OKay alittle background, I am a junior, international business major w/ concentration in finance + german. My GPA is 3.42...my business GPA (meaning business classes only to clarify) is like 3.9.So I am planning on taking the spring semester off and doing a 6 month paid internship, then finish my remaining 3 semesters at a German university. I don't know have a great idea of what I wanna do after graduation, but trading and investment banking are attractive options.So I got a 6 month internship with Merrill Lynch as an operational risk analyst making 24 dollars an hour. I dont know anything about risk analyst, nor do I really think I want to do anything with risk management when i graduate. But im not sure because i dont know anything about it. In addition, im not sure what the "brand" reputation of Merrill Lynch is to other employers. Is it on par with UBS or Bear Stearns? will this internship help me get a good job after graduation? ANY input/thoughts are appreciated.

as a recent graduate who can't get a real job for the life of me, i say just take it (unless something you'd rather do pops up, in which case quit this and take that). it's really good money and an internship with a famous place like that will hopefully get your foot in the door and you'll have a much easier time getting hired again when you graduate.

Merrill Lynch is the SECOND LARGEST SECURITIES COMPANY IN THE WORLD behind Morgan Stanley.