State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ) provides interns with a unique comprehensive professional and educational experience. During a three-month period I interned at investments (front office), risk management (middle office), and settlements departments (back office). Alongside with other interns, I was given a number of assignments which we had to complete within a short time frame and present to department managers at the end. Since working within a limited time frame increases the pressure and keeps you totally focused, in overall, the internship gave me a strong sense of competition and was quite stressful. However, the staff members were quite friendly and helpful, so that in case you had any questions or doubts, you could talk to someone who had experience and could introduce you to other people who could help you. Whilst I did not earn any money, the experience is worth its weight in gold. One thing I did learn for sure is how important it is to interact with other employees and to work alongside professionals in the field.
 

To sum up, this internship was a good learning experience and provided me with a first-hand look at what it is actually like to work in a sovereign wealth fund.