1st summer internship, 2nd year of undergad - BB Operations or M&A of the local bank?

Hey guys,

this summer I will be pursuing my first summer internship. Rn, I am a full-time student of Economics and Business Administration with a low GPA and not a top university, but so far an interesting CV.
I already got an offer from Goldman Sachs Operations Division, but a friend of mine who works in M&A says she may pass my CV to HRs in her bank. Both are based in European services hub, and the thing is the bank she works in is a bank without international reputation. Financial conditions should be better in GS as well.

My question is: do you think I should try and apply to the local bank, or rather focus on GS, learn as much as possible about processes which are going inside the bank, network (1st line which passed my application further was EMEA's HRs) and then use the knowledge and the brand in my CV next year when I apply for another internship?

Successful internship in GS may end up with me having a full-time offer in 2020, i.e. when I finish my undergraduate studies. I'm planning to go for my masters straight after I graduate unless I won't be accepted to any interesting BS. Then having a one year gap would give me time to focus on GMAT and if I am offered the full-time position - to get some experience.

In the future, I will aim towards front office roles, preferably M&A.

Thanks for all the tips.

 
Most Helpful

Hey man, so at the end of the day it comes down to what you want. If you're keen on getting a reputable name on your resume, I would stick with your GS offer. If you'd rather get more meaningful experience and learn a ton, I'd aim for the boutique M&A bank.

From what I understand, no-name boutiques give you amazing training that will position you extremely well for BB IBD recruiting. You'll be able to dance around other candidates in your interviews if you already have IB experience under your belt.

Either way, taking either offer would put you light-years ahead of most candidates. Keep up the good work!

 

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