IB Job Title at Boutique - Help

Had a post the other day, just following up. I just finished freshman year studying finance at a non-target in Canada and was able to network and land a internship at a very small boutique investment bank where I'm from for the summer. My official title is "Investment Banking Intern", but the position is fully remote, unpaid (obviously, since I'm a freshman), and the general roles of me and the other interns is just raising equity for the deals they source, they have us do some DCF & LBO modelling, have us help on some IPO's and M&A deals to beaf up our resumes (very nice of them), but the compensation is just giving us that title (which is fair). 

My issue is that I honestly feel weird and kinda cringy having the "Investment Banking Intern" title on my resume or linkedin - it feels misleading (since I just finished freshman year and the role title sounds insane) and I'd rather have maybe like "private equity analyst / intern" since they have a venture capital arm where a lot of the deals are sourced from, so it would make sense (to me it sounds more realistic, could be wrong)

But yeah, just want some insight or advice, just having IB Intern on resume / linkedin, (when to be fair I am doing work IB would do), but not doing challenging or even a lot of work, it feels misleading and weird to have it on and potentially get interviews cause of that title and have lacklustre things to talk about, etc.

Any advice would be great to hear or just thoughts in general (really grateful for the role, but yeah). 

6 Comments
 

Based on the most helpful WSO content, here's what you need to know:

Job Title Considerations for Your Resume and LinkedIn

  1. Accuracy and Honesty:

    • It's crucial to be honest about your role. If your official title is "Investment Banking Intern," it's generally best to use that title. Misrepresenting your role can backfire during interviews when you are asked to elaborate on your experience.
  2. Role Description:

    • You can clarify your responsibilities in the description section of your resume and LinkedIn profile. Highlight the specific tasks you performed, such as:
      • Raising equity for deals
      • Conducting DCF and LBO modeling
      • Assisting with IPOs and M&A deals
  3. Perception and Realism:

    • If you feel that "Investment Banking Intern" sounds too grandiose given your experience level, you can consider a more descriptive title like "Finance Intern" or "Analyst Intern." However, ensure that this aligns with the tasks you performed and the expectations of the role.
  4. Leveraging the Experience:

    • Focus on the skills and knowledge you gained during the internship. Even if the title feels misleading, the experience itself is valuable. Emphasize the practical skills you developed, such as financial modeling and deal analysis.
  5. Networking and Future Opportunities:

    • Use this experience as a stepping stone. The title "Investment Banking Intern" can open doors for future opportunities, but be prepared to discuss your actual responsibilities and what you learned during the internship.

Example Resume Entry

Investment Banking Intern
Small Boutique Investment Bank
Summer 2024
- Assisted in raising equity for sourced deals - Conducted DCF and LBO modeling - Supported IPOs and M&A transactions - Gained exposure to venture capital deals through the firm's VC arm

Example LinkedIn Entry

Investment Banking Intern at [Boutique Investment Bank]
June 2024 – August 2024
- Participated in equity raising activities - Performed financial modeling (DCF, LBO) - Assisted with IPO and M&A deal processes - Engaged with venture capital deals

By clearly outlining your responsibilities and the skills you developed, you can present your experience in a way that is both honest and impressive to potential employers.

Sources: What should go on my resume and cover letter in my circumstance for internship applications (RE specific), If I see another "Incoming IBD Analyst/Summer Analyst" on LinkedIn.. I'll k--l someone, Q&A - Private Equity Internships, Can you put deal experience on your resume as an intern?, https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forum/investment-banking/putting-summer-analyst-instead-of-summer-intern-on-resume-bad-idea?customgpt=1

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.
 
Most Helpful

Your question has the assumption baked in that people will expect something different or more impressive than what you described when they see “Investment Banking Intern” (or summer analyst) on your resume. The reality is, when people see your freshman year internship, they’ll have a vague idea of what it entailed and that vague idea will align almost 100% with how you’ve described the role.

In other words, there’s no tricks here. We all know how it is. Nobody expects the freshman summer IB intern to be leading a sellside M&A deal, or the freshman summer PE intern to be leading the IC committee valuation and presentation materials. We already know you just did some random bullshit for the company when they had the time and inclination to assign you anything at all. 

Having this type of internship just shows you have an idea of the industry, you have enough initiative to somehow find a role for yourself in the first couple years of undergrad, you understand the concept of networking and interviewing to obtain a role, you maybe even faced a few rejections and persevered, outcompeted or outnetworked a few other students, etc. Beyond that what matters is you’re actually able to communicate what the company does, what you personally did over the summer, and that you actually learned *something* from your deals and projects and understood *something* about them. Something you couldn’t just read on the internet, but that actually came from your unique experiences on the job and working with the people on your team.

 

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