10 Investment Banking Internship “Don’t”‘s: How Not To Screw Up
I’ve given some internship tips in the form of a summer intern success guide and an avid reader gave some tips from his firsthand experience, but it’s often easier to give advice on what not to do (as with fashion).
Without further ado, here are the top 10 summer intern gaffs I’ve observed, both at my office and from friends’ stories.
This list applies to both Summer Analysts and Summer Associates – your role is the same, except Associates will get a bit more responsibility.
1. Argue with me over something financial/modeling-related
I see this more with Summer Associates than with Summer Analysts. Look, I understand you learned a lot about finance and accounting in business school and know all sorts of concepts that I don’t.
I also understand that you have several years (or more) of work experience and know a thing or two about how to perform well in a corporate environment.
But if you haven’t done investment banking before, you don’t know how we do things and you probably don’t realize the difference between what you learned in school and how financial work is done in the real world (corners are often cut).
Last year a Summer Associate spent 30 minutes arguing with me over how to calculate foregone interest on cash in a merger model and I said, “Yes, your way is correct but it makes a difference of less than 0.01 and would take time to change, which is why we don’t do it.”
So don’t even think of starting a debate.
2. Call me late on a Friday or Saturday night with non-urgent questions
Not that I’m bitter or anything, but this one always happens to me, and usually interns are at fault. If I’m out on a Friday night, I don’t want to be bothered with questions on Excel shortcuts or anything else that can wait until the next day (or next week).
Sure, ask questions when I’m around, but don’t go out of your way to contact me at odd hours unless it’s truly urgent.
This also brings up another point: within the Analysts at a bank, you generally want to ask questions of 1st Years first before going to 2nd/3rd Years.
Especially if the 2nd/3rd Year in question is leaving shortly.
3. Dress better than me, especially on your first day
I’m not going to lie; I tend to be a minimalist when it comes to clothing, especially compared to some other bankers out there.
Although it’s actually pretty easy to dress better than me, you still don’t want to come in wearing a $5,000 suit and gold watch on your first day.
Every office has a different culture, but most places will think this is really odd… it’s much better to wear standard business casual attire that doesn’t raise eyebrows.
Save your good clothes for when you start full-time or get a promotion.
4. Be overly enthusiastic – it’s just creepy
Look, attitude is very important as a Summer Intern… you want to be eager to learn and help Analysts save time on projects.
But there’s such a thing as being too enthusiastic as well. It would be pretty weird if I gave you an assignment that required you to pull an all-nighter and you were happy about it.
Even if you are somehow happy to pull an all-nighter, it comes across as fake and people will assume you’re lying.
5. Fail to invite me out drinking or to social events
The best part of having summer interns is that some are actually cool to hang out with. My life as an Analyst is usually pretty mundane: Excel, PowerPoint, research, rinse, wash and repeat. Having summer interns provides a great break and a chance to get to know new people.
Usually firms spend a lot of money on summer recruiting events and such, so if there’s an event/party/outing and you don’t let me know about it, I’m going to be annoyed.
Forget about just saving me time, enhance my lifestyle and you’re golden.
6. Say you’re too busy to get coffee
Similar to #5 above but from the opposite side. As Analysts, Starbucks is our lifeblood. So when we go out for coffee for 5-10 minutes and invite you to come along and you say you’re too busy, a couple things come to mind:
1) I know you’re probably lying because I give you work and determine how busy you are.
2) I think you don’t want to hang out with us and are not going to fit into our group.
Unless you have a true fire drill and really need to send something important out (unlikely as an intern), you have time to grab coffee.
7. Pretend that your internship is longer than 8-10 weeks
Personally, I am extremely nice to summer interns and rarely give them annoying work unless I’m so busy that I can’t finish everything myself.
Some Analysts have a different philosophy and as soon as they get summer interns, they turn into “Managing Analysts” and start giving all their underlings the dumbest work imaginable.
It’s unfortunate if you end up in this situation, but also keep in mind that your internship only lasts a matter of weeks – a lot less than 2-3 years. So no matter how bad you have it, it’s not worth complaining about because it’s over and done with quickly.
8. Hook up with other interns/analysts/secretaries
This one may cause some controversy, but I think it’s a really bad idea to get involved romantically with anyone else at your office, especially as an intern.
Friends have done this before but typically it’s at the end of the internship; otherwise there’s just too much risk of bad things happening and offers getting revoked.
Don’t think you can keep anything like this a “secret” – there are no secrets in an investment banking office.
One time when I was interviewing for buyside jobs, somehow not only my entire office but also multiple other offices found out and asked me how it went afterward.
If something as small as that becomes the talk of the Analyst class, you can guess how quickly news of a rendezvous with your MD’s secretary will spread.
9. Show up to work with a hangover
Control yourself when drinking and going out with other interns/Analysts. If you do anything really stupid (e.g. getting violent with an MD while drunk), your chances of getting an offer are pretty much 0.
Similarly if you show up to work with a hangover (or are still drunk), people will notice.
If you ever have to think about whether or not to do something, you shouldn’t do it.
10. Badmouth the firm/office to anyone else
This one actually came up this past year. One of our top summer analysts did very well and got an offer, but decided banking was not for him and went into another field.
That’s perfectly fine and I respected his decision. But then I find out he was going around to others interviewing at my office and telling them not to work there and such just because he personally didn’t like it.
The world of finance is very small and if someone knows something, chances are everyone else knows it too.
Openly badmouthing a firm or office to others is just unprofessional and pretty much ensures you’ll have no chance of working there in the future (I know, I know, you don’t want to, but still…).
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I’m a upcoming freshmen in college and I’m very passionate about trying to eventually getting into this industry. Is there some sort of listing which states the internships available.But I’m wondering if I would haft to wait to my junior year to apply for them. I’m going to transfer schools after this year I want to know if at top school around maryland or D.C would be fine or if New York would be the best
No, there’s no official, all-inclusive list of internships. You can get in without being a junior but it’s far more difficult.
Ivy League schools and other top schools like MIT and Stanford are best… less about geography and more about the quality of the school
I’d really like to see your list of top schools — and why — for undergrad future IBs.
As a general practice, I don’t rank schools, banks, or anything else as I believe it is fairly silly and not a good use of time for anyone to think about.
In general, the top schools are the Ivy League and equivalent ones in the US as well as top schools abroad like Oxford, Cambridge, etc.
you forgot one major one:
don’t sleep at work, but if you do, don’t get caught by the head of the investment banking division.
Wow, how did that happen? Must be difficult unless you’re doing it out in the open…
I do that 20 min after lunchbreak in the toiletts. That avoids being caught and increases my efficiency in the afternoon
One time, they believed I was sick though… :)))
Wow i used to do the same thing initially in my current audit firm when i got no work
you should include for #11: Don’t ask completely ridiculous one sided questions just to show off to the full time people what you know/don’t be an unbearable tool bag. We’ve got 2 kids this summer from a certain Ivy school who are undoubtedly the biggest WSO losers I’ve ever run across. They do great work but I cant STAND to be around them, I’m pretty sure the analysts haven’t noticed or really care because they get their shit done, but the rest of us are really frustrated. Your stealthy ass kissing & over the top work ethic may make you a slam dunk for a FT, but at least a couple of us will be back too & maybe on your team so don’t alienate the rest of your class with your bs.
Yeah I hate those idiots, man I couldn’t stand some of the summer interns. Summer Associates who though they knew their stuff were the worst.
I would also add #11. Failing to set the right expectations. Remember that its better to do a few projects really well than do a number of them in a mediocre fashion. Essentially you want to do underpromise and overdeliver, whether that’s getting things in sooner or undertaking deeper analysis.
This isn’t the perfect place for this question but it sort of fits in with the intern v. analyst theme.
I’m starting at a top 3 bank in London next year, in a regional coverage group (I speak the language). Most people from this particular geography do military service and a master’s degree, and are as such 24+ when they start. The analyst 1 in my future group is 25, second youngest guy is 27.
However, I’ll be 21 when I start, and I’m worried that I’m going to be looked at as a perpetual intern and not be given great work simply because I am that much younger and am probably going to have a harder time finding common ground with these guys than I would in other groups (one of the analysts is married with kids for christ sakes). I didn’t intern with this group in the summer, so don’t know how the dynamic is.
Do you have any tips on how I can try and avoid a situation where I’m the metaphorical intern forever from the get-go?
Don’t mention your age – there’s no reason anyone has to know.
I would just focus on proving yourself early on, showing that you can do the work, and over-delivering (while under-promising) – that’s your best strategy for being given real work. Oh, and making sure everyone likes you and thinks you’re fun to be around.
Hi. I found your website really useful.
Could you please advise me regarding the following –
I graduated in Economics this year and am currently pursuing a Masters in Finance and Economics at London School of Economics.
I have no internship or work exp hence I was thinking of applying for internship positions at the top tier Investment Banks (M&A division) in the UK for the 2011 intake.
Since on every website it is stated that internship are for penultimate year students, Should I apply? Will they consider my application?
Thanks for your help.
Yes you can still apply but there should be recruiting specific to the Master’s program at LSE since many banks recruit there
Thank you for your advice.
One more thing, I did have a word with the LSE career service they said it would be better if I apply for grad schemes, but could you please give me your opinion – Do you think I have any chance of getting into grad schemes without any internship or work exp?
You could apply but your chances are not great without internships
I thought so, thanks for your opinion.
Which would you do to break in: Business Finance at Bernard Baruch College the largest business school in America (I think), or Mathematics or Liberal Arts at Columbia University an Ivy?
Columbia, easily – major is almost irrelevant next to the school name. http://www.mergersandinquisitions.com/investment-banking-major/
Thanks. You’re always helpful.
I’m currently an undergraduate Junior. Instead of applying for the best schools I could get into, I stupidly went to a close and comfortable school, Mizzou. Do I stand any chance at getting a summer internship or even an interview at an investment bank with an extremely high gpa at Mizzou and 3 yrs of work experience in IT? I feel like the low rank of Mizzou puts me near 0% chance of getting even an interview for an internship. Please give me your opinion on this one. Thanks!
You really need to network and/or think about transferring or going to a Master’s Program in Finance… if you do a search for those on the site there are dozens of articles. With that background your chances are not good.
Hey, umm I am a 21 year old completing my undergraduate degree in Banking and Finance this April. The unfortunate thing is that I’m from the Caribbean , the country Barbados. Now I’ve noticed above the guy above who goes Mizzou and felt he did crap but I had no choice but to go to university of the west indies down here. Sigh, so what really are my options for getting an internship let alone getting into an investment banking job in America. Being from a smaller country sucks doesn’t it? Any route you suggest I take
It will be tough due to visa issues but there are plenty of finance firms in the Caribbean… why not start out there and then transfer elsewhere once you have the experience.
Ryan, try Cayman and Trinidad for Banking and Finance.
I went to Caltech (California Institute of Technology). It has always been ranked highly, yet I have no luck with BB internships, not even an interview. The best I can do is run-of-the-mill boutique IB, and I count myself lucky.
For all intents and purpose, I should just forget BB and stick to boutique/MM level right?
Yes, if you haven’t networked a lot already then it will be almost impossible coming from a non-target school
I accept the truth and my fate, my school is the only non-target among other consistently highly-ranked US universities.
After a year of boutique, will things improve? Lateral to BB through networking? Can head-hunters help me?
Headhunters can help if you have experience; and yes networking to a larger bank works as well.
Over the past year, I bought all of your guides and modules, and I have read the vast majority of the articles on this site. The information from this site and BiWS helped me getting started and breaking in. I started as a fool applying to BB’s online, now I network aggressivesly and have a shot at boutiques. Many thanks!
Cool glad to hear everything has been helpful
Hey,
I just had a quick question. I am currently a first-year undergraduate student and am looking for relevant experience over my coming summer. It is really hard to land a IB gig without personal contacts, I have been working on that a lot but doubt that I can get something in IB for this summer. So my question is, what kind of prior experience is looked favorably upon by investment banks? Is it good to get something in PWM or if I have a shot at a Marketing job with one of the big CPGs, should I go for that?
Thanks.
http://www.mergersandinquisitions.com/no-investment-banking-summer-internship-offers/
Hey,
I am currently a Sophomore in the United States, although a citizen of Germany.
My school is a small liberal arts college where I am a double major in International Business&Management as well as Economics. The school is considered to be one of the top liberal arts colleges in the country, though certainly not a target school for Wall Street firms. I actually was accepted to Stanford but then decided to attend this smaller school because of the “full ride” I was offered. While here, I have maintained a perfect GPA in both majors and was Teaching Assistant or Tutor for almost all the classes I attended because of my performance.
This summer I will be working for three months for a bank in Zurich, Switzerland. A great experience, although my work is primarily relating to Wealth Management rather than IB related fields.
The coming semester, I will be working for a large brokerage firm while I am abroad in Hong Kong – the people that they usually recruit are Ivy MBAs for that position (I got them to believe that I am smart, which probably is true). The second semester Junior year I plan on attending IMD or St. Gallen university, which are both recognized internationally for their quality.
For my summer between junior and senior year, I would like to work in an IB unit of one of the international top firms.
Given my background, how should I present myself since I do not attend a target school? What are my chances that I will have someone who will truly read the rest of my Resumee and not stop after reading the name of the school that I attend? Do you have some additional advice on what I should do?
Thank you very much for your time. It is greatly appreciated!
You just have to network a lot and get out there and pound the pavement… do a search for Networking here and follow the step-by-step guide. You have to be extremely aggressive with cold-calling and setting up informational interviews.
Hey,
High school senior right here. I know ivy leagues are highly recruited by bulge brackets, but is UCLA a top target school specifically for bulge brackets in the LA area? Just wondering because I’m not sure I’ll be able to get into the ivies. Thanks!
Yes.
Hi,
I am a third year student at Univerisity of British Columbia in Canada.
I attended a summer training program in one of the top investment banks last summer; to me most of the lectures/presentations given by department heads are very intensive in financial terminologies, and I am not able to really learn well since I am psychology major and I have no financial knowledge background at all.
In a few months I am going to another major investment bank for a summer internship. What kind of work does internship program usually assign to interns?
Also, I am very nervous about my English ability and capability of achieving work in their “specific standard.” Any suggestions?
http://www.mergersandinquisitions.com/investment-banking-summer-analyst-work/ for summer internship work. For language ability you just need to practice especially in informal settings if that’s what you’re nervous about – you write a lot of email as well but your writing seems fine from this comment.
I just came across this website and well I am a sophomore at Florida Atlantic University and starting my undergraduate Finance major this summer. I’ve been interested in asset management and securities trading (as I’ve been trading stocks for a year) and I would like to know how can I land an internship with any major bank or any decent analyst experience and if I stand any chances because of my school?. would you tell me what kind of accomplishments should I finish before I graduate to be seen as competent when I graduate? I love finance and I might even move to NY to land a job. what would you recommend? Thanks
Start here and read everything under Networking: http://www.mergersandinquisitions.com/recruiting/
Hey,
This website is really helpful!
I’m a sophomore and going to work in a boutique investment bank this summer. I’m a bit nervous, because the program I am the only sophomore in the program, all the others are juniors. I don’t know much about finance and modelling. Also I’m not excel-savvy. Do you have any suggestions on how to prepare for the summer internship? Thank you so much!
See the training programs offered on this site or do a search on here for “prepare summer internship”
Hi,
I just got an offer from Morgan Stanley, and I’m starting to prepare myself as to what I should expect. I did an internship last summer (not at a bank) where almost every night after work, everyone at the office wen out for drinks, and I’m expecting the same at MS. The problem, though, is that I’m not 21.
At my last internship, I feel that I missed out on a lot by not going out with and getting to know the people at work.
So what I should I do this upcoming summer? Is it possible to get inside the bars without i.d.? Should I get a fake? Or should I just resign myself to my fate?
Thank you,
J
Just tag along anyway but don’t drink.. should be able to get into places anyway especially if they are more restaurants than bars.
Hi so I am a freshman who has applied for transfer as a sophomore. I have got into NYU Stern and Cornell School of Industrial and Labor and Relations. Which school would you see as having a higher chance of getting hired at a top Wall Street firm?
NYU Stern
Hi Brian and M&I ,
I want to thank you for building this website and helping students like me. Some advices are just awesome, useful and practical! I’m engineering background and never work for bankings before. Also, I’m an international student, this makes it even more difficult for me to find an internship here. I worked hard, and with the help from you, I did learn a lot and I even got 3 offers from the 6 investment banks I interviewed with.
I recommended your website to many friends and they all think it is great !!!
Hope more people can benefit from all of your hard work!
Thank you very much =)
Bo
Awesome glad to hear it!
Hi,
I have been accepted into Columbia, Dartmouth, and UChicago for next fall. Right now, I am thinking about majoring in economics and then trying to get an internship at an investment bank. Are econ students from all three of these schools recruited by top I-banks, and in your opinion is any one of these schools better than the others? Thanks
Yes they are. Columbia is probably the best for recruiting due to its location.
For someone who wants to get into M&A and VC longer-term, I am not sure which of these two internships would be a better fit. One is with NYSE Euronext, which would involve experiencing a different aspect of the trading floor every week (i.e ETFs one week, FX another, etc.), while the other is with Annex Advantage. Although I know the trading floor doesn’t exactly scream M&A, it is a start. The issue I’m having with Annex Advantage is how well the program translates to full-time offers with banks once the program is completed. Moreover, the program sounds a bit scammy (you pay them $5k). Please give me your feedback regarding which of the two would be a better decision. Thanks!
The AnEx program is definitely not a scam – I actually mentioned it to my newsletter mailing list a few weeks ago. They also have a fairly high placement rate and have recently placed people at JP Morgan, RBS, and other banks.
I agree that it is quite a bit to pay $5K for an internship – so I would only go for it if the price is not an issue. Otherwise, NYSE Euronext would be better, though obviously less of a benefit on M&A and VC as it’s more geared toward trading.
Thank you very much for that insight. So, with price not being issue, Annex Advantage over Euronext?
Yes
First, thank you for the informative site. Are BYU grads respected as good interns even though it may not be considered a top tier IB school? ( assuming good grades/decent soph internship)If I could ask another question, if I am going to NY to try and network for next summer internships do you have any suggestions? Any advice is appreciated!
Not really sure, I assume they are somewhat respected but it’s well-below the Ivy League schools in terms of recognition and everyone in finance is a prestige whore. Networking: http://www.mergersandinquisitions.com/investment-banking-weekend-trips/
Hi,
I’m starting an internship at one of top tier IB in June (London) and I’d like to know how bad (or well!) perceived it is to take the few days off that are mentioned in the contract?
Similarly, could you frankly say a few words about holidays for newcomers? Can I expect to have some between the end of the intership and the time I start the job (if any offered)? and what about the next twelve months?
Thanks in advance!
Forget about the first question!
Yet, the following ones still hold!
In Europe they are a bit more lax with vacations so you could probably take the few days off without serious problems. Holidays not terribly likely in your first year, sometimes after that you get time off
http://www.mergersandinquisitions.com/vacation-time-investment-banking-lifestyle/
But again, in Europe it might be slightly different since they actually enjoy leisure time
Hi,
I am an international student and I will be going to Dartmouth this Fall and I was wondering how well known Dartmouth is in the banking sector? What are the odds of me getting a spring term internship or a summer internship in the first year? I know there’s on campus recruiting at Dartmouth but what are the chances of that in/after 1st year? What are the possible avenues for me?
I am looking at the banking sector and consultancy as possible career choices. Other than doing well academically and being all-rounded, what other advice do you have to offer to me to land a job in this industry? Will doing professional exams now such as CAIA, PRM, CIMA boost my chances at all? And whats the likelihood of such firms hiring international students? Is it rly slim? Thank you so much!
It is known but other schools are probably better represented in finance. Please see everything under Recruiting here for the 2nd question: http://www.mergersandinquisitions.com/recruiting/
Hi Brian, thank you very much for this site – its completely brilliant. I’m a recent graduate and now doing an internship at Societe Generale in Syndicated Loans Group, cos I couldn’t get anywhere else. They do not offer full-time positions after this one. I’m actually doing some boring red tape there, but I really wanna do iBanking. I know lying is bad, but do you think I could present my experience in a different way? Like I was doing anything else within CorpFin? thank you very much in advance.
Joanna
Depends what you did… lying is not a good idea, but if you did something closer to valuation or even general deal work you can emphasize that. http://www.mergersandinquisitions.com/how-to-spin-investment-banking/
Hi, your website is really helpful for most of the stuff I’m dealing with, but I have an extra question.
I’m currently a rising senior in the best business school and university in Asia (according to TIMES HIGHER EDUCATION). I’m currently in a top 3 bank working in Ops. Previously I’ve done internships in a mid-sized bank in HR, and an internship in auditing for big4. The one knack on me is that I don’t have a really good GPA (maybe an understatement). After this internship with MS, you think its even worth it to try for a S&T position in the big banks? Are grades that important in light of such experience?
Yes. http://www.mergersandinquisitions.com/middle-office-to-sales-trading/
Hi,
My main question deals with public vs. private universities.
From what I have read and understood in the recruiting game with banks, school name/prestige seem to be extremely important. I am a rising Junior at Texas A&M University (I am proud of my business school and its network, but in terms of prestige, I understand it can’t compare to the ivies and other private schools). Off the top of my head, I would guess that the top 2 or 3% of students graduating from A&M’s business school that apply get job offers from top Wall Street firms. I am currently in New York interning with an accounting firm, but I am interested in pursuing a career in i-banking. I’m going to be attending a conference in August at UPenn with recruiters in the i-banking and consulting profession to network and learn more about career options.
Coming from a state university in my situation, what can I do to improve my chances of getting an internship next summer in investment banking? Thanks a bunch for your help. Really impressed with all the resources on this website.
Network, a lot. See all the reader interviews and case studies under Recruiting – lots of stories there of getting in from non-target schools.
Would love to bird dog deals to someone. Eat what I kill set up. Just sold my second company and now I have time. I’m flooded with request to assist other micro caps set up funding / pipes / vc /creative capital needs.. Don’t need a salary just a list of critera, business cards and a commission stucture.
Wife is an orthopedic surgeon so I prefer healthcare since I’m always talking/drinking/golfing with board members. Have house in Buckhead (Atlanta) and Philadelphia.
Contact me with details. Serious folks only.
Can you write an article on damage control? I have a close friend who is currently interning at a mid-market (or maybe it was a boutique) bank and, through no fault of hers (really horrible circumstances managed to rear their heads this summer), managed to pull some big investment banking no-no’s (mainly arriving late to work or not being available during those few crucial minutes per day — she had just stepped out to grab some food — when her analyst came by with pitchbooks to fix). We trade stories all the time, and from what it seems, the sentiment with her is basically, “If you’re going to keep back-office hours, then we’re going to give you back-office work” and she’s been relegated to things like cold-calling companies to confirm their addresses or cleaning up databases.
Given that she’s in such a shitty position now, is there still hope for her during FT interviews? I’m also personally curious, since I am also experiencing this on a much toned-down level (being given boring, mid/back-office-esque work). Is it true that if you make a bad impression at one bank, you can get essentially “blacklisted” in the industry?
Thought about it before but there isn’t too much to say – don’t screw up, and if you screw up, don’t make the same mistake again. She could still do well during FT interviews depending on how well-spun the internship is. No one gets blacklisted unless you do something really stupid (forged emails, murdered MD’s daughter, etc.).
Hi,
I’m currently applying for finance internships in Australia and have just received a letter of recommendation from my Vice-Chancellor. Would it be most wise to attach this letter to my cover letter/resume or have it on me during a subsequent interview?
Just bring it with you
Hey Brian,
appreciate all the work you put in here, I really like your site!
From an american point of view, which target universities in continental europe (France, Germany, Italy) have you heard of – if you have heard of any at all ?
I am horrible with European knowledge since I spent most of my time in Asia so I don’t have a complete list for you; I think the top 5 or so places in each country are well-known (if you mentioned the names I would recognize them) but most people in the US only know schools in the UK well (or maybe it is just me, not sure).
Hey.
Thank’s for a great homepage – I have found it very useful during my first year in university as I gradually have acquired knowledge within the field of economics and finance.
You mentioned that you spent most of your time in Asia, and as i am currently trying to figure out where to go on exchange abroad. I am from Denmark and studying at Copenhagen Business School (undergraduate) and study the most prestigious IB course in the country. My GPA is amongst top 5% in our course of 100 students. I have both considered going to the U.S but have recently been to Asia (twice) and really loved it!
Therefore, my question to you is: Are there any universities in Asia that you would recommend if I am to end up in investment banking?
I know that the exchange is only 5-6 months and that i am still an undergraduate, but if anything could help me achieving my goal – i’m ready to hear it :)
(I have considered CUHK, Tongji School of economics, Shanghai university so far)
Thank’s a lot!
Maybe a top university there such as HKU or Beijing (Peking) University. The ones you listed are ok but you want to aim for the top with study abroad programs (assuming those have programs in place). See tihs list: http://www.webometrics.info/top100_continent.asp?cont=asia
It is really helpful to see all the things to do and not to do.
I recently graduated as Accounting and Finance major, but I don’t feel like I know much about actual banking work
Besides, I haven’t done any IB intern before. Are graduate undergrad students with no intern experience hopeless to get intern offers?
No, you can make anything possible if you have the intention, belief and drive to do so. Network w bankers to land an offer; talk to bankers about how their lives are like then you’ll get to know what they actually do http://www.mergersandinquisitions.com/network-investment-banking-5-simple-steps/
Hi I’m currently a junior at Baruch and being a cold calling intern for a FA for the last 4 months. They pay me modestly. I internet at AXA Advisors last spring as well. Do you think I should hold this internship until I graduate.( I could) and they would allow me into their training program. If it is a legitimate front office opportunity, I would not leave. I just don’t know the potential value of my current situation. What do you think?
I would only hold it if you can’t get something in banking or at least something that’s less about cold calling. So be looking for something like that on the side and see what develops.
I’d be interested in an internship, how do I apply?
Senior status for summer 2012
BS in Business with a concentration in Finance.
Thanks in advance, look forward to hearing from yo.
Go to the banks’ websites and apply
Hello, thanks for all of the information. I am not sure how knowledgeable you are regarding the UK side of investment banking, but as a student from the University of St Andrews studying Computer Science, what would be your immediate / gut feeling regarding it’s standing in the finance world?
The reason being, my family is moving to the US.
You need to gain a finance internship / experience in the industry w solid firms to stand out
Many thanks for the quick reply, I am a year too young to get into any internships this year for IB, but will be looking at doing a financial management internship at Unilever or Shell to make up the time.
hi, i’m currently in my second year of college and have been internship hunting. would like to know that if the recruitment sites of the banks i’m applying to specify that they only want penultimate year students, should i still give it a go? anyway(i’m graduating only in beginning 2014)
You can though they might not consider your application
Try applying for other internships that will take people your year; also network with boutique/middle market banks and see if they can offer you an internship
thanks for the advice!
ohyes, here’s another question. given that most internship applications are done online, who should I address my cover letter to?
Dear Sir/Madam. If you know name of the HR person, put his/her name in there
Hi, I’m a junior at a Ivy League equivalent school in the US. I’ve never really thought of IB before but I’ve decided to try the interviews. I’ve had a lot of leadership experience and am highly analytical (engineer). I know for sure that I’m passionate about healthcare and I think we are on the brink of something big. Is it silly to be looking in the IB direction? Will it be held against me that it’s not something I’ve previously considered?
Also, just a side comment, I would never do anything on that list ;)
It won’t be held against you but I think you should figure out why IB & how you got interested in finance
Hi,
I graduated college in 2008 with a degree from University Cal Santa Barbara, in business economics with an accounting minor. I worked for 4 years as a cost accounant within a publically traded company, and recently I have been looking into investment banking. I had about a 3.0 GPA. What’s my best shot to get into the industry? I was thinking one of those internships that you pay for that offers the potential of employment upon completion if you prove yourself during the internship. Do you know of any reputable interships? I am willing to go anywhere in the United States, or international if that is a good avenue. Or do you have any other suggestions for ways I can get into the industry with my background. Thank you!
Network a lot. Perhaps an MBA from a target would help you. Try second/third tier banks too
Hi, I saw the newsletter M&I sent out a couple of days ago regarding the anex advantage training program. I have a high gpa: 3.9+ in economics and quantitative subject but am very pessimistic about internships right now due to being unlucky. Do you know if the firms they will have you interning at are legitimate at all? Meaning, are they reputable to the degree that I can even get interviews in FT recruiting? Thanks
Haha, I don’t think any firms can get you FT front office IB jobs unless you’re a really strong candidate or your dad is Donald Trump ;)
Hey Sorry I meant if I worked at say Green Coast Capital, almost unheard of middle market internship, will that result in interviews for FT recruiting for bulge brackets? thanks