Search Fund vs. L/S Equity HF

Current student trying to break into banking. I'm wondering which experience would be better on my resume come recruiting time. The Search Fund internship seems okay, and I'm leaning towards the L/S HF internship. However, I'm worried that since the Hedge Fund doesn't have a website/isn't very easy to find with a quick search and only has $2 MM AUM, it might not look very credible. Maybe I'm thinking about this the wrong way, but I would appreciate any help.

6 Comments
 

$5mm is not a hedge fund, so neither of your options have brand equity (which is fine if you're young). The search fund will give you the work experience that will best mimic banking. Whenever I saw banking applicants with trading internships, it signaled that they didn't know what they wanted to do, and were less likely to convert to FT hires.

"I don't know how to explain to you that you should care about other people."
 

Sapiente repellendus enim aperiam perferendis harum cum ut sit. Consectetur necessitatibus nostrum deserunt similique unde adipisci. Asperiores ipsa autem rerum ipsum reprehenderit sunt ut. Fugiat sed et voluptate voluptatem quidem accusantium perspiciatis. Qui ea quidem qui consequuntur voluptatibus soluta.

Career Advancement Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.3%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.9%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.8%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.3%

Professional Growth Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • JPMorgan No 97.3%

Total Avg Compensation

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (50) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (26) $182
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (75) $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

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...”