Return Offer Boutique

Just curious, what would you say is the proportion of interns that get return offers at boutique shops? Looking at other forums, it seems lower, but didn't a great idea so I would like to hear from someone's experience. 

In addition, what is the point of having an internship program if the bank won't give out the RO? I understand that some people may not get the RO because they generally are not qualified but I feel like the bank should expect that and hire more than 1 or 2 interns. Why else would they start an internship program if they do not have the intent of employing them. Just curious

4 Comments
 

Return offer rates at boutique investment banks can vary significantly, often depending on the size of the firm, its hiring needs, and the overall market conditions. Based on insights from WSO discussions, boutique shops sometimes hire interns without a guaranteed intent to convert them into full-time employees. Here are some key points to consider:

  1. Lower Return Offer Rates at Boutiques:

    • Boutique firms often have smaller teams and limited headcount, which can result in lower return offer rates compared to larger banks.
    • Some boutiques may hire interns as a way to evaluate talent but might not have the capacity to extend full-time offers to all interns, even if they perform well.
  2. Purpose of Internship Programs:

    • Internships at boutiques are often used to assess candidates' skills, work ethic, and cultural fit.
    • Even if a boutique doesn't extend a return offer, the internship provides valuable experience for the intern and helps the firm complete short-term projects.
    • Some boutiques intentionally over-hire interns to create a competitive environment and select only the top performers for full-time roles.
  3. Challenges for Interns:

    • Interns at boutiques may face uncertainty about return offers, especially if the firm doesn't have a structured "intern-to-full-time" pipeline.
    • It's crucial for interns to hedge their bets by applying to other firms during the internship period, as suggested in WSO threads.

Ultimately, while boutique internships may not always lead to return offers, they can still be a stepping stone for building experience and networking in the industry.

Sources: Why Guaranteed Full-Time Offers Don't Make Sense, Why do people not get return offers?, Return offer pity party, Online internship at an U.S boutique, from Europe?, Return offer pity party

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

from what i’ve heard returns for eb varies by group and year and location

satellite offices would be near 100% or at least the majority of the full 5-8 interns cause it’s so small

for nyc i would say closer to 75%, could be lower if group is more difficult or higher if markets well

to answer why not everyone gets a return, could be because of performance review, or lateral recruitment to fill seats in analyst class, or to downsize, could be anything

 

I don’t know if you are talking about EBs (cvp/evr/moe/laz/pjt/pwp) or just smaller unknown shops. The latter has higher return offer rates closer to 90% or 100% but yeah just smaller ones seem vary by shop. 

 

Sequi suscipit voluptates voluptate. Consequatur ut sit optio ut modi.

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...”