The Internship Search
This is my first post for my summer internship at Mid-Market Securities in New York City. I am a rising senior and my ideal career path is to pursue in the investment banking industry now and further on after my graduation.
First of all, I would like to talk about how I got into the company and what takeaways I think would be valuable to share with you when searching for optimal opportunities. To start with, the most important thing is to improve the necessary skillsets for ourselves so that we could be prepared if there are any chances. In the investment banking industry, technical skills including financial modeling, basic knowledge of financial statements and some insights into possible financial activities firms can do. I tried to learn these not only through classes at Babson or LSE but also through CFA courses so that I could systematically develop my technical knowledge base in the industry. While these technical skills are just a tip of the iceberg to get a job in the industry, soft skills like communication, networking, and presentation skills are also indispensable. Before the start of my semester abroad at LSE, I started to apply for positions for this summer. It was very hard and chances were slim because tens of thousands of students were applying for the same positions in these huge banks who only would enroll less than 30 a year. So it becomes essential for us to network with anybody in the company to get some insights about the company and any tips during the interview. Moreover, with the latest video interview technology (hirevue) coming out, it is critical to practice presentation skills as video interviews eliminate the most candidates out of the pool. With technical skills and soft skills prepared, I believe luck should also take credit for my internship right now. I tried to connect with many professionals in the industry and most of them were helpful in giving advice and career tips but few of them would refer me to opportunities. I found myself very lucky when one of my mentors connected me with Mid-Market Securities and offered me an interview opportunity.
So to conclude my experiences in getting a summer internship, it is crucial to get technical and soft skills ready. These skills will become really helpful when we network with professionals; when we go for those interviews; and most importantly when we are offered great chances. Therefore, I hope I could further strengthen my skillsets in the industry during this internship; learn as much as I can by shadowing and helping my boss, a veteran in the industry, to complete deals; accumulate my personal network in meetings with other professionals either from the buy side or sell side.
I will talk about my particular goals for my internship and the interesting personalities of my boss or the company culture in my next blog post by the end of June. Please contact me 1liu1@babson.edu if you have resonating experiences when searching for an internship and I am happy to discuss, share and learn.