Top 10 Finance Internships Programs
Finance internships strengthen resumes, provide valuable letters of recommendation, and can even turn into full-time employment. No matter your major – accounting or business management – an internship can be an essential first step towards your professional path.
Vault has ranked the top ten finance internship programs to help you kick start your finance career.
1. Citadel
Citadel, run by billionaire Ken Griffin, boasts one of the most sought-after trading internships available. Interns at Citadel can expect an hourly wage of $120 or a monthly pay equivalent of approximately $19,200 while living in luxury hotels and dining at top restaurants.
Citadel Academy’s 11-week program can be challenging to gain admission into. Each year they receive 69,000 applications but only 0.5% make the cut – academic excellence is vital while math and computer expertise is equally as crucial for consideration.
Interns receive training on how to communicate effectively with their bosses and peers, including tips on condensing long, wordy emails. Recorded self-introductions allow interns to practice how they introduce themselves. Workshops covering topics like handling conflict in professional settings also take place regularly.
2. Arrowstreet Capital
Finance internships provide valuable work experience for students and graduates seeking career enhancement. Many top financial companies partner with college and graduate programs to recruit interns in a range of roles.
While internships with top financial firms look impressive on resumes and can open doors to full-time employment opportunities, many reputable firms also provide less well-known internships that provide students with an opportunity to try different roles during an internship rotational program.
To maximize the potential of your finance internship, it is crucial that you know where you want to head within the field. From there, research which firms best suit your goals and search them on Handshake. Remember to complete all aspects of your profile so recruiters will contact you about these opportunities more often!
3. Radix
Radix is a global engineering, software and industrial OT/IT consulting company offering best-in-class industry solutions that help their clients digitally transform their businesses. At their core lies integrity, people and long-term relationships – three core values which they prioritize strongly.
Businesses requiring written content need people who can work efficiently with integrity, empathy and creativity to produce high-quality articles that engage audiences while meeting both business and technical criteria. Writers also require someone capable of interviewing stakeholders or experts using smart questions that bring the topic alive.
Radix DLT provides challenging yet rewarding work, while offering flexible schedules to accommodate busy lives. They offer opportunities for team learning and growth as well as hosting quarterly meet-up summits around the globe! Radix DLT’s decentralized finance (DeFi) platform provides access, liquidity and programmability of assets of any kind.
4. Capital One
Finance internships strengthen resumes, provide access to letters of recommendation and can often lead to full-time positions. From developing leadership skills in commercial banking or developing deep analytical knowledge with analytics to starting out on your cyber security career journey, Capital One provides opportunities that support every stage of your journey.
Capital One considers themselves “the bank that a technology company would create”. Their creative solutions and world-class innovations help over 65 million customers manage their finances and live the best life possible. If you’re intrigued by joining this team, visit their careers website to view open positions by job family. Plus watch helpful videos from current employees about what life is like working there before applying and making an impactful contribution! Good luck!
5. Northwestern Mutual
An internship in finance can be an essential component of student education, helping build resumes, garner letters of recommendation and even lead to full-time employment after graduation. Unfortunately, however, with so many positions available and such high competition for them securing one can often prove challenging.
Financial firms boast some of the most sought-after internship programs. How can you begin searching? Search your school’s internship database (if one exists), network, attend college career fairs or speak directly to recruiters directly.
Visit our rankings of the top 10 finance internships where you can work, based on admissions rates, average SAT and ACT scores accepted, mean earnings six years post graduation as well as admission rates of these institutions. Here is more information on each institution!
6. J.P. Morgan Chase
JPMorgan Chase is one of America’s largest banks and operates worldwide. The bank offers an array of commercial, investment, private banking and asset management products and services including commercial lending, investment banking, credit cards and mortgage financial services. JPMorgan also operates a joint venture with Cazenove which unifies their UK investment banking businesses with JPMorgan’s own.
JPMorgan Chase prides itself on being collaborative and providing employees with opportunities to develop careers tailored to their skills and interests. Employees report having a great work-life balance and being compensated fairly; however, during 2002’s WorldCom telecommunications collapse, it failed to conduct adequate due diligence checks prior to underwriting stock and bond offerings – ultimately having to pay out two billion in settlements which may have soured investors on this bank.
7. AT&T
AT&T is a global telecommunications company, and provides numerous internships across business, technology and finance fields. Their job learning experience programs offer mentorship programs as well as career development. Furthermore, AT&T also has an in-house cyber security program available.
This company boasts several well-known brands, such as DirecTV, Cricket Wireless and AT&T Internet Services. Furthermore, AT&T Internet Services also offers various sports fan services like Augmented Reality and Real-time team statistics.
Internships provide students with a realistic insight into professional finance work life, strengthening resumes and offering valuable letters of recommendation – ultimately leading to full-time jobs! Internships also give you an opportunity to determine whether a career in finance is truly right for them while learning from experienced professionals as well as building their network – as well as practicing interview techniques and improving your communication abilities.
8. HSBC
As one of the leading global banking organizations, HSBC offers many opportunities for students and recent graduates looking for internships to gain valuable work experience and insight into the financial industry. Their competitive salary packages and benefits further add value.
Investment banking interns typically perform research and prepare presentations. Additionally, they will need to perform financial modeling and company analysis – so HSBC seeks individuals with excellent analytical capabilities and interpersonal abilities.
Candidates for finance jobs should possess an interest in finance and an outstanding GPA. A comprehensive resume, including volunteer and extracurricular activities is key, while it’s wise to complete their Handshake profile as recruiters are more likely to message you once they can see all your information. Finally, any necessary assessments as part of the application process should also be taken.
9. Goldman Sachs
Goldman Sachs is one of the premier financial services firms, drawing thousands of applicants each year to its internship program. In 2022 alone, they received 236,000 applications with 1.5 percent acceptance rates being met.
Gaining experience and making connections at Goldman Sachs through an internship will provide invaluable lessons. However, you must work hard and have the right skills in order to secure a spot at this renowned employer.
When applying to GS, make your resume stand out by emphasizing any unique traits or experiences to set it apart from competitors. Be prepared to answer questions about your background and why you would make an ideal fit for their company. GS also values resilience in candidates so make sure to mention any challenges encountered throughout your career that have been overcome successfully.
10. Bank of America
Bank of America is one of the world’s premier financial services organizations, boasting operations in nearly 30 countries around the world. Bank of America prides itself on doing first-rate business in an exceptional fashion – this approach extends to their employees as well.
To secure a position with any company, it’s essential that your personality and values align with their company culture. As you prepare for interviews, spend some time learning more about them as a company as well as their services or products they offer.
As part of your job interview preparation, it’s also crucial that you showcase your experience and demonstrate why it would benefit the company. Also make sure you ask questions during interviews to demonstrate interest in them; doing so can increase your odds of landing your ideal role.
