Asset Management/alternatives. Don't want to get too specific.

I'm getting paid well although less than my classmates who are interning at long-short equity hedge funds. According to my school's career report I'm getting paid more than the median classmate who is interning in private equity. So yeah, I shouldn't bitch too much, but at the same time I want to be analytically challenged and learn a ton, both for my personal benefit, and for full-time recruiting.

 
Best Response

Wow that sounds worse then me grandpas stint in Dacau, its almost like they are paying you for cheap labour and in return you get work experience and a name on your resume.

I would escape ASAP and start a leveraged VIX option based hedge fund.

 

Yeah, I mean the internship just started right? It's not uncommon to get some grunt work, especially in the beginning. Just maintain a positive attitude, do it well (regardless of how mind-numbing), and make it known you want to do something else more thoughtful. Impress the right people and the good work will come along. Stay positive, it will look better upon you.

Have some free time? Create a business proposal on why the firm should pay the fee rather than make you do it, conduct a P&L analysis and show it to your manager.

 

This is my 6th week in a 10-week internship, which is what makes this a bit more disturbing. I get your point overall though. I mean I should keep a positive face in front of my bosses, but I did tell them yesterday that I would like to add as much value as I can during my remaining time. They told me that once I'm done with this task I can move onto more "analytical" projects such as macro country analysis and some company research. However, they won't let this stupid database project go and are hounding me on the slightest detail. It's become maddening.

 

Well great, looks like some other projects are on the horizon. I'm guessing the database thing is just something they all don't want to do, so they asked you to do it. Just get it done. Complain about it in front of them and they will think "Wow what an entitled M7 bastard".

 
mbavsmfin:

and are hounding me on the slightest detail. It's become maddening.

I'm into my banking stint for 4 years, and why do I feel the same way? I get really pissed when the seniors are overly obsessed with the slightest details, even though those carry minuscule importance in the total work. When I am asked with those types of follow-up questions, sometimes I feel very embarrassed for passing it through to our corporate clients and asking them.

 

Get over it. I did a shitty internship before I found my two good ones. You come in and you do the grunt work with a smile on your face. You figure out how to work efficiently and effectively while lowering expectations. You play office politics. You end up pleasing your employer while not doing tons of work. You leave and leverage that experience to go to a better name. Rarely will you be doing actual interesting work as an intern. If your boss is doing cool shit, then you're likely on the right track, even if your work sucks.

heister: Look at all these wannabe richies hating on an expensive salad. https://arthuxtable.com/
 

Internships are always hit or miss. What do you give a guy who just joined the company with potentially no relevant experience and is leaving in 10 weeks? The answer is: not much.

From my discussions with classmates that are also doing internships, sometimes you end up doing nothing most of the summer. It is a shame -- as an MBA you're definitely looking to add some value. If I were you I'd power through this project as fast as you can so you can get on to the better work. A bit too late now but you at least want to have some valuable experience you can talk to during recruiting, even if you did it for just one week.

CompBanker’s Career Guidance Services: https://www.rossettiadvisors.com/
 

I agree with this. I've talked to a few of my classmates about their internships, and almost no one is satisfied, especially in finance. I'm gonna move onto more interesting stuff, but my boss obsesses over the smallest minute detail that has no bearing on the overall project. Plus she's sort of absent-minded and would forget stuff I tell her or not read e-mails I send her. It's quite frustrating, but at least I'm getting paid reasonably well, and it will be over soon. I'm just going to grind it out, get as much as I can and leave on a good note so I can focus on full-time recruiting.

 

I made my intern come with me on an expedition to a hardware store to pick up some lumber, then gave him a power drill and got him to build me some shelves. He didn't do too badly at it.

Those who can, do. Those who can't, post threads about how to do it on WSO.
 
SSits:

It's probably smartphone autocorrect at play.

Oh yeah? In that case I would assume the entire post was smartphone autocorrected, and what OP meant to say was "I am grateful for having the privilege of attending an M8 business school and I will make the most of the opportunities presented to me instead of going onto an online forum and whining incessantly like daddy's little girl". Smartphones can be really weird like that.

 

I really don't understand why we put this post on the front page. I agree with CompBanker that internships are hit or miss and experience really depends on the team you are assigned to, how busy they are, and other factors over which you have no control. You can hardly complain you are not getting to work on sexy mind blowing projects and advising PMs on strategic matters during your 10 week stint. I hate to say it man but being an MBA candidate does not trump lack of industry experience and merit entitlement. If anything consider this a life lesson, that way you wont be expecting rapid promotions to the C-suite all courtesy of your M7 MBA once you graduate.

 

I get UGs on this site bitching because they don't know anything yet, but this guy should know better.

Internships, many times, are just a way for the firm to feel you out. You are getting a top MBA and have work experience so they know you are competent. They can't give you something in depth since you're around for such a short time. So instead they give you basic stuff to see if you do it well and have a good attitude.

I'd suggest less bitching and more appreciation. Don't expect to replace skills you should have learned in a job with an internship. Be more grateful.

 

If it's 9-5 internship you're being too entitled. Finish your work early. Stay past the clock, show them you're really trying to get ahead. Look at firm's past work/deals & get some insight on that. Get on your superiors' good side (internal networking). You sound like the "M7 fast-track I deserve better type."

Work hard, work clean, & most of all do not give up.
 

You can do plenty of in depth stuff in 10 weeks, as long as you work hard. You should be doing a hell of a lot more than just copying databases.

What is your team working on? Find out and see how you can make their life better. There are always areas that can be improved upon or researched better, etc. You've got to find your own work or create your own niche, no one is going to hand it to you on a silver platter. And here I thought guys with an M7 MBA were supposed to be intelligent innovators and entrepreneurs.

 

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