top of page

Fast track to your high flying career in Investment Banking, Banking, Consulting & Conglomerate

Mentored 2000+ grads since 2014 | 150+ professional coaches | 4500+ Offers across HK, Singapore & London

2024 / 2025 Summer Internship / Summer Analyst  in Hong Kong, Singapore and London

Work Colleagues

Why do you need an Internship?

-What’s everyone working so hard for?

It seems that all university students and friends around you are striving to secure their internship or summer analyst offers. Ever wonder why? What are they really working toward? And perhaps the most important question is: should YOU join in on this internship hunting game?

 

Here are 3 main considerations to help you decide whether to pursue an internship:

1.The Return Offer and/or Fast Track Opportunities

Now, let's repeat after me: "I want a return offer, a return offer, a return offer."

 

Whether you're studying in Hong Kong, Singapore, or the UK, remember that many internships extend a return offer or a fast-track opportunity. Successfully completing an internship and making a positive impression to your supervisors could lead to a full-time job offer upon graduation. 

 

On the other hand, fast-track opportunities allow you to skip initial screening processes, allowing you to join the final interviews if you made applications at the full-time analysts or management trainee positions at the same firm where you interned.

 

Now you see the appeal, right? An internship isn’t just experience—it could be your ticket to a high-paying, full-time position, especially with top-tier investment banks, banks and firms.

HKCareers has successfully helped over 2,000 students from Hong Kong and Singapore secure IB/Banking/Consulting/Conglomerate Offers in the past.

If you are interested in learning more, you can join the Free Demo and Career Advising Session.

Offer Letter Sample
Offer Letter Sample

1.2Profile Building

When it comes to getting a graduate offer from top-tier investment banks, major banks, and multinational corporations, building a competitive profile with relevant experience and prestigious brand names is crucial. 

 

An internship is the best way for university students to gain hands-on experience. It enhances your resume and demonstrates to potential employers that you are prepared to contribute immediately. 

 

Securing an internship early in your desired industry can simplify the process of obtaining future internships that come with return offers and potentially higher salary packages.

1.3. Attractive Salary packages

Speaking of attractive salary packages, did you know that many companies offer highly competitive salaries to their interns? In fact, some investment bank summer analyst programs offer salaries that match those of full-time analysts (up to HKD70k-80k)

 

Check out below the latest internship salary guide to get a better idea how attractive the internship salary packages can be:

HKCareers has successfully helped over 2,000 students from Hong Kong and Singapore secure IB/Banking/Consulting/Conglomerate Offers in the past.

If you are interested in learning more, you can join the Free Demo and Career Advising Session.

Offer Letter Sample
Offer Letter Sample

2.Am I eligible for apply the internship programs?

Excited about landing your first internship? First things first, let’s check if you’re eligible to apply. While some banks and large corporations may have special arrangements, most internships target non-final year students, with a preference for penultimate year students.

 

If you’re a final-year student or recent graduate, we recommend applying directly for Graduate Analyst, Management Trainee, or other graduate positions .

3.How difficult is it to get an internship?

Now that we understand the importance of securing an internship, the next question is: How hard is it to get an offer?


There are 4 main reasons why landing an internship offer is so challenging:


3.1.Limited Headcount!

According to data from Financial News in 2023, the number of graduate jobs available at top investment banks is significantly lower than the number of applicants:


JP Morgan Investment Banking (Global): 11,871 applicants (~50 applicants per role)
Citigroup (EMEA): 60,000 applicants for intern and grad roles (~64 applicants per role)
Bank of America (Global): 30,000 applicants for intern and grad roles


Take a look at the headcount data below to get a better sense of just how fierce the competition is!
 

3.2.Technical and industry knowledge

The IBankCoaching team conducted a survey in 2024, with 550 penultimate-year students in Hong Kong, Singapore, and the UK, asking which part of the interviews they found most difficult. Here are the results:

 

  • Aptitude Test: 25.1%

  • Video Interview: 10.7%

  • Industry Knowledge/Technical Knowledge: 42.3%

  • Behavior and Scenario Questions: 8.9%

  • Case Study/Superday: 13%

 

The majority of students targeting investment banks, consulting firms, and conglomerates found “Industry Knowledge/Technical Knowledge” to be the toughest—and they have good reason. Investment banks and banks can start grilling you on technical and industry-related questions right from the first round, continuing through to the final interviews. If you can't answer these, you'll be screened out immediately.

 

And here’s the kicker: Most industry and technical knowledge isn't covered in your textbooks or lectures. Only the latest interview resources and support from industry experts can help you prepare effectively.

3.3.Relevant Experience

Everyone knows that relevant work experience is crucial for building your profile. But here's the dilemma: if you can't land your first internship, how do you gain that “relevant experience”?

 

Here are some of the solutions:

 

  • Start with boutique-sized firms: Send cold messages and emails.

  • Apply for government-funded internships: These programs aim to help juniors gain their first experience.

  • Broaden your focus: Don’t just aim for summer internships. Try for winter internships, placements, and even student clubs to start building your profile.

 

Always remember, the sooner you secure your first internship, the better you can outpace your fellow candidates.

3.4.Lengthy and intricate interview process

Major investment banks and companies can take 9-12 months to screen and interview candidates for their summer internship and summer analyst programs. That's quite a long time, right?

Here’s what it typically involves:
-Aptitude tests
-Video interviews
-Face-to-face interviews or Zoom interviews
-Superday/Assessment Centre
-Plus, some divisions like Global Markets S&T might require written and technical tests.

Now, imagine applying for 30-60 internships and going through this process for each one. When you factor in the time spent preparing and actually completing these assessments, the workload adds up quickly.

It's no wonder many students get lost in the process and fail to reach the offer stage.

Yes, it’s challenging, but let's remind ourselves of the benefits of securing internships:
a. Return Offer and/or Fast Track Opportunities
b. Profile Building
c. Attractive Salary Packages

And remember, every year, university students just like you manage to land Summer Internship/Summer Analyst offers.

If you’re ready to be one of the chosen few, keep reading to learn how to kickstart your journey.
 

HKCareers has successfully helped over 2,000 students from Hong Kong and Singapore secure IB/Banking/Consulting/Conglomerate Offers in the past.

If you are interested in learning more, you can join the Free Demo and Career Advising Session.

Offer Letter Sample
Offer Letter Sample

4.What to do, to be specific, if you want an internship?

There’s a lot to do, but we suggest starting with these steps:

 

  1. Identify Your Target Industries: Focus on industries you’re genuinely interested in and have the potential to break into.

  2. Polish Your Resume and Cover Letter: Make sure they’re ready to go.

  3. Study the Recruitment Timeline: No one wants to apply after all the positions are filled.

  4. Prepare Mentally: This process takes time and effort. Only those who truly want it will achieve their goals.

 

And if you’re ready, we’re here to help.

 

With a decade of experience assisting university students from Hong Kong, Singapore, and the UK to secure over 1,000 internship offers, we know how things work.

Check out our track record and alumni testimonials below:

HKCareers tailors personalized job application strategies for university students in Hong Kong, Singapore, and the UK, targeting Management Trainee Programs, Internship Programs, and positions in Investment Banking, Banking, the Finance sector, and Consulting Firms. These strategies include improving CVs and Cover Letters, providing interview training and mock interviews, Aptitude Test question banks, detailed interview questions, and industry reports, all aimed at significantly increasing the chances of students securing a Management Trainee Offer. Since its establishment in 2014, HKCareers' professional team, consisting of over 150 experienced career consultants and industry experts, has paved the path to success for more than 2,000 students, documenting numerous successful cases.

Multiple MT Offers
Multiple MT Offers

Alumni of HKCareers share their success stories and reflections:

MT Interview Tips
24_JP Morgan_Private Bank
03:36
24_Citi Indonesia_Markets
07:21
24_Nomura_S&T
06:26
24_Bain&Co_Associate Consultant
10:48
24_JP Morgan_Asset Management
06:51
24_Fidelity-_Sales Support
10:02
24_Bloomberg_Sales & Analytic
04:08
Interview Questions
Sign up for the free demo and career advising session NOW!

Please understand that filling in this form DOES NOT mean that you are automatically enrolled into our program. Our coaching program involves a screening process. 

WhatsApp us

Copyright (c) E&C Consulting Limited (trading as HKCareers). All rights reserved.

Disclaimer: HKCareers is an education institute on career development and training. We are not an employment agent and do not provide employment services. | Site Policy

  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Instagram

Address: Flat B, 4/F, Yue On Commercial Building, 385-387 Lockhart Road,HK

Phone: +852 3689 6370 | WhatsApp: +852 6702 9911

Email: ellie@hkcareers.hk (General Enquiry)

bottom of page