Question regarding internships.

What year are you?

Unfortunately, a senior. Not much time to gain the necessary experience.

make sure you check to see if the merrill lynch internship doesn't consist of cold calling.. and that it is legit...but then again, if it is your only option, i guess something is better than doing nothing

but how do you plan to break into FT ibanking if all the interviews are done? are you staying back for an extra year ?

First, it seems a bit odd that ML is considering a senior for an internship position rather than FT.

Anyways, while I am sure that ML has a system to help their associates move within the company, it is just a job posting that you apply and interview. You mostly compete with internal employees who may want to switch from different ib groups or other depts like pwm. Networking becomes essential and do not think of relying on HR as they would try to keep you in PWM.

It is a lot more challenging to try to move into a different ibanking company as they will grill you on why you want to do it and why you did not do an internship in investment banking. It is different from interviewing as a student since you decided to choose on entering PWM and have that background now. You should be well prepared to answer these questions as they are very skeptical and hard to convince that you want it. Further, you are competing with a much larger pool.

Best of luck

Technically, I am a senior. However, I am trying to secure an internship in the summer, then finish my last few classes in the fall quarter.

If you're planning on doing the supersenior thing then working at a local regional advisory shop would probably be better than pwm. But if it's that or nothing..