Advice with sophomore internship

Hi! I signed a few months ago for summer 2025. I am doing something related adjacent to ib but not (think along the lines of big 4 valuations this summer/real esate). Throughout the internship, I have gotten some pressure to come back for my third year summer. I accepted my ib offer prior to starting this job. I really like the people I work with and feel terrible but since the start I have not told them about what I'm doing next summer for the sake of learning more during the internship. I have been have not been untruthful but just like deliberately vague. However recently, I made the stupid mistake and I told a fellow intern today with about a month left in the internship. I am worried people will react badly if it gets out. Should I come clean to my manager? Does anyone have any tips for delicately handling sophomore summer internships while not damaging connections when ib recruitment happens so early?

2 Comments
 
Most Helpful

In case they know: Everyone knows IB recruitment is early. It might cause some salty relations and burn bridges, but that is the part of life. People can do whatever they and pressure others to do what they want, but part of being an adult is realizing that, standing up for yourself, and making smart decisions. You are an adult no one can force you to anything.

You signed an IB offer, but didn’t sign their offer. So far the only thing I am hearing is that you someone good work ethics as you promised to spend the summer. Now if you had a convo with them before starting about joining them for another summer and post-graduation then you definitely owe them and will risk burn bridges. You haven’t signed anything yet for them, you are young, and you are responsible for your own future.

Odds are the junior and senior people would be ok and understanding that you have better opportunities and that you are looking for yourself. Middle managers would be salty, but at the end of the day they can’t say anything except that kid didn’t come back to work for us because he had a better opportunity as long as you do a good and have a decent work
ethic.

As far what to say just don’t bring it up unless you get asked just be honest and transparent, and please for god sale shut up and answer questions to the point while giving awkward pauses before responding to them so you can gather your thoughts and hopping they over explain themselves too.


Now as far as this whole situation goes as long as you are not an idiot and disrespectful you will be fine.

Let this be a learning moment to not tell coworkers anything and especially idiots that might screw you. Hopefully the intern who snitched slips on banana leaving the office.



Regardless, this whole thing should not affect your recruitment or offer unless there is something major you did that is totally unrelated aka saying racist stuff on a firm wide call (BofA Girl)


Again, let this be a learning moment. You are young in the infancy of your career with a hiccup that won’t affect it. I just please don’t mention your on-cycle offer if you are at an IB
that is not supportive to analysts recruiting for the buy-side.

Cheers mate! It is almost the weekend where you use a fake to get drunk! Chill out, everything will be fine!

 

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