Alabama Investment Banking Internship — How to Land One

Alabama‑focused tactics

Alabama candidates often underestimate the strength of regional relationships. Your advantage is proximity to Birmingham and Huntsville firms plus a growing aerospace/industrial base. Run a dual‑track process: regional boutiques/MM for relationship density and a national MM pipeline for volume. The strategy below converts effort into interviews.

Firms and targets

• Regional: boutiques/MM with Southeast coverage (industrials, healthcare services). Add corporate development roles at aerospace/defense and Tier‑1 suppliers.
• National: middle‑market platforms with offices in Atlanta, Nashville, Dallas, and Charlotte; highlight your willingness to relocate.

Weekly cadence

• Outreach: 10 alumni + 10 second‑degree per week; use two concise follow‑ups spaced 5 business days apart
• Technical: 3 DCF reps, 2 LBO scaffolds, 1 comps set; build a short note on working capital for aerospace
• Behavioral: 2 story drills; record and score; refine the top‑line sentence each time

Outreach script

"Alabama junior focused on Industrials — I built an aerospace comps cut and a one‑page note on backlog quality (attached). Could I get 15 minutes on how your team diligences program risk?"

Interview prep focus

• DCF: treatment of stock‑based comp and working capital swings for project‑based manufacturers
• LBO: bridge from EV to equity value, sources/uses, and returns math with sensitivity to capex
• Behavioral: ownership moments where you changed a decision; include numbers and timelines

Common pitfalls

• Generic outreach with no Alabama angle — always mention a specific firm, deal, or sector tie
• Only national applications — you need the regional pipeline for density and faster interview loops
• Unstructured practice — without a rubric, answers don't improve week to week

Checklist

• 30 targeted outreaches per week with one proof‑of‑work attachment
• Two mocks per month; write a 3‑line debrief and one change to try next time
• One sector briefing per week; rotate Industrials → Healthcare services → Aerospace