summer internship chances and advice

School: Target Ivy (think Brown, Columbia, Dartmouth) Year: Sophomore Major: Financial Economics and Philosophy GPA: 3.85 ECs: couple of non-finance related ECs with leadership positions *no US citizenship or green card (I'm on the student F-1 Visa)

Looking for an internship this summer.

1) What are my chances at an internship with a top IB in the US? 2) How much does my non-US citizenship status hurt my chances?

I ask b/c I am considering giving up the internship search and job hunt in the USA altogether and focus my search to, for example, HK offices, which apparently do not require work authorization. (for HK offices, do I need to speak Mandarin?) The competition in the US seems very intense, and I have heard some incredibly discouraging things about getting hired as a non-US citizen/resident in NYC.

3) If I still have a decent chance at getting an internship here (or even being employed upon graduation), what are ways I can improve my candidacy?

3 Comments
 

I'll provide to answer to only what i know.

2) HK - Mandarin is almost necessary. If not, very very beneficial. Interviews can and will be conducted in Mandarin. HK offices love Target schools, but HK itself has a good supply of Target kids who can work just as hard and can speak mandarin. Not to mention connections are a big thing in HK.

Conclusion: HK is just as tough if not tougher. One thing working on your side? They're expanding, I spoke to a few of my banker friends in HK, almost every bank is hiring. Go for it nonetheless.

 
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