3 Takeaways from the Internships in Finance Panel

By Benjamin Lee ’24, Career Peer Advisor

Miss the internship panel we offered on February 6th? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Here are key pieces of advice shared at the event:

  1. Start early! Finance internships are recruiting earlier and earlier each year, often more than a year in advance of the internship itself. Try your best to figure out what industries and careers you are interested early on so that you can stay on top of the application and interview preparation process. You can learn more about various finance roles by using FirstHand (Vault) guides, which you can access through Handshake. Networking (mentioned in takeaway #2) is another great way to hear first hand about different industries and their recruiting practices. Also, know that if you are a junior or senior, it isn’t too late — there are plenty of finance firms that hire full-time.
  2. Networking, networking, networking… A LinkedIn survey found that 85% of jobs are found through networking and in finance this definitely holds true. Everyone talks about networking but what does it really mean? Networking means reaching out to chat with people in your network such as Swarthmore Alums, family friends, or even upperclassmen to discover potential career paths and employers, and ultimately see if it is the right fit for you. Put simply, it’s information gathering…with a plan. Furthermore, the people with whom you network can help you through the application process! Oftentimes there are hundreds and thousands of applicants for large finance firms, so getting a referral from an alum can significantly improve your chances of securing a first-round interview. LinkedIn, the Swarthmore Alumni Directory, and CareerShift are all great resources for finding people at different firms with whom to connect.
  3. Practice for interviews. Getting the first round interview is only the halfway point to securing an internship/job in finance. Be sure to know your resume inside and out and prepare for common interview questions. For example, tell me about yourself? Why this particular industry within finance? Why this company? Why this location? To prepare for technical portions Career Services offers access to Wall Street Prep and other guides, such as the Vault Guide to Finance Interviews, which have commonly asked technical questions in interviews. Also, you can set up mock interviews with our wonderful career counselors.

If you have any questions regarding these takeaways please feel free to drop-in during CPA hours every weekday from 1:00-4:30pm or make an appointment with a career counselor on Handshake!

By Ben Lee
Ben Lee Career Fellow