There were no redeeming qualities to this experience. If I was forced to come up with something positive to say, it's that I learned what working conditions I shouldn't put up with in the future.
What I wish was different
This company does not actually deal in M&A and private equity, it is a third party intermediary. They use several unpaid interns instead of hiring paid employees. The interns are essentially call center sales people. There was a mandate that students with accents couldn't make outbound calls because of the risk that people would google the company and find out it's a sham. They prey on international students that aren't aware of the conditions before arriving then work them to the bone. The only thing that's being analyzed here is the number of outbound sales calls you make. They won't give you a letter of recommendation unless you leave a positive review for them online, which is absolutely unethical and something I've never experienced elsewhere. Every single positive review on Glassdoor for this company was obtained through coercion. The international students depending on that letter and the internship for their resume asked me to tell the truth about this place in their stead. I wish I was joking. This place is seriously rotten.
Advice
It's imperative to maintain professionalism even if the internship was nothing like you expected or degrading. With this particular "company" though, please don't waste your time. It's not worth it.
