caitlin manzo-client

12.30 PM

Lunchtime! I walk to pick up my favourite vermicelli bowl. The sun is warm as I walk back with my fellow grads to the CommBank garden at Darling Park. We chat about what everyone is up to. Sometimes I take a yoga class, but today I’m enjoying the beautiful outdoors and laughing with my mates. 

caitlin at the garden

1.30 PM

I’m back at my desk recharged and refreshed. I’m reviewing a request from our operations team to complete a modelling task for a client who wishes to draw down on their facility two days from now. I run the client’s data through our team’s data conversion tool. Then I input the data given to me by the operations team and run the model to check it against the client version of the model. After a few checks, I send back the completed request, noting the result to our operations team.

Commonwealth Bank Graduate Caitlin Manzo team meeting

2.30 PM

It’s time for my weekly catch-up with my manager. It’s an opportunity to discuss my priorities for the rest of the week. Our go-to spot is an outdoor cafe with great coffee and an added bonus of stunning Darling Harbour views. My manager asks me to put together a deal summary for a transaction I helped close last week, so I get right on to it. This involves summarising the key features of the deal, the margins and weighted average life of the bonds, in addition to looking at what kind of investors bought the bonds and where they are based. I summarise all of this information in a PowerPoint slide – I’m pleased with what I’ve achieved. 

catch-up with manager

4.00 PM

There is an ‘all-parties’ conference call for a deal that will be launched next week. This includes our syndicate team and the other banks working on the deal. It’s an exciting discussion around other deals in the market. It’s an ideal time to launch our deal and get the best result for the client. 

6.00 PM

I’m wrapping up my day with a few emails and have made a list of things that need to be done tomorrow. Time to catch the train home and whip up some dinner. I stop by my local fruit shop and pick up some fresh tomatoes and avocado to make guacamole for my homemade burrito bowl. My housemates and I are having dinner together tonight. We dig in while we unwind watching The Good Place on Netflix.   

9.30 PM

It’s been a productive day, so it’s time for some well-deserved rest and recharge. I hop into bed and pick up the book I’m currently reading: Sapiens – A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari. Books help me doze off and unwind after a long day.