- Allen L. Shulman, President, Interland
Internship Testimonials
June 20, 2008
To: Peter Alternative, Partner
Dear Peter:
My internship at Mirus Capital Advisors exceeded my expectations, considering the firm size. After returning to school from the internship, I had a chance to compare notes with my classmates who had interned at various bulge bracket and middle-market banks. In addition, based on the favorable responses I got when interviewing full time with investment banks, I believe that an internship opportunity at Mirus stands out because of the following reasons:
1) The People: The excellent atmosphere at the firm is due to the people. Everyone, the MD’s, principals, associates, analysts and staff is extremely co-operative. The MD’s make sure the interns are included in as many deals as possible. With each MD having their own style of working and domain of expertise, the intern soon learns to juggle different tasks, learns the nitty-gritty of investment banking and develops a sense of what makes a successful investment banker.
2) Structured But Flexible: There is a broad plan of action for the 10 weeks and the interns follow that. At the same time it’s exciting and challenging to hop on to deal teams quickly and contribute. I didn’t come across any intern at any other bank who dabbled with so many deals at differing stages involving different industries within this short time. Says something about your superior experience which the intern takes back to school!
3) Non-quantitative Aspects of Investment Banking: I found that while many interns at other investment banks were crunching numbers on spreadsheets everyday, as an intern at Mirus I had a chance to pick up knowledge of other important aspects of investment banking as well. The strategic aspect of sell-side deals, managing relationships with clients, deal sourcing, deal closure procedures, distribution of responsibilities within the deal team and role-playing by members are just a few of them.
4) Responsibility & Client Interaction: The internship at Mirus is a great experience because of this aspect. The interns are given responsibility as a regular member of deal teams and expected to deliver. The intern gets a chance to meet and talk to clients which is a rarity in any investment banking internship. It gives a great exposure to the intern as to how the middle-market seller thinks and how, as an investment banker, we can perform exceedingly well.
The internship at Mirus Capital is a hidden gem and it gives great confidence to any intern when starting a full-time career in investment banking.
Best regards,
Amit Sahai
MBA Graduate, 2008
The University of North Carolina, Kenan-Flagler Business School
October 6, 2006
To: Peter Alternative, Partner
Dear Peter:
Thank you again for a fantastic summer internship at Mirus Capital Advisors. The ten short weeks this summer provided continuous learning opportunities and the chance to build rewarding relationships along the way. I would like to share some of my take away points with you in order to help ensure that Mirus will attract the best candidates in the future and highlight how it can differentiate itself from other programs offering internships.
People
It all begins here. The Mirus team is composed of a group of highly talented and motivated individuals who focus on their clients’ interests first. Despite this professional demeanor, it quickly became apparent that Mirus’ efficient dynamic is built on close relationships within the team, giving the office a “family” type feel. The bond among members is fostered by the fact that everyone shares a common passion, ultimately leading to continued success for the firm. I enjoyed this environment tremendously and tried to learn as much as possible from each member
Stimulating Projects
The internship provided a unique opportunity to get involved in a number of projects concurrently that ranged widely in scope. Working concurrently on a variety of project is an invaluable experience. Often, traditional summer internships result in working on perhaps one project or performing functional tasks that do not vary greatly from day to day. My experience at Mirus provided stimulating and thought provoking assignments that provided a learning opportunity for me and added value to the firm.
Skill Building/Honing
Due to the diverse nature of the projects, I was able to hone many skill sets that are necessary to succeed in the business community. For example, the 409A valuation not only refined my technical modeling skills, but was an opportunity to think about the strategic implications of the client’s business model. Other projects contributed to research, writing, and communication skills, as well as a deeper understanding about businesses competing in various “sub-sectors” of industries.
Network Opportunities
The internship experience provided an opportunity to get exposure to other members in the deal community through interviews, phone conversations, emails, surveys, etc. It was enlightening to speak to other professionals in the industry and get their perspectives on various topics. Furthermore, attending events such as the data gathering and scenario analysis meetings for the 409A valuations enabled me to see how senior level executives view their own businesses and the issues they face in order to grow to the next level.
Skills Necessary to Succeed
In addition to the more tangible aspects of a candidate’s profile, such as past experiences, GPA, financial intellect, there are intangible characteristics that will help potential candidates succeed in the Mirus environment. This is not an exhaustive list by any means, but it does provide a sense of some of the more important skills which I deem important.
- Entrepreneurial Thinking
- Aggressiveness/Willing to Ask Questions
- Team Focused
- Ability to Multi-Task
- Attention to Details
- Demonstrated Learning Agility
- Results Driven
To reiterate, my internship experience at Mirus provided more than I could have asked for. Upon speaking to my fellow classmates I have found that, in many instances, my experience was more rewarding than other internships. In turn, I hope that I was able to make valuable contributions to Mirus that will allow it to forge ahead.
Best Wishes,
Christopher Schadinger
MBA Candidate, 2007
Boston College Carroll Graduate School of Management