Freshman Internship - Hoping to land an internship with a financial firm
I am currently a freshman in college and would like to get an internship at a financial firm. Where should I look? are there any companies that focus on grooming young and hiring freshman summer internships
Does your school have an IB club/group of some sort? I would look there first...
I go to purdue university so finance isn't huge. But I am already part of the Finance club and when we had our career fair, no big places came.
Typical thing to do is local wealth management firms.
do an interesting study abroad or something. WM internships are great and all, but they really don't make you stand out at all. Now if you studied abroad in New Zealand or Europe, that definitely would make you unique. You're a freshman, don't get too eager. I would say study abroad freshman year and then go for internships starting after sophomore year.
but that's just my personal opinion, backed by observing others who have experienced study abroads, whilst I have not.
Look everywhere. I did a finance role at an F1000.
I go to a non-target and wanted an internship in finance after freshman year. I just contacted every firm I could near home (LA) using google and business search websites. 99% will turn you down, but if you contact enough firms and network you'll be able to land something. I ended up getting an internship at a small wealth management firm which laid the foundation for internships/offers later on.
I'm not sure if I agree with the notion that studying abroad over the summer is looked upon that highly. While I never did, and regret not having the experience, I think everyone knows it's just a summer of getting wasted. Then again, it does show that you are cultured, like to have fun and aren't boring. I just think a freshman internship shows your interest and motivation to get into the industry, which may help you more.
I have been trying to talk to people but what do you mean just keep contacting firms? Do I just google firms near me and send them my resume? whats a good way to network?
Where should i get an internship as a freshman? (Originally Posted: 09/09/2013)
Hi everyone, I am applying for summer internships as a freshman doing an accounting and finance degree at a non-target school. I want to enter the banking/finance sector in 3 years time and am trying to craft my resume based on that.
However, I heard that it's almost impossible to get a summer internship at a BB. I was wondering if doing an internship as an accountant at Ernst and Young would help me application for the SA application in Summer as a second year. Or should i go and do some social work.
I think i have a pretty decent resume but I don't know my chances and where i stand.
You are a freshman, calm down. You have your entire life ahead of you to work. Just chill.
A few people have told me this, but my only concern is that if i do not do a summer internship with a bank now, will I be able to get one as a second year?
Network.
I just finished my freshman summer at a MM IB doing ER. I'm also from a non-target.
May I know which firm did you work at?
Calm down, you deserve more time to relax and think about what you real want. Open your eyes to the world of opportunities!
Google offers freshmen internships.
Freshman SA internship (Originally Posted: 05/12/2014)
Hi I'm new to this forum so I apologize if I posted this in a wrong category. I'm a freshman in high school that was recently accepted to Dartmouth/Cornell/Duke. I'm interested in information regarding finance summer internships for rising sophmores. I read on the JP Morgan about a freshman investment banking internship:
http://careers.jpmorgan . com/student/jpmorgan/careers/us/programs/summerug/intern
So I'd like to know what I have to do to get a similar intership.
bump
BB freshman and sophomore programs are really designed for minorities. I'd suggest networking with alumni at MMs and boutiques and try to set something up. If that doesn't work, F500 corp fin would be your next best bet. GE Capital has a lot of respect on the Street and they do take freshmen for their non-FMP internships. I'd steer away from PWM as you really won't learn much and recruiters are well aware of that.
Thanks for your response. Do you think it would be possible for me to get a BB IBD internship in my sophmore summer if i manage to get a freshman internship at a MM/boutique? btw is their a way to edit my original post? i just noticed some mistakes
I tried recruiting for the freshman programs, no luck. They want women and minorities minus Asians, unless you have a very close connection to the bank (i.e. your dad is a MD). Same goes for the sophomore programs.
I recommend looking for a boutique IB gig after freshmen year, an MM gig after sophomore year, and recruiting for BB junior year. Forget the PWM gigs, they're useless. Networking is the key to boutique IB.
Which BBs usually have freshmen year programs?
Freshman Internship - Freshman at Amherst College (Originally Posted: 12/22/2014)
Hi guys! I'm a freshman at Amherst College interested in banking/consulting. I live in the SF Bay Area.
I'm not really sure what to do during the summer, especially since I missed the October deadline for JP Morgan freshman program. I was looking through the alumni network and there are plenty of alums working in finance near where I live. But I'm not sure whether I should even contact them, especially since I'm a freshman.
Do you guys have any ideas? I don't want to sit on my butt the whole summer. Would it be okay to do something completely unrelated? I know a lot of freshman do PWM, but I don't know if it's worth it.
Study for the Series 3, pass it and put it on your resume.
Cold email start ups.
Do both PWM and startups part-time.
Contact them, why not? Pwm is better than nothing
Reach out, it's never too early to start networking.
Dude. GET DRUNK. Hit on girls. That's all I did my freshman summer. And I wish I would have put even more effort into it than I did. It literally did not matter what I did my freshman summer whatsoever. If you're scared of girls and hate drinking, go live in London or something for the summer.
You're actually in a very nice position with consulting firms, boutique tech IBs and start-ups in your area. Don't be afraid to work for free, get coffee, do remedial tasks, etc. Getting a brand on your resume is priority number one.
You're actually in a very nice position with consulting firms, boutique tech IBs and start-ups in your area. Don't be afraid to work for free, get coffee, do remedial tasks, etc. Getting a brand on your resume is priority number one.
Internships for College Freshman? (Originally Posted: 02/24/2013)
Hi. I am currently a freshman at NYU Stern and eventually after I graduate I want to work on the Street. I am curious to know when is the best time I should be looking for an internship (if not already)? When do all the firms recruit and how can I be on the lookout for them? Is it easy to get an internship if I have no prior work experience aside from volunteer and club leadership things in high school? Are the first few internships during freshman/sophomore year generally unpaid or should I be looking for paid ones? Finally, where is the best place to look for internships? Thanks for your input.
To be honest, it will be hard to find a finance related internship as a Freshman. However, it is good to see that you want to get in the game and it is definitely possible to get an internship for the summer. As a Freshman I would try to cold call/email some local wealth management/boutique banks/prop shops and network your way in for the summer. Start with asking friends and relatives if they know anyone in finance and ask if you could speak to them about possibly interning at their place of work. Anything finance related is good as a Freshman. Also, yesterday was the time to start looking as it may take some time to secure an offer. Finally, the internship you get will be unpaid as a Freshman...you will be extremely lucky if you can get paid...However the experience will be priceless. Never give up on your search and network, network, network. PM me if you need more help.
Most freshman try interning with a PWM division.
I'm a Freshman at an SEC school currently, and I signed to intern at a botique IM firm over my Freshman Winter and Spring breaks. I had a family friend who works there which was the reason I got an interview, and the rest was luck. I'm not sure if I'm sticking with them over the summer, really just depends if they need my help with any projects, but I doubt it. I've been searching for some place else to intern with over the summer and haven't had any luck thus far.
Hey mate, new to the site. I've gotten an internship at MS wm franchise. Not pwm, but I do get paid. Another advantage is that my boss is pretty well connected. Just something for you to consider, since it wasn't too hard. Good luck!
Freshman Year internship (Originally Posted: 07/29/2011)
Hello people of WSO,
I am in a teen volunteering program in my community which consists of 12 of the most motivated kids in our community, I also created a(n) Business/investing club in my high school, and started a mobile marketing business in my community ( which somewhat stopped after my partner left to play basketball for emory, and I got an internship), and finally right now I am an intern for entrepreneurship center in my city. http://decindublin.com/ I attend meetings, help out and speak with local CEO's and listen to their ideas ( like CEO of Cardinal Health, and CEO of Dormzy's).
Thanks again! Nick G.
first off------------------have fun in college
second do well in school and look for internships...I managed to get an internship my freshman year (this year) at a boutique, and it made me realize I would be much happier doing something else such as inter dealer brokering or something with sales
always keep your options open
There are a couple post-freshman year programs at BBs in NYC. Do some research, follow the markets, and keep a high GPA.
Great! Was it IBD or something else? I was thinking PWM at a BB even though some guys get IBD i hear (which I think is insane)
Also I guess along with trying to maintain GPA, having fun, and getting internships, I want to jion my business school's student body, and my business school has a stock market investing club, I wanted to start somewhat of a private equity investment club ( like investing in small/mid sized companies as a mid term investment). Those were the 2 things I was really looking forward to get involved with when I get there.
Hoogerman thanks for the response I appreciate it very much!
Thanks again, Nick G.
TLDR
Get a job at PWM or GWM at a Morgan Stanley Smith Barney (or MS Advisors later), ML legacy, or google private wealth managers, top 20.
Ok, sorry for the long message I will keep that in mind for next time.
Thank you very much for responding though I appreciate all the advice. and are these PWM internships in NYC?
Thanks again, Nick G.
Which company has the best PWM department? Also could u leverage a internship in a different feild but same companies name from that easier?
Thanks again, Nick.
Getting a Freshman Internship (Originally Posted: 12/19/2014)
I'm just completed my first fall semester at a target/semi-target (think Duke, UMich Ross, UVA Mcintire etc.) with a 3.8 GPA. I'm beginning the internship search for this upcoming summer and need some advice. I have some decent connections, which I definitely plan on utilizing. However, if known of these connections are helpful, I've considered cold emailing alum in local hedge funds, private equity firms etc. Is this a bad idea? I know that there is not much that I could contribute to these organizations, so would I just be wasting my time by emailing?
Connections are your best bet.
You will most likely have a tough time with cold emailing. That being said - don't approach the email like you are looking for this summer - instead go in "seeking knowledge..." Try to build a relationship, and then if they don't take you this summer they certainly will next summer; meanwhile ask if they know anyone who would be looking for cheap/eager summer finance help. This approach is a lot less forward so it should have a slightly higher success rate.
Freshman In Need of Internship (Originally Posted: 01/12/2015)
I feel like I am lacking in time already and I might not end up with anything if I let it prolonged. My first priority the summer is hopefully securing an internship at a boutique. However, I don't know how to approach this situation. Who is the best to contact? I don't think I have enough time to build a strong relationship by the end of april so I might need to ask directly for it. I am mainly contacting boutique at the city I live.
If not, what can I do to get a PWM at least?
An ambitious one, huh?
The chances of you landing front-office IB at a boutique as a freshman is miniscule - you barely know how to write a proper email correspondence, let alone be tasked with formatting models. Freshman year internship doesn't need to be IB or PWM. As long as it builds some good skills and is marginally related to finance (with brand name an added plus), you should be fine.
Cold-call and cold-email your ass off. Use your alumni directory at your college to get in touch with alums in the area and see if you can do anything finance-related for them, even if it's FP&A stuff at a small company.
Internships for freshman (Originally Posted: 01/22/2014)
Hello. I'm a freshman in college and I've never really had a job or internship before. I was wondering what sorts of internships would be feasible. I go to an elite southern public U and my first semester GPA is a 4.0. I'd like to work in finance some day but for now I'm thinking of corporate internships. Any suggestions?
First figure out what city you want to work in, I'm assuming since you're a freshman that you might want something in your home town, then check out the company database that WSO has (using your zip code) and google those companies to see if they offer internships, LinkedIn also a job search function that allows you to put your zip code and keywords in and searh for jobs there so that you should give you a start.
You can also talk to your parents to see if they have any friends in corporate roles or if you know someone in a corporate role, reach out to them and see if they offer internships
Freshman Internship - PE firm near my house (Originally Posted: 10/01/2012)
Hi, it's me again! :)
So, I'm a freshman, as you can tell from the thread's title. I was looking to secure a internship this summer. So, I found this PE firm near my house, and I was wondering, when should I contact them? I am willing to work for free, because the experience will be invaluable and I can add it to my resume.
How should I go about securing this position? Should I just cold-call them? Should I cold-email?
Also, if this doesn't work out, there are a couple ML Wealth Management branches near my house, which I could give a shot to also.
Any help is greatly appreciated.
Thanks, xxkdjxx
Start early. Call and see if someone in the office has 15 minutes to speak with you, it shouldn't be hard for them to come up with 15 min to chat. Meeting at their office is ideal, but over the phone to start with works. Then work on developing a relationship. Mention the fact that you are considering working at Merrill and see if that person turns around and offers you the opportunity to work with them. If that doesn't work out, try to get in the local ML office and keep in touch with your PE connection, that way you have hopefully set yourself up well for an internship the summer following your sophomore year. Best.
Internships for Freshmen?? (Originally Posted: 04/25/2010)
I'm a freshman. Do you know any internships for freshmen? thx
You could probably get a wealth management internship at Smith Barney.
Thx! that sounds fun anyone else??please?
Take the initiative and look around a little. There are tons of asset managers that are willing to hire a summer (especially if it's an unpaid internship). Accounting firm's also hire freshman (it's a little harder) but that's a great experience.
thank you so much for your kindness Ive never thought of that! Thats amazing! it seems a little hard to find one but Ill try! thank you anyways
Definitely look around and cold call the smaller firms around your town... there should at least a few wealth management, asset management, financial advisory, and possibly even a few a boutique IB firms around. Most of these places may not actively recruit interns though, so you're going to have to take the initiative and get in touch with them.
thank you for your help. I live in tokyo and probably there are much less firms in here than in New york though Im gonna try. Thank you for noticing me that the Internet is not the only way to get in touch with them. But I think I can't get in touch with that kind of firms in New York without using the Internet at all... It's kinda hard to find one just by googling
See if you can find access to capIQ then you can pull a list of local IBs.
Thanks soo much! Ill try that
Freshman Internship - Freshman right now with a finance internship (Originally Posted: 03/14/2008)
Hi, I'm a freshman right now and I have an finance internship line up with Siemens. Below are some of my roles:
3/ Assists Senior Analyst in creating SAP reports on R&D costs detail for each internal order
4/ Assists Senior Analyst in creating training materials and train R&D project managers on internal orders in SAP
5/ Assists Senior Analyst in conducting post-audit of return on investments on selected R&D projects from FY 2006 and FY 2007
6/ Write up reports on findings of post audit and present results to Senior management.
My question is whether I should take this or go with a lesser known company but have maybe a better experience to talk about.
I also applied to Google just to see what would happen.....but that is very unlikely.
I definitely want to do consulting and I hear that as a freshman it does not matter what you really do for an internship...as long as you do something. Currently, I am majoring in finance and will be minoring in technology and management.
Thanks!
You're right. It doesn't particularly matter what you do freshman summer. The most important things for consulting are GPA and ECs--not experience. Pick the firm that you feel fits your interests best. That said, if MBB's your ultimate goal, try to get on with a BB sophomore summer. These people always get MBB interviews for junior year SA positions.
Freshman internship - Where to start looking? (Originally Posted: 05/13/2009)
I am new here. I just completed my freshman year. I was going to go to summer classes and did not look for an internship. I am regretting it and I am trying to find internships out there. Is it way too late? Where should I start looking?
anything finance related would be fine.
Your best bet right now would simply be to open up a phonebook (or go online) and call any wealth management office in your area, telling them briefly who you are and that you're looking for an internship. It will most likely be unpaid, but you will probably be working part time, so this is not an issue.
Im in the same boat, but I started looking about a month ago. For PWM, I called ML, NorthWestern, and Wells Fargo. Am I missing anything? Still havent found anyting
Without knowing where you are located, how the hell can we tell you if you are missing anyone? If your question is, are there wealth advisers beyond those you listed, the answer is yes.
How could you not get northwestern? They take anyone with a pulse, who has a network of people to sell life insurance to.
www.igsboston.com
I'm assuming you're still in the Cambridge/Boston area right? If so try Investor Group Services. It's a private equity consulting group. They almost always need people to conduct research for strategic and market due diligence. I worked there last summer. The job isn't the most rewarding experience, however you get paid well and it has helped my resume a lot.
Besides, this is only your freshman summer and you attend MIT. If you didn't do anything for this summer and the next, I'm sure you'll still nab a summer internship your junior summer.
Also a few of the consultants there are from MIT so you can probably secure an internship for your sophomore year while your working there. The actual interns get to do more of the analytical stuff (I think)
TeamLRAM http://teamlram.wordpress.com
freshman Year Internship (Originally Posted: 12/10/2010)
I am going to a school that offers a freshman study abroad program with a 6 week internship. I am ultimately interested in going to HF or PE, but know I need to start in IB. I have received my internship and am looking for some advice/opinion. Based on my preferences how does an internship at Barclays Plc look? The thing is I got placed in risk management (IRM). For somebody interested in sales and trading and the stock market, would this be the best internship? Is the fact that I am working at Barclays freshman year look good, and is IRM something I should stick with or try and change? Just wondering how this looks
IRM takes a business-focussed view of information assets held by the Bank, whether they are held in electronic or other forms. It aims to integrate people, processes and technology through use of risk management principles to safeguard the integrity, availability and confidentiality of information in accordance with the Bank‚s operating model and risk appetite. This is achieved either directly or through partnerships with related disciplines, e.g. Business Unit information risk and security teams, Legal & Compliance, Risk etc.
Here is the job description
It depends on what your other options are. Is there a list of some sort that you get to choose from?
Risk Mgmt isn't something you'd want to get into long term if you're looking for front office and later HF/PE opportunities. But as a Freshman it will be better than most other students' experience in your year and it will look good to have Barclays and some international exposure on your resume regardless.
Still depends on what your other options are though...
Well that is the thing. Risk management isn't what I want to do long term. However working at barclays in london is a huge plus I guess. TO be honest I know I want to get into HF or PE down the line and coming out of college I will work a few years in IB and then get an MBA. There isn't a list per say, but I don't really know what to ask for. What would be expected of a freshman student, like what be a better opportunity for me is what I am asking?
Freshman Internships (Originally Posted: 01/07/2013)
What types of summer internships should I look for as a freshman? And how can I get them?
Specifically, what type of internship did you have as a freshman, and how did you get it?
Re: cold-calling Should I just cold-call/email alumni? I don't want to "use up" contacts that would be more useful later on. Same goes with the one or two family connections I have.
I would recommend networking to find something finance related, but unique. Personally, I used some connections to spend a summer interning with the Federal Bankruptcy court. You can find something more unique that way in my opinion. When interviewing afterwards, this was always a great talking point and attention grabber on my resume.
As a freshman, you can afford to do something more interesting and less of a Banking101 type internship.
Which connections did you use? Did you find connections through information sessions or your school's alumni database, or something else?
I had a family member set me up with an opportunity to speak with the Judge and convinced her I could be of assistance over the summer.
Someone you can speak to personally is usually a better bet than a cold email to an alumni when looking for stuff before the junior/senior year in my opinion. Actually, probably still better those years as well.
Yeah I agree. Look for a unique internship that will be a great conversation starter in interviews.
I spent my freshman summer working on the academic side of finance doing research abroad at a German university. Like the people above said- have a different experience than your average kid, and you might stand out.
Look for anything under the sun. I would look for something in your nearest city so that you can live at home/offer to do something unpaid. Just having a legitimate internship after your first year will put you well ahead of most other people, even if it is not in something finance related.
As a freshman, I applied for a lot of different things - international things, totally non-finance things, start-ups - but ended up an SA at a regional boutique IB. I know I was pretty darn lucky to get the offer, especially considering I hadn't done any networking.
I saw the posting on UCS and although it said sophomores/juniors, I figured it couldn't hurt to apply and sent in an application. Got a phone interview, had a second round interview and was told I'd be contacted about a final interview but then was called and said that they'd decided to just skip it and give me an offer.
It was a great experience (especially since it was paid and I was living on my own in a new city) and I'm glad I took the chance and applied. That said, part of me regrets not using my freshman summer to travel or do something cool and non-finance, since it's likely that my sophomore and junior summers will be spent doing finance internships too.
Freshman Internship - Options during the summer (Originally Posted: 11/02/2009)
What are the options for an internship during the summer from freshman to sophomore year? Can I do an IBanking intership or a S&T internship? How about hedge fund or PE? I ask because I have always had the impression that they only hire for jr. internship. Thanks a lot.
good luck with that
seriously though: you're not getting IBD or S&T internship unless you have some connection. Basically any job or internship to put on a resume would be good to have (in finance preferably).
Realistically, your only chance at IBD or S&T at a BB is if a) you're connected, b) an absolute, 100% rock star or c) a minority. However, that is not to say it is impossible to get banking; it just will almost certainly be at a boutique no one has heard of, you'll have to spend a shitload of time cold-calling and networking to find it, and you'll likely spend 10 weeks fetching coffee. If you really impress them, they might give you a little bit of work, which will then be triple-checked before anyone important touches it. However, it will look great on your resume, and still be much more interesting than PWM, which is your other realistic alternative.
A small hedge fund or PE firm is also an option, if you can get in touch with them and they have room.
As everyone has pointed out, a freshman internship in any of the areas you're talking about is extremely unlikely in a branded shop. You might be able to find something in a small outfit, which could be good exposure and good for your resume.
There are many other ways to start getting some good experience that can position you well for internships after sophomore (still tough) and junior (more likely) year. Anything that will help you do the following would be a valuable use of your summer:
1) Tell a story about key skills: financial modeling, quantitative analysis, financial market insight
2) Demonstrate how outstanding you are: internship at a branded and selective company
3) Highlight your ability to have an impact: quantifiable results doing something meaningful (started a lawn mowing business and generated business to pay living expenses for a year; organized 100 people to come out for a good cause; petitioned your local councilman to change a local ordinance, etc)
You've got plenty of time to build a great story for next year and beyond. One of the key things you'll want to communicate in interviews for any job is why you are interested in the job. To successfully answer this question, whether asked explicitly or not, you'll need to point to experiences that show you've got what it takes to succeed and you're genuinely interested in finance. Take a look at this advice as a guidepost to evaluate different opportunities you explore for the summer, and see if it helps you create a compelling story for PE/IBD/S&T/Hedge fund jobs
Craft Your Personal Story: Why this Job - http://bit.ly/2GcZga
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