So I am currently looking for an internship in investment banking and have no idea where to start. I am currently junior status majoring in Finance and have a 3.03 with no practical real world work experience (just part time jobs) I am close to being the secretary of treasury in a Republican group on my campus which I think will help my resume.
But I was wondering if anybody has any suggestions on boutique banks that I can apply to in order to get my foot into the door or strategies to get noticed. Basically somewhere that I’ll have a good chance on being able to compete and get an offer.
Your GPA isn’t stellar, but it’s above the 3.0 threshold, which is nice. I wouldn’t say it’s late in the process for I-banking, though. Internship recruitment for investment banks typically happens in January and February.
The title of Treasury Secretary will mean nothing to a bank, and if you are not currently in that position, it will mean even less. The only way positions and titles mean something is if you can point to specific experience you earned. For example, the Business Manager of my college singing group was responsible for setting, bucketing and maintaining a $150,000 operating budget, for maintaining a small portfolio of investments, and for securing funding from the university, from outside donors, from group members, and from professional engagements (i.e. performances). Someone who spent 6 months in this role has experience that a) cannot be learned in a classroom and b) can tie directly to a job in the banking industry, even if that isn’t what the person will be doing at an investment bank. Merely having the title, however, would mean that nothing has been learned and no skills have been developed (it’s entirely possible that you may have the title but completely fail in the role).
I’d get your resume together and then research banks that recruit at your school. If you are at a non-target, it will be a lot harder for you. My best suggestion is to compile a list of possible banks and then research each of their programs. All of this should be done by January 1 in order to set you up for the best possible chances.