Interns - get used to the never-ending cycle of firing off deliverables to your associate and waiting for comments.
The “void” of waiting will feel weird at first.
Resist the urge to spending it doom scrolling on TikTok.
My first week on the desk last summer, I asked my associate for his advice on how to productively fill this void & get ahead.
He advised 3 things: 1) Networking, 2) Bobsledding, and 3) Final Project
1 ) NETWORKING
I went on > 40 coffee / lunch dates during my 10wk
You’re in-person with a full roster of kick-ass rockstars - take advantage & make some new homies!
Connect with a variety of JR & SR bankers across groups and soak up lessons from their unique perspectives & career path wisdom.
I did this during first 5 days post-training:
- Swung by desks, shook hands & brief intro to almost everyone at firm
- End intros with: “would you be open to grabbing coffee / lunch at some point…”
- Kind awkward first few reps but need to put yourself out there
- Won’t say no & will ask you to follow up over email to schedule
Meeting all the office characters was my favorite part. Lot of my class regrets not doing more.
2 ) BOBSLEDDING
No - not talking about training for the Olympics here…
This basically means pulling up your chair to the analyst / associate you work closest with and asking if you can observe their wizardry.
Don’t do this if they are working on something urgent - you will be a distraction.
EASILY the best way to learn because they will walk you through their thought process live.
3 ) FINAL PROJECT
TRUST ME - week ten sneaks up and you’ll be giving your final presentation before you know it.
The final project will be fresh in their mind at the end of the summer when they are making a decision about whether to offer you a return - WAY MORE than anything you did weeks one thru five.
Don’t let yours become a last-minute thrown together piece of garbage because you procrastinated.
I’d always set goals of knocking out 3-4 slides a week and chip away.
Based on the most helpful WSO content, here are three effective strategies to maximize downtime during your investment banking internship:
Networking:
Observation (Bobsledding):
Progressive Work on Final Project:
By following these strategies, you can effectively use your downtime to enhance your skills, build a strong network, and prepare a compelling final project, all of which are critical to securing a return offer from your investment banking internship.
Sources: 7 Tips for the Boutique IB Summer Stint, Q&A: Investment Banking Intern Season, Non-Target to MM IB: My Advice, Summer 2017 Investment Banking Interns - Do's and Don'ts List, Q&A: Investment Banking Intern Season
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