Interns Pros & Cons

January 21, 2026

by a searcher from University of Rochester - William E. Simon Graduate School of Business in Cincinnati, OH, USA

Hello all, we are considering hiring interns this year to assist with our search and light due diligence. Would love insights from those who have interns; from pay to duties and anything in between. Thank you in advance!

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Reply by a professional
from University of Wisconsin in Boston, MA, USA

I'm a firm believer that you get what you pay for. Free interns get a great experience which is extremely beneficial to them. They're free for a reason. Most interns are in undergrad and you're starting from ground zero (no banking experience, little excel and PPT experience, research is entry-level etc.). AI has helped expedite initial industry research. My advice is if you use interns don't onboard too many as it'll create more work than output and become a timesuck. Better to use the time, dollars, and resources in building a strong network to pursue a deal in an industry you know well in my opinion.

Reply by a searcher
from University of Pennsylvania in California, USA

I've enjoyed working with interns because I like working with people and training them. That being said, the inevitable short tenure of an intern make the arrangement a bit of a distraction from what you should be spending most of your time doing. Going forward, I will likely only take on interns if they are expected to stay for a long time (understandably rare).

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