I've been creeping around this site the past few months and thought I would seek some advice from about what a freshman should be doing regarding internships.
To start off, I'm in my first year at an Ivy League institution, with a tentative major in Econ. I'm not really sure which sector of Wall Street would be best to pursue, but I figured since Consulting only looks at juniors and large/medium PE is nearly impossible, I may as well try out banking first and see if I like it.
I've been to many events, both with the finance/business clubs I am in and campus-wide events, and they all seem to be geared towards juniors (and occasionally sophomores. My guess is that after they take care of the seniors and junior interns, i can go about looking for opportunities from anybody. I'm also looking at opportunities with Congress, non-profits, policy think-tanks, etc. because I like that as well.
So how should I go about looking for these opportunities? When? Now? January? And is it a big deal if I can't get anything?
As a freshman, it's almost impossible to get anything through those events because as you said they're geared for juniors. Contrary to popular belief though, there are decent opportunities out there for freshmen.
First, try and build a networking base. This will help you get your foot in the door and get interviews. Also, be open to unpaid internships. Firms are far more willing to accommodate freshmen if they're willing to work unpaid. Don't look for those structured analyst programs either. These programs are almost exclusively comprised of juniors. When I was a freshman, I found boutiques were far more open to me since they were smaller and just needed the help. They're also more willing to teach you about the business and help you learn. I interned both during a semester of freshman year and that summer in two separate, unrelated firms.
Now, getting a paid gig is much more difficult as a freshman. Unless you have family connections, I received very little interest for paid internship positions. My advice: just put yourself out there and make it clear that you want to learn and understand the business.
Change your major to pre-med and become a doctor.
I thought about that but the work seems too mundane and doctors are such conceded pricks :)
*Conceited
Uh, you're a freshman. Get a 3.8+. Get involved with extracurriculars. Spend the summer in Prague.
... although blackjack makes some good points, too.
Thanks everyone. I'm leaning a little towards interning for Congress in DC. I've done it before at the local district level and a few House and Senate members nearby are either former students of my school or sit on the Banking/Financial Services Committee. But those deadlines aren't until March, so for now I'll just focus on grades.
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