eFinancialCareers

Following the fairly basic article a few weeks' ago on how someone turned their internship into a job offer, here's my more 'real' take on what's needed to secure an offer. I'm interning in a bank this summer and this is what I've been told by alumni and friends -

Do :

1. Do be positive and enthusiastic

Banking is a very stressful environment and everyone knows it. Never show to anyone that you are depressed and tired, people will think you are weak and should not be there.

2. Do be modest

Everyone in banking is confident and ambitious. But there is really no place for an intern to try to improve an Excel model that has been used in years. There are chances that you may be able to make the system more user friendly, but since the model has been there for so long, any changes would just be a burden. If you try and make improvements as an intern they are likely to be wrong…

3. Do go for coffees and smokes

Always “grab a coffee” or “go for a smoke” with analyst or associates if they ask you to.

4. Do be willing to do anything

Never think you are too busy or too good for a particular task. As a summer intern, you will often be given the more tedious jobs. Suck it and complete the given tasks.

5. Do focus your networking where it will be most effective

It’s not good trying to impress senior bankers. You are unlikely to have an indepth conversation with a partner or MD. Your time will be better spent network with your buddy and his analyst friends as their opinions of you will directly affect the outcome of your internship.

Don’t:

1. DO NOT SCREW UP

It will be very hard for anyone to trust you or give you meaningful work if you keep on messing up simple tasks such as replacing numbers in a Excel model.

2. Don’t be TOO keen

You will just be annoying. Saying to someone that you love working 100 + hours per week is not convincing.

3. Don’t show up to work hung over or in a bad state

If associates and analysts take all interns on a good night out, it does not give you an excuse to turn up late and looking hung-over. Drink espresso shots and pull yourself together.

4. Don’t be unfriendly to any other interns

All of you are in it together, so you shouldn’t see anyone as your competition. Everyone in the intern class must be talented and ambitious to have made it through the screening and selection.

5. Don’t contact an analyst whenever you have an question

They also have a lot on their plate and they’re likely to have to stay late to finish it off. Do not be annoying. Try and round-up all your questions and ask them together if you can.