How much does the QUALITY of your freshman summer internship matter?

I’m a freshman. Not too big of a freshman intern class. Getting significant deal experience and modeling experience at a decent MM/LMM IB/PE firm.

How much do I have a edge for EB/BB recruiting considering most people don’t have deal or even modeling experience, since most freshman summer internships you do nonsensical work such as sourcing or/and taking notes during meetings?

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I got tons of deal experience at my freshman LMM PE internship (think Nextgen Growth Partners/Quantum Nugget Ventures/Maximum Synergy Group) and the modeling expirience was key in getting me my compliance job at a BB.

 

If you were implying that I might’ve interned at these places then nope, none of these. Decently reputable firm with decent deal flow and nowhere fraudulent as any of these places where you don’t even do deals.

 

I got tons of modeling experience in my freshman year summer internship and then tons more as an off cycle on cims, operating models, 3 statement modeling, and buyers lists, and then did another off cycle during my freshman year at a well reputed boutique bank in New York where I got live deal exposure and comps set projects. Honestly I would say you are on the lower end of experiences as of now and should keep grinding. Also modeling isn’t everything, you gotta be human at the end of the day. 

 

It looks good on your resume, but the combination of networking + education + experience + interviewing is what gets you the role. Focus on all of these in conjunction to get your "edge", one internship doesn't differentiate you. 

 

Wdym. I thought deal experience and modeling helped you stand out, especially since fraudulent firms that accept a shit ton of interns where you do bullshit work are flagged by recruiters. Not to mention, if they don’t expect you to have modeling and deal experience, but you do, you stand out.

 

I don’t think most people think a freshmen’s ’deal experience’ is real. Even 1st year analysts at BBs don’t get real deal experience until a few months in. To me, all a freshmen year internship indicates is that you are able to grind, since unless you’re nepo, it probably took a ton of effort to get a freshmen year internship. 

 

Freshman year internships are honestly pretty minor compared to networking. There are people who didn’t do anything impressive their first year—maybe had some random, unrelated internship—but still landed top offers just because they were likable and took the time to build good relationships.

 

Yo, pump the breaks hotshot.

I can tell by your post and responses you lack awareness a little, which unless you check your ego is going to make recruiting hard for you. Let me be very clear:

-you do not have modeling experience at all. 
-you do not understand about anything about finance

-freshmen internships matter for indicating interest not much else. Your experience as an intern is completely inconsequential relative to your potential.


When hiring the questions firms care about are:

-can you take directions without attitude and will you not suck to be around

-are you smart enough to learn on the fly

-can you handle the intensity of working


Places aren’t hiring you because of the 3 months where you entered formulas into excel.

 

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