What sort of internship?
I am a freshman in a semi-target undergraduate business school thinking about internships for the summer, currently interested in consulting but also considering investment banking and trading. My main goal with an internship this summer would be to get a better idea of exactly what industry I best fit in with. Given this goal, what sort of internship would you all recommend I go for? I understand that the prospects of a freshman landing an internship are slim, but I know of several people who have done it at smaller firms.
Basically I am looking for an experience in which I could learn as much as I can, while putting me in a good position to go for a top firm like MBB in the summer before my senior year. I remember reading somewhere that for MBB, interning at a lower-tier consulting firm is not a great idea - can anyone shed light on this as well?
Obviously if you have your pick of all internships then you have decisions to make. Having said that, ANY finance related internship (PWM, BO, Coffee slave, etc) is going to look good for your freshman year summer. You aren't landing this internship to help you land FT directly you are landing it to get a good junior year internship.
Sure that makes a lot of sense. Anyone with advice on internships that would put me in a better position for consulting, maybe MBB specifically?
this may be impossible for you based on your position, but i wanted to post it to make sure this thought runs through your head while you're exhausting all resources/connections for your first big boy internship.
Interning in the corporate world where a bunch of consultants have "landed" after consulting can be very beneficial for your career. I had two internships at non consulting firms but I was working with ex partners, directors, and managers from consulting firms. They knew I didn't want to stay at that firm i was interning at and wanted to get into consulting, they still worked me hard but gave me extremely beneficial insight into the consulting world. I got very close to some well respected ex-consultants and the stuff that "rubbed-off" on me, the tacit knowledge transferred to me, and the consulting connections established that early in my career were quite useful. This move can make sure you aren't already branding yourself at another consulting firm (they see different consulting firm's name and automatically throw you into a bucket).
Also, if you really find a lucky internship like mine, you brand yourself as working as an "internal consultant" at the firm (not a lie, truth) and as you explain your responsibilities and types of work you were doing their eyes may light up and instantly respect your consulting abilities without bucketing you as some associate from "X consulting firm" that we "stick our noses up to", or "everyone from this consulting firm only thinks like this and let me flex the confirmation bias as I interview you" type of stuff. If consultants recently landed in a corporate position, shades of consulting will still be integrated into their current work/projects and the work you can get passed down may be similar.
Idk if this is or ever will be an option for you but keep this in the back of your head and if you are swimming in connection waters (ie. family + friends this early in your career) - keep the above in mind. Being around guys who recently left consulting on a day to day basis will prepare you vastly at this point in your career.
And FYI this is if you want to get into consulting, it appears your interests may exceed that of consulting.
Remember you are young so open as many doors as possible, try to accumulate options before narrowing your sights as ANY professional internship will be beneficial to your career as well.
Hope this helped.
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