<p>I am currently entering my junior year in college and am starting to worry about getting a IB internship next summer. I realize that most banks start their interviewing processes in the fall and visit college campuses around that time. Some things i have been wondering:</p>
<p>-How many IB internships should i apply for?
-How hard is it to get an internship at a main IB lke Goldman Sachs? I know they visit my campus every fall but am just wondering if applying to a firm like GS is even worth it
-How much will i have to know about financial markets, the company im applying to, etc to nail the interview?</p>
<p>Any other advice is much appreciated. Thanks!!</p>
<p>Your questions are pretty broad and it really depends on a few factors, so I’ll go through each question based on these factors:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>This is an easy one - you should definitely cast a wide net and apply for several internships, especially if you are targeting one particular field. In other words, if you want IB, then apply for as many IB internships as you can since competition is fierce and you definitely want some options - if you land an offer and are happy with it, you can always pull out of any further interviews.</p></li>
<li><p>It is definitely difficult to get into GS IBD, but it can be VERY difficult or just difficult depending on your school. If you attend a target, there will be more seats available, if you attend a semi-target where GS recruits, you are still in good shape and if you are in a non-target, you will have the most difficulty since GS won’t be coming to your school and you will definitely need to network a lot to have a decent shot. Finally, yes, you should definitely apply to GS, especially if they recruit on your campus since it is just an application -worst case scenario, they don’t interview you - no big deal, no harm done and no, they are not going to hold it against you for FT recruiting next year. </p></li>
<li><p>This depends on your major. If you are a finance/accounting major or have some finance/accounting coursework, you will definitely be expected to know much more than a liberal arts major - understandably. That said, even if you are not a finance/accounting major or have some relevant coursework, you will still want to, at the least, know the basics (walking through 3 financial statements, and such) and knowing a bit more than that will definitely be helpful.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>As an additional point, besides your school, your GPA will also play a factor, your resume as a whole will impact the process and, finally, the amount of networking you do and the number of contacts you have at any given bank will also help you. </p>
<p>PM me if you have any other questions on interviewing and the process.</p>
<p>IBanker</p>
<p>^Are analysts/associates allowed to call themselves “Bankers”? ; )</p>