Good desks to intern on

I just signed my offer letter to join an S&T rotational program for next summer and I am looking for desks that have good PE or activists/distressed debt HF exit ops. Coming from a math background so I’m fine with complex/technical desks.

2 Comments
 
Most Helpful

Generally, PE opps are harder to seize from an S&T background than from an IBD background. This is because PE - at least from the strategic value-add perspective - places a stronger emphasis on understanding an organisation's structure and performance capabilities than it does, say, on financial markets. That said, if you're interested in distressed debt HF exits, I think you'd do well to rotate across credit and securitised products (as two of, I assume, your three rotation options). Credit is more technically demanding than equities, so you'll get your microeconomic fill there (that will, in some small way, be applicable in the event you get a PE interview), while securitised products will have PE firms (e.g. Cerberus) directly operating in that market themselves. Credit and securitised products, for obvious reasons, will also give you a good education should you wrangle your way into distressed debt at a fund.

That said, I would caution against setting your sights on "exiting" this soon. While it's good to have a game plan early doors, transitioning from S&T to HF / PE after just a summer isn't so much an "exit" as it is a change in direction - you're also unlikely to develop a truly deep understanding of each asset class in the 2-3wks you rotate across each desk (at least not sufficiently deep an understanding that you're gonna blow the PE / HF recruiters' minds). If I were you, I'd do some preliminary reading on whatever desks it is you're allotted and then go about doing your utmost to get a FT offer. Once you've done 2-3yrs on that desk, your options will be a lot better than straight out of university (especially if you went from a target to a BB).

Good luck.

"Work is the curse of the drinking classes" - Oscar Wilde
 

Nobis fugiat aliquid enim autem neque molestias. Et repellendus laborum consequatur impedit sequi voluptas quod. Omnis mollitia eum ad aspernatur voluptate ratione reiciendis aut. Doloremque consectetur nihil fugit reprehenderit tempora vel. Animi ut expedita cupiditate et occaecati sint nulla quia.

Sed dolorem at eligendi quia commodi qui vel. Nihil doloribus et sit minima vero. Et consequatur et perferendis quo facilis inventore dolorum. Eligendi ut dolorem ut et omnis non omnis. Facere rerum rem est iusto.

Soluta consequatur alias dolores saepe. Laborum cumque impedit voluptas et. Enim omnis qui ex ut reiciendis.

Sunt non quas nobis ut et. Ea nostrum aut et. Minus ad suscipit ut est ut. Aut quis unde ea aperiam nobis dignissimos optio. Enim tempore sed autem cum modi. Dolorem mollitia esse odio.

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
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
6
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
10
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
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...”