Internship: Small hedge fund vs Big 4 Accounting

Hey guys,

First time poster here looking for some advice.

I am a senior at a non-target, very high GPA (3.95/4.0) with no prior investment banking experience. As a student athlete Ive always been very busy, especially during the summer when I spend my time training.

I was able to network and got myself two internships for this summer after I graduate. I hope to leverage one of these internships to make me more marketable and land a full time position as a SA in an IBD during recruitment in the fall.

The first is a very small hedge fund, around 120M AUM. It is a very small office with a very relaxed atmosphere. I won't be doing much valuation modelling or excel work. Most of my time I will be working very closely with the 6 guys that work in the office. Ill get to learn how a hedge fund operates (how they generate investment ideas, where some deals come from etc.) I will also get experience using Bloomberg terminal.

My Big4 Internship will mostly be audit, however, I might get the opportunity to get some transaction advisory experience. Additionally, the Big4 might be more prestigious on my resume.

Any advice would be great.

Cheers

7 Comments
 

At the fund you'll be in contact with more guys on the sell side than in Big 4 = better networking.

"After you work on Wall Street it’s a choice, would you rather work at McDonalds or on the sell-side? I would choose McDonalds over the sell-side.” - David Tepper
 

Thanks for the quick responses.

Finding information on the employees has been a bit of a challenge, and as a result, it has been one of my major concerns. I have used FINRA, however, I still can't find a lot of information. The hedge fund is not located in a major money center. I know that one of the employees did some work at IKONA capital (a private asset management firm located in NY and HK).

With a big4 internship on my resume will my chances landing an SA position in IB be slim? I will be doing most of my interviews in Canada - Where I am quite well connected. However, as a dual citizen I am pursuing opportunities in the US as well.

Thanks

 

Fund, for sure, even though it is small.

"When I was young I thought that money was the most important thing in life; now that I am old I know that it is." - Oscar Wilde "Seriously, psychology is for those with two x chromosomes." - RagnarDanneskjold
 

Perspiciatis excepturi rerum hic perspiciatis dolorum ipsa. Dolore quae qui sed non earum et sit. Delectus autem occaecati illum quisquam ut totam laborum. Corrupti omnis explicabo dolor fugiat harum. Ipsa sed rerum a explicabo mollitia sit laborum. Ipsa sit illum ad est labore nulla dolore debitis.

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 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

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.3%
  • BMO Capital Markets 13 97.7%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.7%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (15) $434
  • Associates (46) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (80) $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
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
10
Mimbs's picture
Mimbs
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...”