Informal Boutique Interviews (Not Hiring)

Hey guys,

I got in contact with two (not many to being with) very small boutiques from my hometown. Ideally I was hoping to get some type of internship to get even the slightest bit of deal experience, however, both already mentioned they are not looking to add to their staff, but were willing to meet with me. About me: -Non-target -Graduated May 2010 -No IB experience, but 3 financial services internships -Currently interning at a Commercial Bank, as a credit analyst

So I ask: -What kind of questions to ask, especially if deal flow is light -How can I ask to get an internship even if it's only for 1 deal or 1 month, after they already expressed they weren't looking to hire interns -Anything else in general, especially from people that have dealt with small town boutiques

Thanks guys!!!

3 Comments
 

your so naive. are you looking for a paid internship? you should say I REALLY want to work here and would be willing to intern for free because of how passionate/dedicated I am. It's extremely easy to get an internship at a no name boutique.

Questions: What deals are you working on? Average size/typical type/are you generalists/etc There's so many questions you can ask them. How did you start the firm? How has your exp been here compared with a BB? etc

-- "Those who say don't know, and those who know don't say."
 
nutsaboutWSyour so naive. are you looking for a paid internship? you should say I REALLY want to work here and would be willing to intern for free because of how passionate/dedicated I am. It's extremely easy to get an internship at a no name boutique.

Definitely agree you should try and get an unpaid internship. That way you can work your ass off and eventually get a full time offer there, put in on you resume as pretty good exp for another i-bank, or work you ass off and maybe they have some contacts at other banks that are actually hiring.

 

Doloribus et iste accusamus unde impedit repellendus. Quod ea voluptatibus amet vero. Corporis deleniti aut doloremque ipsa dolore. Autem quia ut adipisci et ipsum. Cum aut harum nam consequatur consectetur.

Repudiandae est est voluptate in ut sit. Vitae ea eos est error commodi. Exercitationem blanditiis quaerat ut aliquid. Accusantium dolor ipsa maiores nulla excepturi. Doloribus vel est exercitationem quo deserunt quidem tenetur dolore. Magni enim cumque laudantium voluptatum numquam ea. Non optio sed veritatis ut repellat.

Et cum sit non accusantium. Rem ducimus excepturi nam necessitatibus culpa ipsum id et. Est aliquam ipsum aut.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.3%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.7%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.3%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • Goldman Sachs 02 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (44) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (79) $150
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (73) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
10
Linda Abraham's picture
Linda Abraham
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”