Unpaid internship for experience?

I am a second year at a non-target in the boston area. I am interested in working in the real estate industry possibly in research or portfolio management for commercial real estate. I clearly don't know what I am talking about but I'm trying to learn what I want to do. Is it smart for me to take an unpaid intern position at a real estate brokerage firm. It is part time and I would probably only work 1-2 days a week and be the office bitch. This would just be to throw on my resume. Waste of time or no?

 

At semi-target, did a non-paid internship and it was the best decision looking back. Was ass showing up and leaving with no money in the pocket, but was always the most interesting discussion point on the resume given the firms reputation

 

Unpaid internships are bullshit, but if I was in your position I'd take it as well. You want that on your resume. 

Commercial Real Estate Developer
 

If you don't have family in the industry that can guarantee junior year / FT roles, you need to build your resume in any way you can. A few months working unpaid means nothing when you break into the career you want to in the long-term.

 

Companies that specifically offer unpaid internships are shitty. That said, that doesn't mean it isn't worth it. I found 2 partners that had a very small PE shop in my town at a non-target and I harassed them until they agreed to give me an unpaid internship - that experience was awesome because the company wasn't just looking for free labor. 

Don't @ me
 

Was in nearly the same circumstance as you in college. I didn't decide until my senior year that I wanted to go the CRE route. I had Zero CRE experience up until this point, so I knew I had to hustle and take what I could get. After 100+ job apps and networking a ton, I got an unpaid internship at a family friend's NNN lease brokerage shop. Was doing rent comp and market research reports for him for a couple of months and I landed my first full time role because of that unpaid internship. 

 

Relevant and useful experience over a certain threshold of time trumps everything in RE. It will trump an MBA and an MSRE.

 
Most Helpful

Vel voluptas consectetur ut consequatur aut et sed est. Sed ut voluptate omnis. Debitis voluptates et veniam distinctio. Dolor enim natus laborum tempora adipisci adipisci.

Error consequatur tenetur consequatur officia consequatur. Officia non voluptatem omnis perferendis sint. Ipsam omnis quia inventore.

Aut dolor dolorem repellat. Facilis culpa molestiae voluptates porro expedita quas voluptatem.

Enim cupiditate est harum unde. Repudiandae et ea mollitia voluptatem. Numquam non recusandae natus praesentium sequi. A atque ducimus ducimus.

Career Advancement Opportunities

May 2024 Investment Banking

  • Jefferies & Company 02 99.4%
  • Perella Weinberg Partners New 98.9%
  • Lazard Freres 01 98.3%
  • Harris Williams & Co. 24 97.7%
  • Goldman Sachs 16 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

May 2024 Investment Banking

  • Harris Williams & Co. 18 99.4%
  • JPMorgan Chase 10 98.9%
  • Lazard Freres 05 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 97.7%
  • Moelis & Company 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

May 2024 Investment Banking

  • Lazard Freres 01 99.4%
  • Jefferies & Company 02 98.9%
  • Perella Weinberg Partners 18 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 16 97.7%
  • Moelis & Company 05 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

May 2024 Investment Banking

  • Director/MD (5) $648
  • Vice President (21) $373
  • Associates (91) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (14) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (33) $170
  • 2nd Year Analyst (68) $168
  • 1st Year Analyst (206) $159
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (148) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
7
kanon's picture
kanon
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
Linda Abraham's picture
Linda Abraham
98.8
10
numi's picture
numi
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”