“I recently had a LinkedIn audit call with Arnau as part of my WSO Academy program, and it was one of the most practical and useful sessions I've had so far. I came in thinking my profile was in decent shape. I left with a clear picture of how recruiters and bankers actually see it, and a concrete list of changes that will make it work much harder for me.
Some background: I'm moving from corporate finance into investment banking, corporate banking, and private equity. I have an MBA in Corporate Finance, a PMP, and several years of finance and project management experience. Making that kind of move depends heavily on how you present your story, and LinkedIn is often the first place a recruiter or analyst sees it. That's why this session mattered so much to me.
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What stood out most was how he helped me think about positioning. My background covers corporate finance, project management, hospitality, and real estate, and it can be hard to make that read as one clear story. Arnau helped me connect those experiences to the skills banks look for: financial analysis, modeling, managing budgets and capital, and working with senior stakeholders. He showed me how small changes to my headline, About section, and experience bullets can make that story obvious within seconds.
The session was also very actionable. I didn't leave with vague ideas. I left with a short list of specific edits I can make right away. That matters a lot when you're job hunting and every week counts. He also shared advice on using LinkedIn more actively, such as engaging with the right people and content, so the profile supports my networking instead of just sitting there.
I also want to recognize the overall WSO Academy experience. Between the modeling bootcamp, the company research work, the mentorship, and sessions like this one, the program has given me structure and support during a career transition that can otherwise feel isolating. This call was a good example of what makes WSO different: the people coaching you understand the industry you're trying to break into and give feedback that reflects how hiring really works.
If you're a WSO member and haven't booked a LinkedIn audit yet, I'd strongly recommend it. It's a short time commitment, and the return is significant. Your LinkedIn profile is often your first impression, and having an experienced set of eyes on it is worth it.
Thank you, Arnau, for your time, honesty, and practical guidance. I'm excited to put the changes in place and keep building toward my goal of breaking into investment banking.”
Probably no 'hours' just get in before your boss and leave after your team
This should be a rule for all SAs.
Ideally as an SA you'd want to be paid on an hourly basis w/ overtime. I know a few firms that do this, and they'll tell you to go home if there's nothing going on; basically, no need for unproductive facetime.
Will co-sign on the above
Our interns are expected to get in between 8 and 9 and are basically kicked out the door at 7 pm, and can generally leave a bit earlier. They are unpaid (although will likely receive some sort of stipend at the end of the program). Not sure if this is par for the course.
Did you ask if there is a work hour expectation? I wouldn't take an unpaid gig without understanding what is expected from a time commitment.
If this is the only thing OP has in his hands now, the least of his worries should be the time commitment. Do it for the experience; it's only a few months anyway.
major +1
I am doing an unpaid boutique internship this summer and basically get in around 9 then leave whenever they are done with me. Some days are short and some are long. Don't bitch because it's unpaid even when everyone else in the office is gone but you. It happens frequently with small firms.
I haven't started mine yet but a lot of the postings I saw were only around 20 hours per week. Even if its 60 though, its only a couple months and youll be getting good experience.
20 hours per week? Is this a part-time unpaid SA?
Cool. Either way, my post above still stands.
awesome, thanks for the posts. i have not asked about the hours yet, but i figure since its only for the duration of the summer i'd suck it up and work my ass off to try and leverage whatever experience I can get for full-time recruiting in the fall. my main concern is landing the gig, but I just wanted to know whats normally expected for an intern if it was unpaid, as a lot of my friends doing SA positions this summer have told me what they are lookin at.
additionally, when would it be reasonable for me to ask (if ever) for a stipend or some sort of compensation? I don't mind doing an unpaid internship, but as it is in NYC, any bit of help for living/transportation would be super helpful.
There's no harm in asking, but I would wait until you have been there a couple weeks and have a good rapport with whoever you are working with.
From previous experience - some boutiques will take on a bunch of interns simply because they need the cheap/free labor (which really is fine - all you are looking for is some bullets on your resume). They'll have a bunch of grunt work that they have been putting off until they can dump it on interns. If you find this to be the case, my advice is to crush whatever grunt work you are given in the first couple weeks, then be extremely proactive about getting more meaningful work and training. Other boutiques will have more formalized programs, in which case you should have nothing to worry about.
I'm in my second week of an unpaid boutique IB internship. First week I worked about 65 hours or so (11-14 hours a day, and some weekend work). Generally I get in by 8:15 and leave after the team leaves (usually around 7:30 but I stay until 8 to 8:30 to finish work)
Cross your fingers and pray, this is a lottery man
20-80 hrs..... You should probably ask your boss what their expectations are
At my unpaid stint I just make sure I get to the office at around 9 (everyone shows up around 9:30) and everyone leaves at the same time. We finish up usually around 5:30 or 6.
Ask them what they want from you. They'll be upfront about it. When I was an unpaid intern I was usually busy enough to leave an hour or 2 after the rest of my team left. If the work is there being the first one in and the last one out speaks volumes about your work ethic.
ETA: I interned at a PE firm, not an IB.
Advice on hours for unpaid boutique IB internship? (Originally Posted: 03/14/2016)
So I have been networking for summer positions for IB roles at boutiques and finally got a call back today, I will be interviewing with them tomorrow. It is a boutique and we agreed on a trial unpaid internship first before I come in for the interview tomorrow. I think they want me to start asap part time and I am sure they will ask me about my schedule and how many hours I could work per week as an unpaid intern if I pass the interview. I am just not very sure what to tell them: Are two days from 8-5 per week standard? Or I should put more hours into it? Three days maybe?
I am a student and even though my classes are scheduled on only Tuesdays and Thursdays(so technically speaking, I do have three days a week to put in), but I do have school hw/responsibilities every week. So I just wanted to tell them I could only put in two days, but I am worried would that seem not enough? It's unpaid position though and I plan to continue networking until it leads to something better.
What's the industry norm for hours of unpaid positions at boutiques? Any advice? Thanks!
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