BB MO Internship or Boutique Investment Advisory

So I already got an offer from a BB (think JPM, MS, etc.) doing ops and middle office. It is a structured internship and I would be getting paid really well. However, I know that I don't want to do MO as a career. On the other hand, I may have the chance to work for a boutique investment advisory firm in my hometown (Miami). That internship would be unpaid. They mentioned they've brought interns on before, but I doubt the internship would be as structured as the BB. I know investment advisory is more oriented towards my future career aspirations, but I don't know if I'll be as likely to get a FT offer at the end of the summer (being as how it's a boutique) as opposed to the BB. Also, I would be reneging on the BB (It was an early offer and I accepted cause I didn't have any other options and didnt want to take the chance of being left with nothing). What do you guys think about the 2 choices?

11 Comments
 

If it's a true MO role then you should have plenty of interaction with other groups, just be prepared to hustle and don't make it too obvious to your group that you're aiming for something else while you're there

 
Best Response
gatormanThanks for the input. I am a junior, so possible FT recruitment at the end of the summer is a major thing for me. Would it be weird to ask the boutique what kind of career opportunities theyve offered interns before, or is that a big no-no?

I don't think it would be an issue to ask what the past interns have gone on to do. Look for past interns on Linkedin if you want to avoid the question.

 
notaspammer
gatormanThanks for the input. I am a junior, so possible FT recruitment at the end of the summer is a major thing for me. Would it be weird to ask the boutique what kind of career opportunities theyve offered interns before, or is that a big no-no?

I don't think it would be an issue to ask what the past interns have gone on to do. Look for past interns on Linkedin if you want to avoid the question.

This... try reaching out to former interns before going to the company itself

 

i've been looking online but since it's a boutique it's hard to find any info on former interns. all i find on linkedin is some people who currently work for the firm. I figure future career opportunities would be something I'd ask about in person. I just dont want to get pigeon-holed into doing ops/mo out of college. How would I be able to network with other groups at the BB to the point where they'd consider me for FT even though I didnt work in that particular role during the internship?

 

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