Take BB Middle Office or Keep Looking for Boutique? (Sophomore Internship)

Hey guys,

I am currently a sophomore at Stern interested in pursuing a career in IB looking for something to do this spring/summer before junior recruiting starts. I recently got an offer for a middle office position for a top BB (one of GS/JP/MS) for the rest of this semester and all of the summer. I have seen many threads before about a BB BO/MO internship vs. IB at a small boutique, and I definitely think that working at a boutique IB has many advantages before heading into recruiting, but there are a few differences about the position I'm currently in that leave me unsure of what to do.

1) I don't have an internship at a boutique lined up right now. I have been cold emailing any boutiques I can find from all of those lists compiled over the years, and have not had any success. I'm not really choosing between internships, I'm choosing between taking a non-IB position now vs. continuing the search for experience at a boutique.

2) A lot of sophomores at Stern that are going into banking have IB related experience at boutiques. This is important to me because I'm not sure if doing a non-IB internship will put me at a disadvantage because everyone else around me is doing an IB internship, or if it could be an advantage because the name of the firm is recognizable and I'm not just another kid working at a boutique.

Appreciate all the help!

8 Comments
 

I think that if I keep reaching out to boutiques I would eventually land an internship with one of them. A lot of my peers (with similar grades and work experiences) have had success reaching out, so I'm just worried that they would be many steps ahead of me if I were to take this MO role.

 
"LAThrowaway"

I think that if I keep reaching out to boutiques I would eventually land an internship with one of them. A lot of my peers (with similar grades and work experiences) have had success reaching out, so I'm just worried that they would be many steps ahead of me if I were to take this MO role.

Maybe, but a bird in hand...

Very few kids have IB experience prior to junior year. You won't be behind. Also, use this opportunity to network with S&T if that is of interest to you.

 

Iusto culpa nostrum sit blanditiis vero est mollitia voluptates. Nihil amet consequatur excepturi quia illum amet. In officia aut natus totam consectetur eligendi rem.

Mollitia molestiae voluptatem eaque necessitatibus repellat. Suscipit dolores et vel iusto eveniet animi eligendi.

Possimus inventore quae deleniti dicta ex debitis voluptatem. Molestiae tempore nesciunt est ipsum eum doloremque corrupti. Odit et laborum id et.

Blanditiis quasi nihil accusamus ab eligendi placeat vel. Sed nisi quis voluptas id odio. Eum qui perspiciatis aut omnis molestiae inventore sit. Vero et eaque et doloremque.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.2%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.2%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.6%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.2%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (43) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (75) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (66) $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

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...”