Dear Danielle, my name is Rohan and I’m a sophomore in university now, majoring in Finance with a strong focus in Accounting. I would love to gain international experience in my field, particularly in one of the top 10 Fortune 500 companies. Do you have any advice to help me land a great internship abroad on The Intern Group’s finance internship programs? Are these roles very competitive? Is there one destination that is better than another for finance students?
Dear Rohan, these are all very good questions. Finance internship programs, specifically when it comes to accounting or consulting are very competitive globally. Your internship opportunities abroad will really vary on your own experience levels in the industry so far, including your previous internships and course studies at university. I think it’s very important to keep this in mind when setting expectations for yourself. All of The Intern Group’s destinations have finance and business internships, with varying prerequisites. Here are some examples of possible internships for finance students abroad based on their experience levels:
Students with only a few months to two years of experience in finance are best suited for entry level business or entrepreneurship internships abroad. The reason for this is because they are still in the process of completing their university general education courses, and therefore don’t have the academic prerequisites for more competitive accounting or finance internship programs.
Interns with this level of experience can expect to be placed in exciting business and finance related roles within NGOs, startups, and smaller businesses. A list of internship tasks can include administrative bookkeeping, business and financial analysis, operations, international trade, research, business development and strategy, PR and marketing, and entrepreneurship in a smaller setting. The Intern Group offers exciting business internships in all destinations. These internships are a great way for you to wear many hats and learn the ins and outs of how an organization functions.
Previous gap year students, freshmen and sophomores on The Intern Group’s finance internship programs have been placed in organizations such as: Elite Executive Services, Iclaves and Macrobond.
With more experience comes more opportunities. Students who have completed all of their general education courses as well as Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, Finance 1 and 2, Accounting etc. are better suited to land an internship role with more responsibilities related directly to finance and accounting in medium to large sized firms. An array of tasks and roles available may include corporate finance, private investment, accounting, financial analysis, financial headhunting, research positions, fintech, market research, fund/hedge funds, bonds, venture capital, or private equity.
Previous juniors, seniors, and recent graduates on The Intern Group’s finance internship programs have been placed at: BanColombia, Global Securities and One-to-One Finance.
With a degree in hand and a previous internships or jobs under your belt, you’re now more likely to stand out amongst the applicant pool of other finance and accounting interns applying to Fortune 500 companies. Through your university studies you’ve gained all the academic prerequisites needed to demonstrate your knowledge of economics, accounting, business, and investment. Your previous internship roles at smaller firms have given you the experience of wearing many hats, while working on your office culture and professional development skills. Someone with this level of experience can expect to be given tasks related to investment banking, wealth management, venture capital, accounting, or consulting.
Previous graduate students, Masters students and career changers on The Intern Group’s finance internship programs have been placed at: Grant Thornton, KPMG and Banco Santander.
Photos
1. Based on Numbers And Finance by reynermedia, CC-by-2.0
2. Based on Fintech, Technology and Finance, by CafeCredit.com, CC-by-2.0