<p>technically, hes not an upperclassman… he’s a rising sophmore. i agree with the mom thou, any internship is better than nothing, but there are a lot more beneficial internships that the OP could apply for the summer of '10. (aka, do some research)</p>
<p>it sounds like you might need money to support yourself, why not just transfer to a higher ranked school that gives a crapton of need based aid (or merit based aid)? then you could take classes there, build your connections/network and then find a decent internship without worrying too much about money (until after you graduate and find a job)</p>
<p>He is not an upperclassmen, but that really isn’t the point regardless. I’ve had an internship every year since junior of high school but merely attaining an internship at OP’s level is meaningless.</p>
<p>If his goal is to be a fund manager he needs to focus on getting into a good school where he will be able to leverage his school’s name for a position that will set him up for that future.</p>
<p>Without connections or a good school pedigree the type of internships OP will find won’t be helpful in his career path. As someone mentioned previously, working for a Scottrade or even low Wachovia position will not be helpful and may, in fact, be detrimental.</p>
<p>Most often when there is a paradigm shift in an industry one of the first things that will occur is that the industry looks outside itself for employees in hopes that the shift will result in “out of the box” thinking. If I were young and looking at a career in healthcare or finance for instance, the last thing I would be concerned about is the traditional “career path.” Of course, the OP should find the very best college possible for the fundamentals but I’m not so convinced that the traditional career path is as important as it might have been five to ten years ago. Of course I could be dead wrong, but I’m already “seeing” healthcare systems looking for senior employees without healthcare experience and that does not surprise me in the least.</p>
<p>Your point is well taken in certain industries…healthcare assuredly being one of them.</p>
<p>However, in my opinion, fund management is similar to an industry like law where prospective employers and clients need to trust in your experience…which is derived from academic background and previous employment.</p>
<p>That being said there is, of course, no defined career path that one must follow to be a fund manager, the right drive and skills will get you there…it would likely, however, be much easier to achieve that along a traditional path.</p>
<p>I think we need to keep our eye on the ball: the OP’s goal.</p>
<p>If we do that, Vincere is 100% correct–his focus needs to be on getting into a good school. A remotely related internship will not help with a fund manager job. Any industry shift will not result in interest in Scott Trade employees. The OP’s goal has the best chance of being achieved if he gets whatever job will allow him to meet his financial needs and have the best shot at transferring to a better school.</p>