I got an offer to join the Digital Team for UX and Data Analytics. Yes, definitely not the precursor to the banking industry. But UX/Data is something I would love to do as a passion but can I make a career out of it? I have pressure from my parents as a first-gen low income student. It is the only other offer I have this summer. I am considering it because I will be able to work on more projects than what I'm doing at my current internship. I have to decide in a few days whether to take it or not. It's basically UX and data for a less well known ecommerce comestics company.
My second option is to continue my internship at a PE firm. Polished name, but I'm doing boring work (custody/records) so a lot of scanning, reviewing updates on deals, transactions. I don't get to touch the accounting work, another grad intern does it. Sometimes I don't think I have enough work to cover a full time summer internship. If this is the best route, how can I make it more interesting? I plan to learn finance on the side this summer (I'm an econ major).
My career goal is to work in sales and trading. Maybe sticking with custody and records at the PE firm? If I took the UX offer, will it impact my path to sales and trading? I'm applying to junior analyst internships now.
I keep doubting myself/pretty stubborn person overall. Thanks in advance.
What year are you finishing in college?
Have you asked the PE firm if there is anything at all you can do that is closer to finance in addition to your current duties?
What kind of company is the UX/Data Analytics offer from? Data Analytics could look great for trading depending on what you do and how you position it on your resume.
tds2006
Currently a sophomore, rising junior.
I haven't asked the firm but I know there are no interns investments teams, only a few in Accounting but I'm not an accounting major so I don't get to touch statements for funds sadly.
The UX/Data Analytics offer is from a small ecomm cosmetics company. Issue is they are a spinoff and is going many transitional changes, so the reviews on glassdoor are awful. The manager I met is great.
Ask the fund if you can take on any duties closer to finance / investing. It couldn't hurt; emphasize that this would be in addition to what you're doing now.
Do you have any idea how the work is split between UX and analytics? Potentially you could be doing work that would resemble FP&A / Strategic Planning; Data Analytics is an incredibly broad description.
How long have you been at the PE internship? If you turn down the summer offer there can you continue it in the fall?
I would personally take the UX internship, and have an eye on what projects you can do this summer that you can spin towards finance interviews. I'm assuming you're a sophomore - people have wide varieties of sophomore internships, and since you already have PE on there you have a little more flexibility to do something different.
You will field a lot of questions about why banking/why not UX, so make sure your answer is especially good on that front. Emphasize the PE experience on your resume, but if you're barely doing any work at that I don't think the UX will hurt you.
eloquence
I've been there since Feb. I haven't asked if I can continue in the fall. I'm not sure how to approach them and ask if I can take a different internship because that gives off a bad impression and what if they hire a new intern to replace me? Any tips how to ask my managers?
The issue is I have a lot of past roles not in banking, only this PE internship has been remotely related. I've dabbled from startups to nonprofits so I might appear all over the place. I do want to take the UX role because it's more interesting work than what I do currently, but at the same time don't want to feign any confusion!
I think I found another thread of yours - is the UX internship specifically on the FP&A team? If so, that's a pretty well respected corporate job, especially as a sophomore. With the resume issue, you don't need to put every position you've ever held (you do need to put them all on the background check), just put the PE role with the most emphasis, whatever you do this summer, and maybe one more if you have one that is particularly interesting.
With regards to your PE internship if you do take the UX role: would sit down with your direct manager and take about how you've enjoyed x, y, z aspects of the internship, but have an offer in the UX team for the summer and want to experience that. (This is easier if the other is in a different city from the PE shop, such as your hometown) However, you are learning a lot and would love to continue as a part time intern next fall if possible. They may get offended and say no, if so then not a big deal.
If your ultimate goal is to have a career in finance (you said S&T), pick the internship that is actually in finance. You said it's a polished PE shop. Having that brand name on your resume will open many doors on Wall St. later in your career. It will also help you significantly next summer. That UX internship will not, especially if it's from a less well known shop as you mentioned.
Est quo doloribus quia distinctio consequatur fugit. Et et vero explicabo sapiente. Dolorem sed ex ea. Cupiditate nulla aut ex.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...