The February 20, 2006 issue of Business Week indicates that some MBA students will earn $15,000 this summer working for Wall Street firms such as Goldman Sachs and Merrill Lynch. I was quoted as saying, "It's absurd, but it works." And boy does it ever.

So you're the candidate and are the cream of the cream. You have multiple offers in your pocket from the cream of the cream firms. And you're looking for a job in finance on Wall Street. Pretty likely that you're primarily motivated by money and that the people who want to hire you are similarly motivated. Is it any wonder that far more attention is paid to who gets the biggest paycheck than which firm provides the best work-life balance?

I wish that these candidates and firms placed more value on doing good for their family and society, and I don't mean bringing home the biggest paycheck so that you can live in the swankiest apartment in New York. But I'm a realist too. These candidates want the hardest work and the biggest checks and they're prepared to sacrifice their personal lives to achieve those goals. So the firms recruiting them should actually be commended for understanding the true motivations of their candidates.

Unfortunately these headline grabbing internships spoil the expections for many other internships as candidates in other sectors and at other levels then expect huge pay. The reality is that if they get any pay they should be happy, for an internship isn't about getting rich today. It is about getting a great job tomorrow.