boutique intetnship

Is it the same for smaller shops about applying online. There is a boutique ~120 people and I recently saw a summer internship posted on their website. I currently have an internship at a smaller shop 5 - 6 people but I would definitely like to go to something more formal for the summer. And my MD at my current shop was a former partner and head of trading at the shop with an internship posted so I was thinking about asking him for a referral. Just wondering if they read the online apps (It just says email resume cover letter to this email).

6 Comments
 

Someone will read your online application, but unless you resume stands out significantly, you may not be contacted for an interview.

Can you find any alumni from your school that works at the 120 person boutique? If so, I recommend that you reach out directly to the alum at the 120 person boutique and try to go through him. Moreover, does your career center at your school have a relationship with this 120 person boutique?

On the flip side, how will the smaller firm react if you start trying to get an internship at this other boutique?

 

I go to a complete nontarget. I have an alum there who I have spoken with in the past I sent him an email and am waiting to hear back. I just asked if he had some time to speak about deals and what hes been working on and in the convo some how indirectly bring up the internship. Do you think it is bad to ask my current boutique to refer me? We have never discussed length of the internship and Ive been there since January. I would stay where I am at I just want something a little more formal and another IB experience on my resume coming from a nontarget for FT.

 

Have you talked to your current firm about the summer? Perhaps ask them if you can turn your current gig into a more formal experience as that's what you think will be best for your career training. With a 5-6 person shop, the likely will not be all that interested in being bothered with the design of an internship, and maybe that's when you can ask your MD about his former firm, the 120 person one you're targeting.`

 

I don't mean to hijack the thread, but I wanna ask people who have done internships at boutiques and small firms. In general, how was the experience? Of course, I don't expect it to be on par with experience at BB or known firms, but did everyone manage to do anything significant (like building models, seeing deals going on...)? Or it was all about research and other random administrative stuff?

 
Best Response

Being at a tiny shop I don't sit on excel and build models all day at all, but I definitely have gotten some good exposure. My boss always brings me in the room during conf calls w/CEOS I have seen a lot of what goes on behind the scenes that you may lack at a BB. I spread comps do all that fun stuff as well. In contrast to a BB I do a lot of admin shit as well, answering phones, organizing databases send out emails etc etc. I have learned a lot and I think a great starting point in my career but I am looking for something bigger.

 

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