Where should I apply for summer IB internships?

ForeverZero
Wed, 09 Dec 2009 18:20:23 +0000

It’s going to be tough, given that you’re at a non-target school with a relatively low GPA. I’d recommend 2 different approaches that you can do in parallel:

1. Apply to a bunch of boutique investment banks. Try networking a ton, starting right now, if you haven’t already. Don’t just rely on OCR, especially if you’re at a non-target. Reach out to alumni you know at each bank. It’s much easier to get into a boutique for an internship, and that experience can hopefully be a springboard to a bigger firm next year when you recruit full time.

2. Apply for non-investment banking jobs at more competitive firms. Let’s be realistic - you have very little chance of breaking into IBD at a BB this summer. But there are plenty of other positions that will give you good exposure to banking while also giving you a solid brand name. PWM is one example, or equity research. I know plenty of people who have summered in PWM at a bulge bracket and managed to, through the connections they developed over the summer, transition into an IBD group at the same bank.