What happens to IB Analysts with low GPAs?
Hey guys,
Been pretty happy with the BB IBD offer I've been sitting on for the past few months. And never really though seriously about what comes after the 2 year stint. Incoming analyst with a non-GS/MS/JPM BB (think CS/BAML) within a decent group with a flat 3.6 GPA. Even then, I definitely know a few people at top boutiques (Evercore/Moelis/Greenhill) with a 3.5-3.6 GPA, albeit from Wharton.
Does anyone know what happens to IBD Analysts with a low GPA? I've been checking the associate profiles on PE sites at some major firms from MF to MM (Carlyle, H&F, Golden Gate, AEA, etc), and they're latin honors all across the board. Does this mean that landing a decent MM PE job is out of reach?
Obviously networking doesn't seem to be an avenue for kids like me anymore, as we have to go through headhunters. And as quite a few people have mentioned, PE Firms have a never ending supply of IBD kids with 3.8+ GPAs / Top 10 School knocking on their doors.
What other things out there would be good to consider? (BizDev/CorpDev/Strategy?) Especially after being used to finance salaries with the BB stint and the less bureaucratic work environment compared to corporate. PE Investing has been what I think I would like to do long-term, but seems like I might have to reconsider now.
Curious about this as well, except replace 3.6 with 3.5 (we'll see how this semester plays out, but FT recruitment basically resulted in missing half the semester), and replace BB with pretty well known MM.
I'm confident in my networking ability, but I've heard two ends of the spectrum - one emphasizing GPA, school, etc. and the other being largely how you performed at your last firm, who you've networked with, etc.
Although you wrote you're interested in MM PE firms, all the ones you listed are all MF. Those guys are always going to get a large supply of talented IB analysts. What about guys like Platinum Equity, Audax, Lightyear Capital, Fortress, etc. Or how about even smaller PE firms that have a culture of promoting from within so you don't need to go to grad school and worry about having a FT PE offer when you graduate?
3.6 is bad? Geez I'm a 3.3 from a non-target and I never worry about my exit opportunities because of my GPA. I kill it at my job and I could care less about how I did years ago in academia.
Depends on the PE firm. Some firms are very rigid about pedigree (H&F for example) and you probably won't be able to get an interview without a senior banker pulling for you, but plenty of megafund and mid market funds are fine with 3.6 gpas (know people with 3.5-6s who interviewed at all the megafunds and got offers there, as well as strong MMS, including 2 of the 4 names you listed there)
Wow, thats awesome!
But i'm guessing those 3.5-3.6s were from top targets though right?
I mostly meant top MM when I say MM (thought Golden Gate/AEA are all top MM?)
Any other insights?
Curious about this as well
Bump
Nothing happens to you.... unless you consider waking up drugged in a dark pit chained to a computer "something". You will have no exit ops because nobody will care about your irrelevant recent work experience and your performance during your analyst stint. HHs will not care if you crush your screening interviews both technically and culturally. I recommend quitting now before you have spent two years sharpening your skills for the next role and just accepting a McJob immediately.
I'm not former IB but I went to tech via finance route, GPAs don't mean a thing here. It's all about "the experience" and what you can do, also network like crazy. btw I'm in the low 3's from a non-target school.
Did some asshole just say something about a 'low GPA' of 3.6? You must have attended Harvard, the only place where that puts you in the bottom half of the class.
^^ talk about grade inflation
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