Bag for Internship?

Hey everybody,

I'm going to start my internship soon at a boutique investment bank soon. I have never worked in a professional atmosphere before, so sorry in advance for this dumb question. I googled for some help but couldn't really find much on the topic.

What kind of "bag" do guys bring to work? I will need to bring paper, files, laptop, etc., and obviously a bagpack wouldn't work. Can you guys point me out to some bags that guys tend to bring to internships? Thanks!

29 Comments
 

What's wrong with a backpack? Try to find a really small laptop bag? I had to bring laptop to work and I just brought it in a laptop case - papers were just kept in a folder left at work.

 

Don't be afraid of wearing a backpack - I love my Timbuk2 Q. However, I'm also a big fan of my corporate-issue gym bag since it can hold a ton of shit (shoes, for one thing).

 
 

I am selling my Fossil estate bag. Let me know if you are in ny and interested

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Attache of some sort is my fave. Would not go for a straight up briefcase, but something with a shoulder strap. Louis Vuitton ones would make you look like a major tool. I have a burberry black leather attache that worked well last summer.

 

I would wait to spend any money until you see what the norm in your office is. A lot of bankers use bags from their clients or from some conference. You don't want to walk in with a $500 briefcase when your MD carries a cheap conference handout.

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I heard that Seiko is apparently a good choice for Summer analysts because it's not too flashy like Rado, Tag, Rolex etc. But then again, you could wear a timex or casio and I'm sure not many people would care. If your 5 pound (just realized my keyboard doesn't have a pound key!) watch looks nice and isn't like a big platic/rubber G-shock, I'm pretty sure it would be fine.

 
Best Response

i still wear my seiko from high school graduation. that $300 has gone along way, all the way through college to the sell-side and now to the buy-side. been happy with it all the way, and i think all the discussions about having a nice watch here are blown out of proportion. as an analyst, nobody cares what kind of watch you wear if you can't do your job and do it well.

(edit: maybe the seiko isn't the best watch to go with bespoke suits, but it's never broken my luck so i have no reason to stop wearing it)

on another note, i personally think messenger bags are fine...tumi makes a number of pretty high-quality synthetic bags. of course they have nice leather bags too but you can definitely get a decent synthetic messenger bag for $100-150 that should hold up for a long time. in fact, compared to a few years ago, you actually see a ton of these on wall street, even among some of the more senior folks, simply because the bags look sleek, are easy to care for, and are durable.

​* http://www.linkedin.com/in/numicareerconsulting
 

It's unlikely that you will travel as a summer analyst but not impossible (10% chance). If you're worried about luggage, just keep a very basic hand-carry bag around -- probably one with wheels (if you travel, you will have to carry all the documents). Don't spend any money on this, this is the sort of thing almost everyone's parents keep stored in the garage.

As for day to day, just use whatever free duffle/messenger the firm gives you during training. It's likely that you will not even need a bag because there really isn't anything to carry.

 

To be on the safe side, I would hold off on buying one until after you start. Your bank will likely give you one. Surprisingly, some of the freebies are actually good quality and stylish enough for summer use. Many summers will use this as their bag during the internship.

 

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