Finance Internships

How to break into corporate finance, investment banking, FP&A, asset management, and related tracks.

Breaking into this internship path can feel intimidating, especially early on. This Finance Internships guide is built to make the path clearer with practical steps, examples, and a pace you can sustain.

Role Clarity

Pick target track early

Technical Core

Accounting + valuation + Excel

Networking

Alumni and analyst outreach

Interview Reps

Behavioral + technical cadence

Top Finance Internship Tracks

Investment Banking: pitch materials, comps, modeling support.
Corporate Finance/FP&A: variance analysis, budgeting, forecast updates.
Asset Management: research notes, portfolio monitoring, thesis support.
Risk/Compliance: controls analysis, documentation, reporting workflows.

Technical Topics You Should Know

Three financial statements and how they connect.
DCF basics and core valuation drivers.
Trading and transaction comparables.
Excel modeling hygiene and assumption sensitivity.
Key accounting concepts (revenue recognition, working capital, depreciation).

Sample Technical Questions

1) Walk me through how depreciation flows through the 3 statements.
2) What happens to enterprise value if EBITDA multiple expands?
3) Why might free cash flow improve while net income falls?
4) How would you value a company with volatile earnings?

Networking Strategy for Finance Roles

Build list of analysts/associates and alumni in target firms.
Prioritize informational calls over immediate referral asks.
Reference one deal/team/public insight in outreach.
Track each conversation and follow up with specific updates.

AI Prompts for Finance Internship Prep

AI ✦ Prompt Kit

Technical drill: "Quiz me on 20 internship-level finance technical questions and grade each response."
Story coaching: "Turn this project into a concise finance interview story with quantified impact."
Resume tuning: "Map this finance job description to missing resume keywords and suggest evidence-based edits."
Networking draft: "Write a 90-word outreach email to an analyst for an informational call."

30-Day Finance Internship Plan

Week 1

Choose track, refresh resume, start core technical review.

Week 2

Apply to target roles and begin outreach to alumni/analysts.

Week 3

Daily technical drills and mock behavioral interviews.

Week 4

Refine weak topics, follow up, and run final interview simulations.

Common Finance Internship Mistakes

!Watch Outs

Applying broadly without choosing a finance track.
Weak accounting fundamentals in technical screens.
No networking activity until after rejection.
Resume bullets without financial impact language.