Pre-Master’s IB Internship: No-Name Bank with Deal Flow vs Big 4 Brand?
Hi everyone,
I’ve been accepted into a semi-target Master’s in Finance program in the UK, which I plan to attend. I’m considering taking on an investment banking internship for a few months beforehand to strengthen my chances of landing an IB role in the UK.
I’m currently weighing two options and would appreciate advice on which might be more beneficial:
- A no-name investment bank that is also a private equity firm and closes a relatively high number of deals, but whose name and prestige would likely be unfamiliar to UK recruiters.
- A Big 4 firm’s investment banking division that closes very few deals.
Which option would better position me for a Summer Analyst or off-cycle IB internship in London?
For context, I’m from an emerging market where BBs/EBs have no local presence.
Many thanks!
Update, a bit of background:
Nationality: From an emerging/developing country (e.g., East Asia, Latin America, Caribbean)
Internship experience:
- Credit and valuation internship (8 months)
- Top-tier consulting firm full time (6 months)
Undergraduate degree: Business / Finance
Academic performance: Graduated top of my class
We need to know more about your profile like nationality, undergrad, internships etc.
Updated the post, thanks for your suggestion and for taking the time to reply.
Which Big4 closes no deals? I thought they close quite a lot of deals, but unattractive ones. Consistently top of the league tables in terms of dealcount.
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