How to get an internship in finance

3rd February 2025 by Anita Naik

Applying for an internship while at university can be a game-changer when applying for jobs as a graduate. Alongside your degree, hands-on experience in a professional environment is often the most valuable asset future employers seek amongst graduates.

What is an internship?

An internship is a short-term work experience that allows you to gain practical, hands-on experience in a specific field or industry. Internships are often targeted at students or recent graduates as a critical way of building your career.

Unlike work experience, internships are designed to provide real-world work skills rather than just job duties. Finance interns, in particular, typically gain insights into financial institutions, develop relevant skills, and learn about a company's day-to-day operations. For this reason, internships are paid roles.

What are the benefits of an internship?

Internships will set you apart from other job seekers as they demonstrate a commitment to gaining professional skills while you are still an undergraduate. It's why many companies consider their internships extended job interviews. If you perform well, there's a strong chance you could be offered a full-time role after graduation.

How easy is it to get an internship in the financial sector?

Internships, especially in competitive fields like finance, are highly sought after. Many companies recruit summer interns months in advance, so start searching and applying as early as possible—ideally, 3-6 months before your preferred start date.

What does a finance intern do?

A finance intern will do a range of roles, from supporting financial analysis to assisting in creating financial reports. Interns may also help conduct research or analysis and provide support for financial operations.

What qualifications do you need to be a finance intern?

It helps to study a degree in maths, finance, economics, or a related field that gives you knowledge of financial principles. You should also have strong analytical and numerical skills.

Research employers you're interested in

Research companies or organisations you're interested in on LinkedIn and company websites and learn about their internship programs. Internships are not limited to large corporations, so start-ups, non-profits, and small businesses offer valuable internship experiences.

Use popular internship and job boards like Handshake (for university students), LinkedIn Jobs, Indeed, Glassdoor, Prospects and Internships.com

Apply for multiple internships

Apply to a variety of internships to increase your chances of landing one. Diversify your applications across different industries or roles that align with your skills and interests.

10 ways to land a finance internship

1. Tailor your CV, LinkedIn profile and cover letter to highlight relevant skills, coursework, volunteer work, and any previous experience (even if it's unrelated to your field). Remember that many employers look at LinkedIn profiles, so make it easy for them to find and contact you.

2. Focus on transferable and interpersonal skills like communication, problem-solving, teamwork, and time management and summarise these with examples where possible.

3. If you don't have formal work experience, showcase academic finance projects or group work demonstrating your problem-solving abilities or skills related to the internship you're applying for.

4. Demonstrate an interest in the financial markets. Read financial news regularly to stay updated on current market trends, economic developments, and company earnings.

5. Explore stock performance, bonds, commodities, and macroeconomic data. Be able to discuss significant stock market indices (S&P 500, NASDAQ, etc.) and trends affecting them.

6. Be able to explain fundamental financial terms such as stocks, bonds, equity, derivatives, market capitalisation, P/E ratio, and others.

7. Understand key economic indicators like GDP, inflation, unemployment, and interest rates. Be able to discuss how they impact financial markets.

8. If you've done any academic work related to finance—like creating financial models, analysing companies, or studying market trends—mention it. You could also write about a stock or market sector you're analysing.

9. Gain proficiency in aptitude tests. Major companies often require these. Aptitude tests usually assess your quantitative skills, analytical thinking, and problem-solving abilities. Numerical reasoning tests, for example, evaluate your ability to work with numbers and analyse data. Verbal reasoning tests assess your ability to understand written information and draw logical conclusions.

Numerous websites offer practice aptitude tests, including numerical reasoning, logical reasoning, and situational judgment tests, to help you prepare.

10. Financial roles often involve mathematical calculations, so practising basic math and financial formulas can help. Websites like Khan Academy and Investopedia are great resources.

How a tutor can help you

Tutors can help you in several ways with an internship.

Business tutors and tutors in various finance fields can help you fine-tune your CV and advise on aptitude tests and interview skills for finance roles, ensuring you can show employers exactly what you can offer them within your interview and internship role.