Internship 101
Creating this thread as someone who had several internships throughout college and received a full-time offer thanks to the help of this site. I'll be covering how to maximize your chances of getting a return offer and sharing some of the advice that helped me the most on my journey.
Pre-Internship Preparation:
Attire:
- Dress Code: Always opt for business casual attire and bring a tie on your first day. You can always take it off if necessary. Overdressing on the first day is ok and shows you take the work seriously and is generally viewed positively. While underdressing can make you look unprepared.
Research the Team:
- Team Dynamics: Research who is in charge. Do a quick LinkedIn search on your boss and the team to discover who you should network with the most.
- Networking: Identify colleagues who attended your school and connect with them. This will help you build a support network that can be valuable during performance reviews.
Technical Preparation:
- Understand Your Role: Find out the type of work you'll be doing and research it thoroughly. This preparation allows you to start contributing from day one.
- Baseline Knowledge: Having a basic understanding of the firm’s projects or transactions shows you’ve prepared and are serious about the role.
Day One of the Internship:
Introduce Yourself:
- Networking: Meet and introduce yourself to as many people as possible on day one. The first week is the best time to meet people as everyone understands you’re new. This proactive approach helps you start on the right foot.
- First Impressions: Introducing yourself later in the internship can make it seem like you’re not interested or that others are not interested in meeting you.
Identify Decision Makers:
- Evaluation: Determine who will be evaluating your work. Usually, you’ll have one or two key evaluators.
- Expectations: Understand their expectations early and focus on meeting and exceeding them. Misidentifying key evaluators can lead to misaligned priorities.
General Internship Advice:
Be Yourself:
- Authenticity: Don’t try to be overly nice or someone you’re not. Colleagues appreciate genuine personalities.
- Cultural Fit: While you should fit into the team’s culture, it’s also important to show that you can contribute uniquely to the team dynamics.
Punctuality:
- Timing: Arriving 10 minutes early shows you’re consistent and dependable without disrupting the office culture.
- Consistency: Avoid showing up too early as it can appear overzealous and might make colleagues think you don’t have a balanced life.
Utilize Downtime:
- Self-Improvement: Use any downtime to catch up on firm research, enhance your technical skills, or review past projects.
- Proactivity: Once a day, offer your help to your analyst. If they decline, respect their decision, but your initiative will be noticed.
Professional Relationships:
- Boundaries: Maintain a professional but friendly demeanor with both interns and full-timers. Avoid becoming too familiar too quickly as it can lead to misunderstandings.
- Focus: Remember that not everyone will receive a return offer. Compete at a high level while maintaining professionalism.
Asking Questions:
- Prior Research: Always do your own research before asking questions. When you do ask, present what you’ve already learned and where you need further clarification.
- Question Quality: Ensure your questions are thoughtful and demonstrate higher-level thinking. This shows you value others’ time and are capable of independent problem-solving.
Securing a Return Offer:
High-Quality Work:
- Deliverables: Consistently produce high-quality work. Attention to detail and accuracy are critical.
Professionalism:
- Client Interaction: Demonstrate that you can be professional and presentable to clients. This includes effective communication, appropriate attire, and a positive attitude.
Building Support:
- References: Cultivate relationships with colleagues who can vouch for your contributions. Having advocates within the company can be crucial during performance reviews.
Punctuality and Reliability:
- Dependability: Always be on time for work and meetings. This reliability is essential for gaining trust and demonstrating your commitment.
By following these guidelines, you can significantly enhance your chances of receiving a return offer and making the most of your internship experience. Good luck!
Based on the most helpful WSO content, here are detailed guidelines to maximize your chances of getting a return offer during your internship:
Pre-Internship Preparation:
Attire: - Dress Code: Always opt for business casual attire and bring a tie on your first day. Overdressing initially is better than underdressing, as it shows you take the work seriously.
Research the Team: - Team Dynamics: Research who is in charge. Use LinkedIn to learn about your boss and team members to identify key people to network with. - Networking: Connect with colleagues who attended your school to build a support network that can be valuable during performance reviews.
Technical Preparation: - Understand Your Role: Research the type of work you'll be doing to start contributing from day one. - Baseline Knowledge: Have a basic understanding of the firm’s projects or transactions to show you’re prepared and serious about the role.
Day One of the Internship:
Introduce Yourself: - Networking: Meet and introduce yourself to as many people as possible on day one. This proactive approach helps you start on the right foot. - First Impressions: Introducing yourself later can make it seem like you’re not interested or that others are not interested in meeting you.
Identify Decision Makers: - Evaluation: Determine who will be evaluating your work and understand their expectations early to align your priorities correctly.
General Internship Advice:
Be Yourself: - Authenticity: Be genuine. Colleagues appreciate authentic personalities. - Cultural Fit: Fit into the team’s culture while contributing uniquely to the team dynamics.
Punctuality: - Timing: Arrive 10 minutes early to show consistency and dependability without disrupting the office culture.
Utilize Downtime: - Self-Improvement: Use downtime to catch up on firm research, enhance technical skills, or review past projects. - Proactivity: Offer your help to your analyst once a day. If they decline, respect their decision, but your initiative will be noticed.
Professional Relationships: - Boundaries: Maintain a professional but friendly demeanor with both interns and full-timers. Avoid becoming too familiar too quickly. - Focus: Compete at a high level while maintaining professionalism, as not everyone will receive a return offer.
Asking Questions: - Prior Research: Do your own research before asking questions. Present what you’ve learned and where you need further clarification. - Question Quality: Ensure your questions are thoughtful and demonstrate higher-level thinking.
Securing a Return Offer:
High-Quality Work: - Deliverables: Consistently produce high-quality work with attention to detail and accuracy.
Professionalism: - Client Interaction: Be professional and presentable to clients, including effective communication, appropriate attire, and a positive attitude.
Building Support: - References: Cultivate relationships with colleagues who can vouch for your contributions. Having advocates within the company can be crucial during performance reviews.
Punctuality and Reliability: - Dependability: Always be on time for work and meetings to gain trust and demonstrate your commitment.
By following these guidelines, you can significantly enhance your chances of receiving a return offer and making the most of your internship experience. Good luck!
Sources: Advice for summer and return offer rate?, Getting an S&T Return Offer - A Survival Guide for Future Interns, How the hell are return offer candidates going to be assessed this summer?, https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forum/job-search/return-offer-apprehension?customgpt=1, How did you manage to get a return offer from another team as a summer intern?
Thanks. Starting next week in corp finance for a fortune 5 as fin analyst.
Here are some questions i had if you have time to answer
1. How close of a relationship should I form with my manager? already stalked her linkedin, (have friends at her alma mater in the same sorority she was in when she went there)
2. How close of friends should i try to be with the other interns? specifically the ones working in my group with me
3. How far into the internship am i okay to update my resume and list my description for the internship? Wondering this because im wanting to apply to next years internships as well during summer asap.
Thanks!
Bump if anyone can help!
Always keep it professional. Ask for coffee and get to know the person. Generally, the full-timer will dictate the type of relationship you have, so if they seem more open and personable, take that as an opportunity. If not, don't push it. Don't be fake; just see where things go. Usually, there will be people on a team who are all about getting to know the interns and some who are more reserved. Take what you're given and don't overthink it. Most people just want to know you're personable and cool to be around. Anything beyond that is a bonus.
Your intern class is your first line of defense. If you have a question, seek help from your fellow interns before anywhere else. Building those relationships is essential, especially if you plan on returning full-time, as these are people you'll be spending countless hours with. That being said, always remember this is a work environment. Don't do anything that could compromise your internship, such as getting overly drunk at outings with your intern buddies.
If you plan on applying to other places while still at the internship, it could be beneficial to describe what you're doing. It's okay to list a short description of your role and what you're working on so the employer has an understanding. Since it's current, though, I wouldn't have more than a single bullet outlining general responsibilities, as it might look like you're embellishing since you could have been in the role for just a week.
Hope that's helpful.
That’s awesome — sounds like a great opportunity. To answer your questions:
1. Depends. Is your manager hot?
2. Depends. Are your friends hot?
3. Not really sure. Don’t work in finance.
Hope this is helpful and good luck!
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