I am the only intern at this decent MM shop in a LCOL city that I have no plans of returning to. For context, I have secured an internship next summer with a top BB in NY (GS/JPM/MS) and am ready to put my 100% to secure a FT offer there.
Only problem is, my current team doesn’t know this. They think this is my final internship and are assessing me as a potential FT hire, whereas I only signed up for this off-cycle internship to improve my technical skills and make some money, which is why I’m not going “above and beyond” and trying to be best buddies with these people that I know I will never be seeing again after 3 months.
Recently, my co-workers (who are genuinely some really good guys) at this shop have been passive aggressive with me for not trying to integrate enough with the team. They know I’m smart and produce high quality work which is why they don’t understand why I’m doing the bare minimum on the social aspect. Some of the junior guys blatantly tell me "I am too quiet and this is a very bad look." They’re very big on “team building” which means drinking till late together on fridays, waking up at 5am 2x per week to go on short hikes before work, buying expensive tickets to go to events together, etc. I’ve been passing up on all of these opportunities because the hours are already sweaty enough as it is.
I guess what I’m asking for is advice - should I continue doing the bare minimum knowing that I’m going to a much better bank in my dream city or go above and beyond for the next 3 months here just to not have to deal with their passive aggressiveness? I know I will be getting absolutely grinded next summer and want to take it a little easy before I commit to that forever post-graduation.
I am also dreading the conversation I’ll be having with this team IF they do extend a return offer at the end only for me to decline it and say “I’m going to a better bank in a better city” since in the interview I assured them I had full plans of settling in this LCOL city and that I love this bank.
I would be upfront and honest with them, never burn a bridge because you never know who ends up where or if you don’t receive return offer then you could end up back at that office. However I do wish you the best and you will get the FT at your BB.
Go to one event once in a while to make it less obvious
Bump
This is a tough one, and I am not entirely sure how to play it, so take this with a grain of salt.
I think first and foremost, it depends on your relationship with the junior guys. If I had a strong relationship with them, I would just be fairly transparent. Next time they bring up an opportunity, you can again pass, and if they state that its a "really bad look", now is the time for a dose of reality. Because its an off-cycle internship I am assuming you are also in school full time. You could start with, "hey I am still in school and I don't really have the ability to join the social events and work and see my IRL friends and family." If this doesnt work and they continue to push, I would say something along the lines of, "While I signed up for this internship, next summer's on cycle was already kicking off. Due to the competitive nature of the internship process these days, when I received an offer in an ideal group / with an awesome team, I couldnt hesitate and had 24 hours to sign. I did what I thought was best for me, and couldnt pass up this offer. I dont want you to think that I dont care about spending time with the team, I really do. I just dont have enough hours in the day to balance school work, this internship, my own social life, and to spend time with my collegues outside of work."
Your situation is admittedly tough and there is no right answer, and while it is not the exact same, I have had to tell two different IBDs I wasnt looking for a return or an extension as I already had another offer lined up. I didnt beat around the bush, I was super transparent, and stated the primary driver was that each opportunity aligned better with my long-term goals. In my case, both banks were understanding. I hope yours will be too.
For starters, this is a common issue for many interns. In my opinion, I would think that they may be disappointed to let you go, but would understand that life happens and sometimes we are pulled in different directions than we originally thought. You signed up for a 3 month internship, do the best you can during it and then move on. Be sure to be up front with them as well. Once you know for sure you are going to a BB let them know so they can make accommodations for once you leave. While you are still there, try to network with the team and build connections. You never know when you may cross paths with this team again.
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