Junior year & no internship

Hey everyone,

As the title says, the end of the fall semester is approaching and I have yet to secure a summer internship. I did two internships with two of the Big 4 during both my Freshman and Sophomore years, and I had several interviews during the semester all of which led to nothing (rightfully so since I am not the best interviewee). I am currently weighing my options and I am planning to stay one extra semester to get a summer internship, however, I am afraid it will be frowned upon by employers to see that I didn't have a summer internship since I have two prior experiences.

 
Most Helpful

Hey there,

First off, don't beat yourself up too much. It's great that you're proactive and have already had two internships with Big 4 firms. That's a solid start!

Now, about not having a summer internship for your junior year, it's not the end of the world. Remember, your junior year internship is the most important one, so it's crucial to get it right. If you feel you need an extra semester to secure a good one, then go for it.

Employers value experience and the fact that you've had two internships already shows your initiative and drive. If asked about the gap, you can explain that you took the time to focus on your studies or personal development.

Also, remember that the recruiting process for some big firms starts over a year in advance. So, you can start looking for companies who are hiring for summer 2025 as early as December.

Lastly, don't let a few unsuccessful interviews discourage you. Interviewing is a skill that can be improved with practice. Consider using resources like the WSO Networking Guide or the Behavioral Techniques from the WSO Academy to help you improve your interview skills.

Keep your chin up and keep swinging! You've got this.

Sources: Should I Slow Down?, https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forum/job-search/advice-for-sophomore-summer-internships?customgpt=1, Some advice on getting a job or internship by Monty09, Junior Year Summer - Will Tech Internship Hurt Me?

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.
 

You can still get "a summer internship" it just may not be THE one you were shooting for. Still plenty of spots in commercial banking / fp&a in job postings that I've seen. I did a sophomore commercial banking and got IB next summer at another firm, you can also look at search funds or something like that for more relevant investment experience, also a lot of IB is already recruiting for Summer 25 so you could just go ahead and change your graduation date and start recruiting now, not everyone puts "incoming xyz summer analyst" on their resume so not sure if they would look to much into that if the rest of your resume is solid. 

 

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