Off Cycle Internship - What is it? Definition & Explanation

Hey everyone. So I was just wondering what exactly it meant when a internship is listed as off cycle? The internship I am interested in for example says that it will start between April and July and will last approximately 3-6 months. It also said to just say my availability on the cover letter. Does this mean you could enter say March - August and have your internship coincide with the summer internship?

Thanks for your help!

What is an off cycle internship?

As explained by @Sil":

Sil - Corporate Development Associate:
Off-cycle internships are internships that take place outside the regular cycle of when internships normally take place. Since most internships take place during the summer, an off-cycle internship would be one that takes places outside of the summer. They usually are just as worthwhile as "regular" internships.

Among bulge bracket banks in the United States, off-cycle internships are common for schools that operate on a trimester schedule, such as Dartmouth College. However, smaller firms have more flexibility for offering off-cycle internships. In other regions of the world, such as the EMEA - off-cycle internships are more common at bulge bracket banks and among other firms.

When looking for off-cycle internships - your first step should be to look on corporate websites and school job boards to pursue any listed leads. The next step would be to email and cold call contacts to search for opportunities. You should also remember that for non-formal off-cycle internships, firms will be looking for extra help to fill a need and will not necessarily be looking for full time hires. With this in mind if you cannot find structured off cycled programs - target small firms or specific groups at larger firms and cold email/call more senior people at those places.

What is the value of an off-cycle internship?

Off-cycle internships in investment banking, private equity, hedge funds, or venture capital can be just as valuable as typical summer internships and can help gain skills and experience that you can leverage into different full time or summer analyst positions. For example - if you are looking to get into venture capital after having had a sales and trading internship - taking a semester to do cold calling for a venture capital firm will help you gain valuable experience that you can talk about for interviews.

Read More About Internships On WSO

Need to learn how to network like a master?

Inside the WSO Finance networking guide, you'll get a comprehensive, all-inclusive roadmap for maximizing your networking efforts (and minimizing embarrassing blunders). This info-rich book is packed with 71 pages of detailed strategies to help you get the most of your networking, including cold emailing templates, questions to ask in interviews, and action steps for success in navigating the Wall Street networking process.

Networking Guide

 
Best Response

Off-cycle internships are internships that take place outside the regular cycle of when internships normally take place. Since most internships take place during the summer, an off-cycle internship would be one that takes places outside of the summer. They usually are just as worthwhile as "regular" internships, but are often times a bit more laid back.

 

Its probably possible if your well connected.

Also, the answer depends on whether its U.S. you're talking about here or Europe.

In terms of BB off-cycles, on linkedin ive seen mostly dartmouth kids. Probably due to their d-term or something like that

 

Adipisci laboriosam et doloremque. Id enim illo non aut distinctio asperiores. Aut dolor ex sapiente eos consequuntur impedit provident ut.

Vitae enim natus tempore quos beatae nemo similique esse. Sapiente minima consequatur et quo dolores accusamus. Ratione nisi consectetur est suscipit eveniet recusandae qui.

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 (86) $261
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (14) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (33) $170
  • 2nd Year Analyst (66) $168
  • 1st Year Analyst (205) $159
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (145) $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
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
6
kanon's picture
kanon
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
numi's picture
numi
98.8
10
bolo up's picture
bolo up
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...”