What to look for when selecting an investment bank (to work for)

Note that this is for a first internship.

I'm currently looking at a number of firms in Florida (specific location not an issue) for a summer internship for 2018 (I'm aware of recruiting timelines but I was not able to participate due to military service throughout these past several months) and am noticing that most of them are smaller shops. (The only name I really recognize from general internet research is Allen & Co.)

What factors are ones that one should look out for when working for an investment bank for a first internship? This is not necessarily for long-term, but for an internship that could hopefully provide valuable initial learning experiences and growth.
(i.e. total value of deals done annually, # of employees, etc.)

All help is appreciated, thanks.

edit: to dilute any confusion about the military involvement, I simply took a semester off of school this fall for training for the National Guard. Otherwise I'm a full-time engineering student.

 
Best Response

Transaction experience and good people. Look online at their site for this information. Transactions in the billions is better than in the millions. Look for a variety of deal types and determine if it’s generalist or an industry that sounds interesting to you. Look at senior members and determine their background as well as any other stats listed that sound interesting. When you meet prepare smart questions and watch how their answered, check for the way they’re dressed and find out any other personal things you can like that shows an interest outside of work.

 

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