People in suits cross the street
Wall Street BI/Momo Takahashi
Finance

Wall Street intern survival guide

Wall Street internships are no joke. BI shows you how to survive summer at Goldman, Citadel, and more.
People in suits cross the street
Wall Street BI/Momo Takahashi
Kaja Whitehouse headshot
By Kaja Whitehouse
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Being an intern is never easy — especially on Wall Street.

It's not just the long hours or steep learning curve, but the intense pressure to stand out. Entry-level roles in investment banking, hedge funds, and private equity are fiercely competitive, and internships are often the key to getting in the door.

So what should the 2025 intern class know to make the most of their summer?

Business Insider takes readers behind the scenes of internship programs at some of Wall Street's most elite firms — including Goldman Sachs, Citadel, and Blackstone. From acceptance rates to insider advice from top executives (and even tips on where to unwind after a brutal week), we've got the exclusive intel on how to thrive.

Kaja Whitehouse headshot
Kaja Whitehouse
Kaja Whitehouse was a senior editor at Business Insider, where she managed a team of reporters covering everything from quick scoops to deep-dive profiles and award-nominated investigations.She has spearheaded reporting on the Epstein files, the Park Avenue office tower shooting, Wall Street’s underground drug culture, controversial company policies, and leadership at a crossroads —all while continuing to write and report when the story demands it.She has directed team projects, such as this 8-part multimedia series on what it takes to build a career in finance in 2025 — commissioning the stories, video, and graphics required to bring this ambitious package to life.She has also spearheaded the newsroom's bankruptcy coverage, including a series of stories on billionaire bankruptcy battles. Earlier in her career, Kaja was known for her own exclusives, including the reason Marc Lasry turned down an ambassadorship under President Obama, Mark Cuban's take on the Flash Crash, and profiles of boldfaced business leaders like T-Mobile’s famously unfiltered CEO.She's reported on high-stakes legal battles involving Andrew Cuomo, Chris Christie, and Donald Trump, and has written and appeared in news videos blending business reporting with storytelling.She is also the author of a how-to book on estate planning.
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