Second Consulting Internship or Spend the Summer Doing Something Else?

Question

Hi

I am going to my third year of uni and just finished an internship at a top 3 firm. It went great- good team, good case, great office, and fantastic city. I now have a choice between returning next summer or not coming back next summer and instead signing full time now for two years from now.

If I return next summer they will pay me even more than the associate's salary with the signing bonus. So it is very tempting. But there is also the option in my head of taking that summer off and doing something else abroad, through my university's programs, for example- work with the United Nations in France, or a company in Brazil while living with a host fam or cooking in Tuscany These are all summer opportunities where I would earn 5%-10% of what I would earn going back to the firm. The risk factor: all the programs with the university might get cancelled or be online if by summer 2022 covid is still affecting those countries greatly, whereas with my consulting internship it will 100% be in person- which I value.

My conflict is: should I try another eork experience/life experience next summer and grow from that or go with another summer in consulting, have the in person security, and know that I will be earning a really good salary?

Thank you so much for your advice

Answer 1

Hi there,

This is a great situation to be in!

I personally love that you can have a locked in job from a top-tier firm 2 years from now.

That is a ticket to do whatever you want!

My advice:

What is the #1 thing you would want to do with that time, all else equal? Do that.

I'm pretty sure it's not interning at the place you're going to work at anyway :)

Get some more experiences = diversify your resume and your life!

Answer 2

Wow what a position to be in :)!

Its a personal choice and your risk appetite .

If I were you, I would take the offer, secure it and take the time off to chill- but that's me.

Answer 3

Aside from this being a fantastic position to be in - I personally think taking the time out to gain some other experience should definitely be worthwhile.

Happy to discuss any specifics you may have over DM.

Answer 4

Hello!

First of all, congrats on the returning offer to the firm, that is fantastic! Going back to uni with the job solved for when you finish is a great load off your shoulders.

This said, both options are fantastic! You can’t make a wrong choice here, rest assured.

Personally, I would tell you to not go back for a 2nd summer if you are going to come back full time, since it won’t give you that much of a delta. However, I understand that the money can be a problem many times, and hence it’s tempting.

Hope it helps!

Cheers,

Clara

Answer 5

Hi there,

Both options are very interesting and have different pluses. I don’t think there is a “right” answer, it really depends on how much you value the extra experience you are considering compared to the opportunity of another internship in the consulting company.

I would not consider the difference in salary as critical, unless you need the money short-term for something relevant for you – long term it won’t have any major impact.

One alternative to avoid the risks due to covid and do both could be to go for the consulting summer internship next year and postpone the other opportunity after graduation – so that instead of joining the consulting firm on say June 2023, you could join on Sep 2023 and use that summer for the extra experience.

Best,

Francesco

Answer 6

Hey there,

That is a very personal choice.

I think you are in an excellent position. Most people strive to receive a ft offer at the end of their studies. If you already have a full-time offer secured, I'd rather go for something more enjoyable next summer, such as an extended vacation or whatever else interests you. You will work enough in your life, time to take it easy :-)

Cheers,

Florian

Answer 7

Hello,

Congratulations on your offer - what a great situation to be in!

I 100% echo Ian's advice - do what you would genuinely prefer to do with that time. I personally would opt to get some different experiences, as you will be in that job for a much longer time and will get plenty of experience once you join full-time. But I don't know how important the financial consideration is to you. So think about what you would genuinely prefer, but ultimately there isn't really a wrong answer here.