Escaping the Intern Rat-Race

Hi everybody. I am starting my career in IB and I'm currently doing an M&A off-cycle at a second-tier bank. During the time here, I realised how repetitive interns' tasks are and how hard is to actually remember financials or operating characteristics of the companies I do profiles for.

We all know that one of the main advantages of working in M&A is to have a broader picture on different industries and companies, but the more I work on pitchbooks and profiles, the more I realise that I'm far more focused on getting the job done as quick and precise as possible rather than actually absorb the numbers that I see.

Does anybody have advice/suggestions to escape this intern rat-race? Thx.

 
Best Response

That's the challenge a lot of M&A guys face. I keep reminding myself to always step back and look at the broader picture rather than getting lost in the details of the deal. What you're experiencing is pretty normal so don't sweat it. Talk to your associates and VP's if you've built a good rapport and discuss deal rationale or listen carefully to management strategy on calls etc. Simple stuff like that makes what you're looking for much easier.

 

I second Bueller's advice. As an intern, your main task is to add as much (limited) value as possible, which means that you're often just rushing to get profiles, pitches and comps done and don't have the time to sit back and actually absorb and understand what you're doing. That's fine. It happens during your first year as well. The important thing is to find time to talk to the senior guys on your deal team/guys that you have established a rapport with and ask them about what is actually going on.

 

Ea architecto molestiae ea excepturi. Veritatis nihil quae est fugit deserunt consequuntur.

Molestiae doloribus ex nemo molestias dolor est magni. Fugit esse provident et fuga sunt. Impedit natus quia quis sint facilis.

Repellat deleniti enim est nihil est quibusdam ex ducimus. Illum qui quia et fugit ut doloremque dignissimos laboriosam. Suscipit quam non consequatur et aperiam nihil. Error magnam eos rem beatae.

Rerum necessitatibus aut distinctio provident id aut inventore. Fugiat aut repellendus sint expedita est. Quasi velit ea quia unde excepturi nulla excepturi.

Career Advancement Opportunities

April 2024 Investment Banking

  • Jefferies & Company 02 99.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 19 98.8%
  • Harris Williams & Co. New 98.3%
  • Lazard Freres 02 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 03 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

April 2024 Investment Banking

  • Harris Williams & Co. 18 99.4%
  • JPMorgan Chase 10 98.8%
  • Lazard Freres 05 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.7%
  • William Blair 03 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

April 2024 Investment Banking

  • Lazard Freres 01 99.4%
  • Jefferies & Company 02 98.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 17 98.3%
  • Moelis & Company 07 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 05 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

April 2024 Investment Banking

  • Director/MD (5) $648
  • Vice President (19) $385
  • Associates (87) $260
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (14) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (33) $170
  • 2nd Year Analyst (66) $168
  • 1st Year Analyst (205) $159
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (146) $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
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
99.0
5
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
kanon's picture
kanon
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
Kenny_Powers_CFA's picture
Kenny_Powers_CFA
98.8
10
numi's picture
numi
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...”