What sophomore internship would be best for MBB recruiting?
ORM male sophomore at HYPW (US Citizen). I’ll be recruiting for MBB junior summer internships next year and want to position myself correctly. My freshman summer was spent as a strategy intern at a boutique in Philly, and I now have two offers for this summer abroad in London.
Option 1: TikTok (London) Business Development Intern
Option 2: Institute for Fiscal Studies (London) Research Intern
This is the UK’s leading independent economics research institute.
Which of these is better for MBB recruiting?
For MBB recruiting, Option 2: Institute for Fiscal Studies (London) Research Intern is likely the stronger choice. Here's why:
Relevance to MBB Skillset: MBB firms value analytical rigor, problem-solving, and research skills. Working at a prestigious economics research institute like the Institute for Fiscal Studies demonstrates your ability to handle complex data, conduct in-depth analysis, and contribute to high-level research—skills that align closely with consulting work.
Prestige and Credibility: The Institute for Fiscal Studies is highly regarded in the economics and policy space, which can add significant weight to your resume. MBB recruiters often look for experiences that showcase intellectual depth and credibility, especially from well-known institutions.
Differentiation: While TikTok is a well-known brand, a business development internship there might not stand out as much in the MBB recruiting process. It could be perceived as less rigorous or less aligned with the consulting skillset compared to a research role at a leading institute.
Global Perspective: Both options are abroad in London, which is a plus for showcasing international experience. However, the Institute for Fiscal Studies may provide a more unique and intellectually challenging narrative for your application.
Ultimately, the Institute for Fiscal Studies aligns better with the analytical and problem-solving skills MBB values, making it the stronger choice for positioning yourself for junior summer MBB internships.
Sources: McKinsey to give FT offers to Summer Associates, BCG gives FT offers to all incoming interns, Opinion: MBB will follow the banks for internships and give all interns FT offers
Whichever one you think will give you the most project ownership and in-depth knowledge of something. At the end of the day they're looking for people who can work well in team situations and take charge of an area of research. Maybe you'll be running a research project in IFS, which would look great; similarly, if you're going to work on expanding TikTok in some particular space that would also look great. It is really about the amount of work you're responsible for and the quality of the team you work with so you have compelling stories to tell.
Would also think about how it fits with your resume if you think the jobs are equivalently interesting...do you have a very heavy academic focus or a media focus, for example?
take answer with grain of salt since not in MBB or strat consulting but lowkey would take the TikTok offer. Bizdev is probably more aligned with what you’d do at MBB as opposed to doing econ research which is probably more aligned with econ consulting. Also just sounds way more fun to do bizdev at a product company, maybe gives you a slight edge at maybe getting into TMT mandates at MBB if that’s what you want to do.
Also re: brand recognition, TikTok is a lot more famous to the general person; maybe the research place is really famous to people in the know but otherwise I’d bet interviewers or most people would be more interested in your exp at TikTok. Also culture at tech companies tends to be rlly fun
Whichever fits your "brand" the most - aka the story you are going to tell about yourself in cover letter/behaviorals
Obviously TikTok... never hurts to have a brand name on your resume. And I guarantee you will learn/grow far more from an internship at TikTok - between getting tech company operating experience, understanding what good looks like, working at a rocketship, etc.
Most people at these firms, unless they were a PhD, don't care about research at all and view it as "pie in the sky" type work
What do you mean exactly by “pie in the sky,” and why does nobody on WSO have an interest in academics?
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