The road to an internship

Hi everyone.

I hope you are doing well.

I recently got accepted into a MiM joint degree program at HEC Paris-Yale, it comes as a bit of a shock as I really wasn't expecting to get in, given my low GRE score. The course is structured in a way that you do your first year at HEC Paris in General Management. You can then take an optional gap year to do internships or dive straight into the second year at Yale. I am planning on taking the gap year to boost my work experience.

Until recently I didn't even think IB was a realistic possibility for me, however after reading a bit more about it, I really think that I could benefit from doing a 6 month internship at a bank. I have always thought of myself as a disciplined person who tries hard and puts effort into his work, in short a principle I live by is "show that you care". I know this might sound a bit lame but this is one of the reasons I find IB appealing, is that it’s an industry that pushes you and that makes you realise you can probably achieve more than you thought you could. I also think that working in IB would enhance my analytical capabilities and give me a practical understanding of business. It would give me the opportunity to understand the key fundamentals of how businesses operate. Lastly, I think doing a 6 months internship is ideal, as it is long enough for me to get an understanding of whether this is an industry that I could see myself in, in the future, without having too much skin in the game.

However, there are also some setbacks I think I will face. I don't have much experience in finance at all, in fact I come from a social sciences background and currently work in marketing. I did do a finance and accounting course in my final year at uni and managed to obtain a first for it, but other than that my knowledge of finance is limited. Even though I will learn finance at HEC, from what I have gleaned, most banks start recruiting for internships at the start of the year. In addition to this, by the time I start doing my internships I will be 26, so I am not sure whether I will be too old for an analyst position? Lastly, I really really suck at aptitude tests, I got a 50th percentile in quant for the GRE and I often struggle with the aptitude tests that companies use as part of the recruitment process, which may hinder my ability to get an internship.

Having said that I have thought about doing the following before I start the program and during the program, can any of you comment on whether you think this is a solid idea or possibly add some suggestions?

1. Buy the WSP premium package: Even though its a bit pricey, I have saved up some money so I can afford it. Think this will help me gain a basic understanding of modelling and it will show recruiters that I have taken active steps to enhance my financial acumen. It may also help me during the interview process.
2. Buy the SHL aptitude tests (about $120) to help me familiarize myself and get used to aptitude tests.
3. Attend the career events the university hosts and reach out to companies (pretty obvious one).

In short, can you offer any advice and do you think I have a chance of getting an internship? Even though I lack experience and am rather old, I think there are some factors that work in my favor?

Thanks very much