I have a question about…?!

FALL INTERNSHIPS! I apologize if this post is redundant to others already written about this topic, but I thought it would not hurt to have another. As an undergraduate student at a target school, I am stuck on a dilemma of whether or not I should pursue a fall finance internship or focus on keeping up/raising my grades before recruiting in spring. The issue at hand seems quite evenly split based on the responses of the few people I have already asked. However, even after careful thought, I cannot seem to make my decision easily. Hence, I am here to ask the WSO monkeys for their views on this topic.

I don’t want to waste anyone’s time with this blog, so I have listed some of the pros and cons of the dilemma:

Pros:
1. Receive greater exposure to the finance industry:
For many students who have not worked in internships in the finance industry or feel like they have not received enough exposure to the industry (like myself), I believe gaining some work experience before recruiting should help them in many ways. First and foremost, the student can realize if working in the finance industry is a good “fit” for him. Second, if this is truly the case, then he can apply what he learned in classes to real problems. Of course, given the amount of time during the internship, the exposure to the industry may be limited. Nevertheless, the work experience can still be a boost on the resume.

2. Build network & Receive Mentorship
As we all recognize, networking is critical in any professional industry (especially for finance). Receiving mentorship from the professionals who have already established themselves in the industry can truly be one of the greatest assets an aspiring student can have. Moreover, in a world where relationships are intertwined and connected like a spider web, knowing more people can expand your professional network.

Cons:
1. Hurts grades + Consumes too much time
The popular counterargument to fall internships during school year is that it can take a toll on grades. Of course, balancing life and extracurricular activities with academics is dependent upon individual time management skills. Nevertheless, I still do believe that an internship that is outside of school (therefore not organized by the school) can have a devastating effect on many perspectives of school life. Grades definitely may not be everything, but it must count for something during recruiting.

2. Does not help too much on resume
The final opposing argument to the dilemma is that it will not look too impressively on resume to have many job experiences. If the work that you do at the internship does not teach you anything, then it may show on your resume naturally.

As such, I am left with this small dilemma. Another side problem I did not mention in this post is that many companies do not offer organized fall internship programs. I know cases might differ for each individual, but I am sure other students like myself are quite stuck and are also in need of advice. I also recognize that many factors will weigh into the decision (i.e. current grades, school, majors, previous work experiences, etc.). Nevertheless, I thought it would not hurt to have another post on this to share opinions and perspectives! Thanks in advance!