Good finance internship programs on the West Coast?
Hey everyone. just joined and I have no idea what I'm doing. It seems most interns venturing here know way more about things than me.
I'm currently a finance major in CA and I'd like to get my foot in the door at some firms in SoCal.
I'm looking for undergraduate(Junior/Senior/Sophmore) programs in CA finance or business related from good reputable companies, can anyone give me some insight into the best/ most well-regarded finance internships on the west coast.
I'd like to get some experience with finance related positions, I have an interest in investments, trading, commodities, management consulting, or anything finance related that you recommend I should check out.
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Which companies have the best internship programs in the SoCal area? What should I be looking into?
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Most firms and companies will have internship opportunities, especially at the junior level. There are a lot of great firms in California, and I think it matters more what your responsibilities are rather than the name of the firm (although a good name certainly helps). Reach out to friends, alumni, attend career fairs and even cold call to get coffee chats and interviews. Good luck!
I have no idea where to start or which firms I should be looking into. I dont have many resources in terms of friends, etc. I'm very new to all this. If you could name me some firms so I could start researching them that would be highly appreciated!
Thank you.
It won't be difficult searching up a list of boutique investment banks located in LA or SF on google. That should be the best place to start for you.
West Coast Semi-Target Summer Analyst Recruiting (Originally Posted: 11/18/2011)
Currently a Junior at semi-target in the West Coast. Seeking an IB SA position at a BB. I am 2 years ahead at school, being only 18 with enough credits to be considered a Junior. I have been attending info sessions and will be submitting applications soon. I have a strong resume, with experience working for a multi-billion dollar real estate firm, boutique investment banking firm, starting my own sector of a business within a screen printing manufacturing business, as well as an internship in wealth management that got me started.
What does everyone suggest?
I am even considering Master's programs as well. Any recommendations?
Yea chill the fuck out, what do you do for fun? Not to be critical, but developing my interpersonal skills has been the single most helpful aspect in my getting internship and now full time interviews from a complete non-target. And by developing interpersonal skills, I mean partying, joining a fraternity, and making the most out of my time in college.
Edit: I guarantee you will get interviews, at that point it just matters if people want to sit next to you for 80-100 hrs. a week.
i was a jizz stain at 18, barley knew how to speak to anyone 10+ years older than me in a mature manner. seemed to be consistent throughout my age group. but that changed in a couple years.
masters program is not a bad idea if u really need it. also you shouldn't have the "BB or bust" attitude. i'd cast a much wider net esp for SA. and fuck your only 18. i'd spend a semester or two abroad r something INTERESTING like that.
on a side note - i've mentored overly ambitious ~18 year olds and they are the last people i'd like to work with. fine line between being eager/hungry and being annoying/boring.
Good advice. Definitely considering master's programs or even double-majoring to explore new passions and get educated in a technical field such as CS - who knows, I'm sure those skills can be attributal to any form of business.
I wouldn't say I'm overly ambitious. Just the right amount to have direction and actually pursue it while enjoying life and staying balanced. I work with a couple overly ambtious newly-admitted HYPSW type kids, and they seem to have that annoying, immature attitude, even though they are really smart.
Why do you recommend BB or bust? In LA there seems to be quite a few MM banks or even boutiques that pay street. And boutiques seem to provide a more exclusive experience, as I know analysts who got some client exposure, which definitey outweighs number crunching like all those banking monkeys.
wow. that was long.
I don't really care about your fraternity life. Congrats on wasting your time.
I guess you weren't on the debate team in high school... I type 80 wpm, the 2 minutes were worth it.
you sound like a massive self-entitled douchebag. then i saw your profile...
College / University: USC
and it all makes sense. people in the west coast dont even take your school seriously... maybe you should stop taking yourself so seriously.
People don't take my school seriously? Every bank on the west coast recruits Trojans. In fact, every PE firm I've interviewed with in LA had some SC guys, and they never forget to mention how much they admire USC.
While its true that USC does not have a tier 1 reputation among undergraduate and graduate finance programs, Marshall excels in other fields of business beyond any other school in the country, especially due to the network you become apart of. Top 2 accounting school, #1 Real estate program, top 3 operations, etc. The reason for USC not having a strong rep in finance is because of their location. LA is not a banking hub whatsoever.
We're USC. Fuck all you haters.
OP you sound like a dickhead, your an arrogant little fuck, and no one wants to deal with it. So good luck getting past the first round interviews.
I came in with credits to be a senior. And I got 2 interviews. You're screwed.
You guys are bitches - Why would I post my credentials for self-entitlement? I was clearly in an unusual position, soI was just looking for advice from people with experience. Not you faggots who lurk this site all day and use it as a platform to talk shit to people you don't even know.
Looking at everyone who went to USC from my high school, your reputation is because of your students not the location.
The OP may be a bit of a douchebag, but USC is definitely respected a lot on the west coast. Whoever said that it wasn't is obviously an east coaster without a clue. I would say there are 5 big schools on the west coast that command a lot of respect, and USC is easily one of them.
Iunno... the only kids I've thought of as smart who went to USC are either the smart lazy ones or the smart poor ones who got full rides/tuition scholars.
SoCal good mm internships (Originally Posted: 02/12/2010)
hey,
was wondering what are the good regional mm or boutiques that operate out of socal.
thx
I'd say check the boutique guide that is stickied on the top of the forum.
LA internships (Originally Posted: 10/26/2012)
Hey everyone, I currently attend a secondary target school in New England, and I was wondering what kind of internship opportunities would be available in LA? I'm interested in IB, boutiques, PE, and managerial consulting. Thanks for your help
secondary target? what the hell is that?
Probably not the right term, but I go to Boston College and some recruit on campus but not all. So I figured that's what I'd call it
Which LA firms should I pursue for a SA internship as a non target student? (Originally Posted: 08/14/2014)
Junior attending non target university majoring in finance. Getting an SA can be incredibly competitive so I'd like to focus on firms that I have a chance at getting into.
Which firms in LA would I be wise to pursue for a summer analyst position?
There are a LOT of resources out there. Please use the search function!
TravelBonobo, I'm sure SA questions are posted a lot. I have already used the search function to search for a similar questions before this thread was created. this thread was created when I found nothing similar to what I was asking, which is which LA firms would be more likely to hire me. I've read boutiques can be even more competitive due to the low amount of employees. thank you.
Oh I see. Well regional firms and regional boutiques in the MM space would be most likely to hire you. Then low-level BB banks, then EB, and then the top BB banks.
As far as which firms are specifically in LA, I'm not sure. You'll have to do some digging. There are lists of all the major banks in the US online. Shouldn't be too hard to find.
Looking for a Summer internship in the SF Bay Area (Originally Posted: 02/20/2014)
Hello all, I am a junior at a non-target UC in Socal and have been searching for a summer internship in either investment management, or i banking, for the last couple of months. I have interest in both the buy and sell sides, but do have some recent buy-side internship experience. I have applied for some through emails, and the vast majority of the rest of them through firms' online applications. I have had a few positive responses/phone interviews, but not many I have not heard back from most firms, and have gotten a bunch of rejections as well.
My overall GPA is pretty good at a 3.75, cumm. is "whatever" at a 3.2, but my major pitching point has been on the fact that I am a student athlete. I also had a recent internship last quarter at a private wm firm, which I am using as my most relevant experience.
Since it is starting to get pretty late in the recruiting game, I am looking primarily at boutique firms around the SF Bay Area. Anyone have some tips to offer? Places to look in the SF Bay? I know this site is a very useful resource with its feature that lists firms by region, with their contact info. However is it ok to email and ask for intern opportunities from firms that are otherwise not listing any current openings?
Many thanks!
Keep using that search bar. As you've mentioned, this site has very useful resources.
But to briefly touch on your question, I would make a list of boutiques and contacts within these firms. Reach out and be personal but to the point. Nobody is really willing to hold your hand throughout the process so you really do have to be aggressive about landing an internship at this point in the recruiting season. Good luck!
Thank you hedgehog for the input.
Anyone else? Bump!
LA SA Recruitment -- opinions sought (Originally Posted: 10/31/2014)
Hi all,
I am a student in California looking to pursue investment banking in LA and SF this summer. I feel that I have a pretty good grasp on SF in terms of firms and groups, but am hoping you folks could help shed some light on LA. I have torn through forum histories at WSO and have found some good reads, but I am hoping you guys can help me out.
My understanding is that Moelis is pretty much the undisputed king of LA (they also had 0 of 6 SAs return this year, so there's that). How do you guys feel (objectively, if possible) about GS, MS, CS and Houlihan in terms of placement into buy-side firms and overall prestige? (not fanboy prestige, I mean like Wall St. respect, etc.)
Based on my research and conversations with bankers, people tend to agree that CS, although somewhat lacking the name brand, places EXTREMELY well into PE due to the nature of their work (financial sponsors) and is well-respected. I've heard much the same of Houlihan in terms of buy-side placement and general respect despite the MM size.
I hear mixed things about MS/GS. Some people seem to think highly of both and say the name brand of each will carry you. It seems that MORE people, however, believe GS is solid and can place you into megafunds/solid PEs, but that MS LA is nothing to brag about. But, does GS LA's downsizing and riddance of FIG hurt its reputation? I suppose I am MOST interested in hearing about your opinions on MS LA vs. GS LA in terms of respect and placement, because CS and Houlihan are pretty widely regarded as solid.
So, all things considered (and excluding Moelis), what is the word on the Street about HLH/CS/MS/GS in LA? Thank you guys for putting some color on this for me! Please excuse my long-windedness.
Best regards, Kyle
moelis=cs>gs>ms>HL
moelis=cs>gs>ms>HL
West Coast F500 Intern Programs (Originally Posted: 07/18/2012)
Hey everyone. Just joined
So currently I'm interning in REPE, but next summer I'd like to learn more about corporate finance. I've never been interested in a career in IB, but corp finance/ treasury looks interesting. Next summer I will be a rising senior (econ major) at a liberal arts college, so I am also looking for an internship that can lead to FT.
I've seen the post that lists a bunch of finance programs, but the focus of that list is on post-graduate employment and there is less information on internships, let alone programs in CA.
So can anyone give me some insight into the best/ most well-regarded finance internships with west coast F500s?
I know that GE and J&J are the most well regarded in general, but I am looking mainly at companies with opportunities (& HQ) in California. So far it seems like I should be looking into places like Chevron, Google, Wells Fargo, Apple... Where are the best programs?
Check out all the big tech companies like Oracle, Cisco, Microsoft, Facebook, Amazon, Intel, they should all have corp fin developement programs for graduates straight out of college or junior interns.
What is the typical progression with one of these internships:
FT offer > 2 yr rotational program > MBA?
My friend in Canada did the GE FMP program and afterwards switched into GE Capital and is now attending a top 10 business school in the U.S. The usual path should be
FT offer > 2 year rotational > 2-3 years division as a manager > MBA > ???
Most people pick and work at a division for 2-3 years as a manager after a rotational to take on more responsibility. Realistically, I don't think you would have enough management experience or leadership abilities to do a MBA right after a rotational.
Is there usually flexibility in division or consequently location? I'd assume most places would want graduates starting out at HQ
How about Qualcomm?
Not much literature on the program but they could be worth looking at
I met a few Qualcomm rotationals. Its definitely a great program as you get exposure to what you want (you get to pick which rotations you want to do). They're a vast company with involvement in many fields.
Pay is pretty good too from what I hear.
Being able to chose sounds pretty great. Thanks qc
Is San Fran worth going to for an internship? (Originally Posted: 12/16/2007)
I have a chance to do an internship with an Investment Banking firm in San Fran. I know its not NYC but is it still worth pursuing or should I just stay home and look for a gig here in Houston?
What kind of firm and what group? If it's GS TMT in SF (they've done a good chunk of the major TMT deals in the past 1-2 years), then yes of course. :) Lots of other good TMT groups in SF as well and some high-quality boutiques.
Houston is obviously more Energy-focused so depends what you're after.
Neither place is like NYC for banking/finance, but if you can find the right opportunity, both SF and Houston could be "worth" going to.
Corporate finance at one, sales and trading another. Both in San Fran. But if Houston is good too I might as well save money, stay home, and look for a gig here.
So pretty much what you're saying is that both cities are practically equal? Nothing stands out about San Fran?
SF probably has a slightly higher number of banks/firms overall but Houston the best energy groups and cost of living is obviously way lower.
However if you already have 2 opportunities lined up in SF and no leads in Houston it will be hard to find something and close on an offer in a short timeframe... if you can push back the SF offers as much as possible while searching for jobs in Houston I might try that.
San Fran is a much cooler city than Houston too. IMO.
If you want to do tech banking, then SF (and the greater bay area) is the place to be
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