Aug 20, 2026

Internship Embellishment

I recently interned at a community bank and didn’t do shit.

I’m looking to recruit for commercial and corporate banking internships, and I’m trying to enhance my resume as best as I can.

Is it believable, that an intern worked on just C&I and CRE annual reviews. Just updating credit memos with new spreads from tax returns, financial information, CoStar and IBISWorld market updates.

No new underwriting of loans. Would this be hard to defend?

What questions would you ask if you were an interviewer? I might be overthinking this.

2 Comments
 

Based on the most helpful WSO content, your approach to enhancing your resume with tasks like updating credit memos, working on C&I and CRE annual reviews, and incorporating market updates from CoStar and IBISWorld is reasonable and believable for a community bank internship. These are common responsibilities for interns in such roles, especially if no new underwriting was involved. However, you should ensure that you can confidently discuss these tasks in detail during interviews. Here's how to prepare:

Key Points to Defend Your Resume:

  1. Specificity in Tasks: Be ready to explain the process of updating credit memos. For example:

    • How did you use tax returns and financial information to update spreads?
    • What insights did you gather from CoStar and IBISWorld, and how did they contribute to the reviews?
  2. Understanding the Purpose: Demonstrate that you understand why these tasks are important. For instance:

    • How do annual reviews impact the bank's credit risk management?
    • Why are market updates relevant to C&I and CRE lending?
  3. Quantify Your Work: If possible, include metrics to add credibility:

    • How many credit memos did you update?
    • How many annual reviews did you assist with?

Potential Interview Questions:

  1. Can you walk me through the process of updating a credit memo?
  2. How did you ensure accuracy when spreading financials from tax returns?
  3. What kind of insights did you derive from CoStar or IBISWorld, and how did they influence the annual reviews?
  4. Did you encounter any challenges while working on these tasks? How did you address them?
  5. How did your work contribute to the overall goals of the credit team?

Final Advice:

While embellishment can be tempting, it's crucial to stay within the realm of what you can confidently defend. Focus on presenting your contributions in a way that highlights your attention to detail, analytical skills, and understanding of the credit process. If asked about underwriting, you can honestly state that your role was more focused on supporting annual reviews and updating existing credit documentation.

Sources: Can some real estate people take a look at my resume and tell me if I'm making a fool of myself or not?, https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forum/other/commercial-banking-relationship-manager?customgpt=1, Thoughts on CRI (Chartered Realty Investor) designation?, How do I respond to people asking for my resume while networking?, Q&A:Commercial Banking SVP Ask Me Anything

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.
 

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