If you’re interested in working in the financial sector, you should seriously consider interning at a financial firm during your summer break. It may be difficult to find an internship that you’ll enjoy and get the most out of. But there are a few things that you can do to increase your chances of getting hired after your internship.
Honestly, there are thousands of finance students looking for internships who have college years of training. While many fields do not share the notation that a degree is required, investment banking does.
If they are an investment bank, they handle a lot of money and usually don’t trust people without degrees. Sorry, keep studying, working hard, and applying once you’re in college!
How can a high school senior get an internship at an investment bank before university?
Landing an internship prior to your freshman year of college is not unheard of. Although you won’t land an internship at a bulge bracket, you can network your way into a smaller boutique firm. You must be persistent in reaching out to anyone you might know in IB such as friends, relatives, friends-of-friends, and so on.
I am currently interning for a middle-market firm as I prepare for my freshman year of college. I ended up getting the contact information from a high-level MD and he got me situated at the firm. The best way to prepare yourself for this field is to understand IB terminology since as an intern, you work closely with the analysts. Analysts work mostly in excel and do a lot of work for pitch books.
You should be comfortable working in Excel and understand the basics of IB such as DCF, comps, and M&A transactions. Honestly, these are the tools you deal with most so understanding them will greatly help. Getting into a good College will also dramatically increase your chances as recruiters start at Top Colleges such as IVY’s. There are many resources online that you can use to search for internship opportunities in your area. Best of luck in your endeavors.