In 2017, Allison Berger was excited to join Goldman Sachs’s 10-week summer internship program. Berger said she “worked on many important and complex problems” that summer, which helped her secure a full-time analyst position with Goldman’s investment banking division. Nearly a decade later, Berger is a Goldman vice president for global banking and markets.
“I’ve had amazing opportunities here. So many mentors here are women. My male colleagues have also always been incredibly supportive,” said Berger, adding that the skillset she gained early in her career gave her flexibility to thrive in different parts of the bank.
Berger’s experience is a common one at Goldman, which is considered one of the world’s leading investment banks. Every summer Goldman hires about 2,500 to 3,000 summer interns who are assigned to various divisions including investment banking, engineering, and sales. The Goldman internship is considered a feeder to getting a permanent job at the investment bank; a majority of summer interns typically get hired as full-time analysts.
“We view the campus pipeline as a critical element of the future leadership of the firm. The Goldman Sachs internship provides students with the opportunity to roll up their sleeves and contribute directly to client projects, collaborate directly with global colleagues and develop the skills to build a successful and lasting career,” said Jacqueline Arthur, global head of human capital management and corporate & workplace solutions at Goldman.
Goldman targets Ivy League schools but also many other universities. Earlier this year, Solomon visited several schools in Texas including Southern Methodist University, Texas Christian University, The University of Texas at Dallas and Paul Quinn College.
The competition for a Goldman internship is open to candidates around the world and, while it may seem that those with a major in finance or economics may have an edge, that’s not necessarily so, Arthur said. Goldman looks for qualities like great communicators or students with a diversity of experiences, she said. The investment bank seeks interns that are “open to evolving and making an impact” and who are also not afraid to fail, she said. “They should be able to take risks,” she said.
Berger recommends that candidates take the time to learn and understand investment banking and Goldman, and whether that “fits in with your personal career skills,” she said.
It also doesn’t hurt, of course, for applicants to have a sincere interest in being part of Goldman, Arthur said. “Have authentic passion,” she said.
