How intense are off-cycle internships?

Hi! I came across an IBD off-cycle internship and was wondering what is the expected time commitment?  Do you think it is possible to do an IBD off-cycle internship January-June in Europe but at the same time be enrolled full time in virtual classes? Is it more laid back and less busy?  Thank you! 

 

It’s at Morgan Stanley. This is the job description:

The Investment Banking Off-cycle Internship is an opportunity to experience the culture and atmosphere in the Investment Banking Division (IBD) by taking on some of the responsibilities and functions of a Full-time Analyst for a short period. The internship typically lasts three to six months, but can vary in length depending on business needs and candidate availability. You will spend your internship assigned to a specific group in a specific region, building basic skills in financial analysis, accounting and valuation, while working on a wide range of domestic and international transactions. 

 

I have done multiple off-cycle internships before starting full-time, and can confirm on all occasions, it's impossible to combine with classes. Contrary to what you think, off-cycle internships are busier than summer internships given deal flow will be in full run, compared to the less busier summer months

Array
 

Impossible? Lmao.

Started an off-cycle at one of the big banks while studying full-time and now a FT analyst while still being a student (last year, tho; usually they don't allow students to start FT I think). Top 3% of the class. It's likely you'll be overwhelmed and start hating your life at some point, but it can be, and has been, done.

Also my team is OK with me getting a few days off during exam blocks, so that helps a lot.

 
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Don't know why the poster above is scoffing at the fact that someone described it as "impossible" unless their off-cycle internship consisted of very little work or if their classes allowed them to be non-attending for the whole semester. Some off cycles in Europe are already going ahead in person (or 50/50 WFH vs in office), and even if they aren't, you likely will be required to be staffed onto deal teams like a FT analyst would considering the length of the program (none of that 6-week summer training program kind of thing that the summer analysts experienced). 

That being said, if virtual attendance counts for your courses (which tmu is the case at a lot of US schools), then it would be close to impossible to complete both at the same time because you'll have to skip classes in order to complete work. You could get super lucky in that case and have very little work, but do you really want to rely on luck for that kind of thing? 

If you can do non-attending, then it is possible but it'll be painful so long as you can get time off for your exams. From the phrasing of your OP tho it sounds like you're coming from a US school.

Also, fair warning because I have a number of friends who have completed the MS off-cycle internship for IBD -- it is very intense. In general, the off cycles are always more intense than the summer internships. 

Array
 

You're referring to me. I'm not in the WFH mode, usually at the office 9am-11pm or 2/3am when it gets hot. An hour of study during the day (no lunches) and another two to three hours after the job, depending on the workload. 12+ hours on Saturday and Sunday if not working. This means no days off, unfortunately. But CAN BE DONE.

As per virtual classes, I just talk to the professors and usually they're okay with me not being present as long as I participate in group assignments and hand in all the individual ones. I had been working before COViD took hold, so I know what I'm talking about. This may not be the case for the OP, though.

 

ok so this is basically what I meant by non-attending. You don't have to physically be in your classes (or in covid times, virtually in your zoom class) for your lectures. Which is what I said in the above post, difficult, but can be done. If you didn't have explicit permission to not attend courses, how would you possibly expect to do both? 

Array
 

Had previously a SA at a sweatshop where we'd pull 9-2am everyday and work on most weekends (often Sat+Sun). Most people used to spend much time eating lunch+dinner, chatting shit on messenger and lurking bullshit news, myself included. You don't do that if you really need to be efficient.

 

Most off-cycle internship programs are for Dartmouth, Stanford, and Chicago kids due to their quarter/trimester system.

 

I've done it before and tbh it's extremely difficult but possible. When others aren't working, you would but catching up on lectures (if they don't require attendance at least). Expect to be working 7 days a week, 120h a week. However, if you do have the motivation and be able to finish both, you would be miles ahead of your competition both in terms of work experience and overall attitude. You'll learn how to prioritise and be efficient while slaving away. If you do decide to take the jump, good luck!

 

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