Best Internship Path for Joining a Hedge Fund After, IB or ER?

Hi everyone,

I'm currently a MBA student at a t-15 business school and am considering a career path that will eventually lead me to join a hedge fund. I have a couple of internship offers on the table and am trying to decide which would best position me for my goal. The internships I'm considering are in either equity research (ER) or investment banking (IB).

Given that I aim to work in investment banking or equity research initially and then transition to a hedge fund, which internship do you think would provide the best foundation and network for achieving this goal?

Any insights or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

199 WSO Academy Hedge Fund Session Reviews: 4.77/5

Class of '29 Sep 2026 Cohort

5.00/5

Hedge Fund LinkedIn Review

“My meeting with Kevin Lee was super helpful and went well beyond what I originally expected. We met to discuss my LinkedIn profile, but the conversation also covered the hedge fund space and how I’m thinking about my career as a whole. I really appreciated being able to talk about both how I present myself professionally and the broader direction I want to take. As someone interested in hedge funds but also exploring other paths in finance, it was helpful to have a conversation that connected my profile to my actual interests and goals. Kevin gave me a lot to think about, and I left feeling clearer about my next steps. Overall, I really appreciated his time and willingness to go beyond the original purpose of our meeting.”

Class of '26 Sep 2026 Cohort

4.56/5

Hedge Fund Mock Interview

“He was very responsive and prepared for the meeting. He actually read the JD, resume, and looked up linkedin which sometimes other mentors doesn't actually go over those to prepare things beforehand. I appreciate his direct comments I think it saved time and actually helped me to know exactly where to improve. I also appreciated him admitting if he doesn't know about specific HF strategy. Only thing I'd suggest for him is probably sending actionable key takeaways after the meeting because other mentors did and that was very helpful. ”

See All 11,746 WSO Academy Reviews

1 Comments

WSO Monkey Bot

O

2y

Quisquam laudantium exercitationem minima necessitatibus quos. Possimus dicta non aperiam impedit cum fugit ratione. Inventore fuga non qui facilis repudiandae accusamus voluptas. Ut dolorum dolor rem consequatur.

Voluptatem assumenda sunt blanditiis numquam in sed voluptate. Voluptatibus recusandae consequatur incidunt voluptatem et aut. Culpa repellendus ut magnam neque dolorum. Velit eius iste rem ab debitis quasi. Sequi nobis aut nihil autem dolores.

Esse neque quia omnis ut. Eaque ea placeat quis eum. Laboriosam iste iure et molestiae.

+20	Future of L/S	5	2d
+17	Latest blow up / wind down	25	2d
+15	James Fishback	7	3h
+12	Looking for Fund to Partner With - LMM Activist	4	1h
+10	SM L/S Compensation?	3	3h
+9	Moving from credit to equity?	3	4d
+9	MMHF Central Execution Trajectory/Advice	1	1d
+9	How to prep for credit HF?	4	1d
+3	Chefs at Pod Shops	2	2d
+1	The best cover letter for L/S	2	3d

1	redever	99.2
2	BankonBanking	99.0
3	Secyh62	99.0
4	kanon	99.0
5	GameTheory	98.9
6	dosk17	98.9
7	Betsy Massar	98.9
8	DrApeman	98.9
9	CompBanker	98.9
10	numi	98.8

Elite Career Bootcamp. Top Job Offer Guaranteed.

Elite Career Bootcamp. Top Job Offer Guaranteed.

Best Internship Path for Joining a Hedge Fund After, IB or ER?

Score Breakdown

Feedback

Score Breakdown

Feedback

Elite Career Bootcamp. Top Job Offer Guaranteed.

Elite Career Bootcamp. Top Job Offer Guaranteed.

Best Internship Path for Joining a Hedge Fund After, IB or ER?

See All Comments - 100% Free

Trending Content - Hedge Fund Forum