How to Secure a Return Offer from Your Banking Summer Internship

Navigating your summer internship in banking can be hard.  Very hard. You have 10-12 weeks to make a good impression while working  for multiple bankers on several projects all due yesterday. It’s like a Superday on steroids. 

Here are a few suggestions that can help you secure a full-time return offer in investment banking (while your panicked and your hair is on fire).

Be Proactive 

In order to be successful in investment banking, you must be proactive.  Share project updates often both verbally and via texts and email. Ask for feedback on how you can improve you work. Discuss initiatives or areas of interest that you have and would like to learn more about over the course of your internship. Be engaged. Most importantly, don’t shy away from work. 

Like it or not, most bankers won’t “hold your hand” and tell you what you should be doing on a daily basis. Ask your manager how he or she prefers to be communicated with. Different bankers have different work styles. One size does not fit all. 

Find a Mentor 

Most banks will provide you with a mentor for the summer. If you don’t an assigned mentor, find one – FAST! A lot of bankers are often willing to serve as informal mentors (especially alumni from your school). Find someone or maybe 2 people that you can connect with on multiple levels. Developing a personal connection with someone that you can confide in is key as they can help guide you through difficult situations.

Most importantly, make sure your mentor is someone that you can trust. A trusted mentor can be an excellent resource to help you navigate the organization and steer you in the right direction. DO NOT ASK YOUR MENTOR TO REVIEW YOUR WORK. That is not what they are they for. They are there to help guide you through the politics of how to get an offer. DO NOT ASK THEM EXCEL OR FORMATTING QUESTIONS, THAT IS A POOR USE OF THEIR TIME. 

Network Like Your Life Depends on it

A large part of getting an offer comes down to whether people like you. Begin by networking with members of your team. Don’t just kiss up to senior bankers. Most MDs will ask senior analysts their opinions on summer staff. Understand that even though you are an associate you probably have less experience than a second or third-year analyst. Getting to know junior team members first will help enable you to build connections, get advice and integrate into the team culture. Remember, you will need to secure “buy-in” from everyone. Employers want to make sure you’re the right “fit” for the organization full-time. Don’t be an asshole to your juniors. 

Do NOT network at the expense of screwing up your work. Likability can only go so far. If your projects are late or your work product sucks you will not get an offer no matter how adorable everyone thinks you are. 

Be a Value Add

During your internship, remember that you’re not there just to sit and listen. You’re there to be part of the team, so you should participate. Your team wants to know what you have to say. Yet, before you open your mouth and start talking be sure you have something valuable to add. Talking just to talk is not going to go over well. Remember, your goal is to be on that team as a full-time employee. No oversharing, no racist or sexist jokes. Don’t babble like a schmuck.

Have a Positive Attitude

Happy, positive people bring joy to those around them. Negative people who complain suck energy from people. I understand that you have not slept and that you are on 6 live deals. Be positive or if you can’t be positive BE QUIET. If you are going to throw a temper tantrum, do it in the bathroom. Don’t let anyone see you have a melt down. 

NEVER Throw a Co-Worker Under the Bus

This goes without saying but never ever throw a co-worker under the bus. You’re a team. If your analyst made a mistake, then it’s your fault for not catching it. If your VP made a mistake then it’s your fault for not catching it. Find a solution and move on. Do not dwell on the issue. Never complain about anyone to anyone. If someone does complain about a difficult person be empathetic but DO NOT join in. 

Securing a return offer from a summer internship should be your number one priority. Whether you want to return or not, once you receive an offer you can always shop it. Getting the offer makes recruiting much easier and gives you validation that you should be doing what you want to do. That being said, unfortunately not all summer interns get full-time offers. If you fall into that category, don’t panic, we can help. 

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