27, Still Working On BBA and CFA L3.... Advice

I'm 27 and have 4 years experience working as a FA. I hate it with a passion, although I've done better than I thought I would. Due to things outside of my control, I am still working on an undergrad degree. I should be done by the summer of 2014 (took several years off due to ridiculous family issues). If I pass L3 in the summer I should be a charterholder immediately. I have been wanting to hold off trying to switch over to analyst role after I finished up school, but I'm at the point where I almost think I might as well give it a shot. If I start networking and people find out I still am taking classes I feel as if it would tarnish me in the future. I would love to start cold calling and sending emails to people, but I'm really embarrassed about not having a degree at this point in my life. One positive may be that I possibly will be a charterholder before I have a bachelors (would that be a first lol), so that might give me a little credibility. I really would like to do ER somewhere... and I know the odds are stacked against me for sure, but would it make more sense to have a degree first before I make the attempt? Should I maybe just roll the dice outside of my city? I'm open to move and really don't care if I ruin my chances in a place I may never end up anyways.

 
subrosa:
I'm 27 and...I am still working on an undergrad degree.

Hahaha. Wow, dude at your age if your finishing your degree I hope its for a technical major. Why not just look at another industry? I'm guessing your attending a non-target. That in itself at your age will completely screw you. If you get a job its going to be doing sh*t work that is designated for a 21 year old rather than someone your age. You will be 28. At this point you should be getting an MBA as far as schooling is concerned.

Honestly I think you might be wasting a lot of time but hey its your time to waste.

 
target for life:
subrosa:
I'm 27 and...I am still working on an undergrad degree.

Hahaha. Wow, dude at your age if your finishing your degree I hope its for a technical major. Why not just look at another industry? I'm guessing your attending a non-target. That in itself at your age will completely screw you. If you get a job its going to be doing sh*t work that is designated for a 21 year old rather than someone your age. You will be 28. At this point you should be getting an MBA as far as schooling is concerned.

Honestly I think you might be wasting a lot of time but hey its your time to waste.

I appreciate your response. The reason for me not finishing until now is due to unimaginable circumstances that I'm not even going to go into. It has nothing to do with a lack of motivation or ability. I took the GMAT this fall and got a 680 with a few weeks of study. I plan on taking it again and will spend more time studying. I know my age is definitely an issue, but I recall an interview Steve Forbes did with Bruce Greenwald. Greenwald was talking about the advantages the US has over Europe and one of his points was that in America you can more or less be a bum until you're 35 and if you're willing to work your ass off you can still make it. Now I know that is a stretch and he was not necessarily talking about finance jobs, but I think it's a good point. I know that five years difference seems like a lot but I don't think when I'm 80 I will look back and regret I didn't start when I was 23 instead of 28. It really wouldn't matter.I asked the question so I'm grateful for any response, but I'm amazed at the amount of people that think you must have an MBA from an M7 just to land a decent job. Like most on the website I check out a lot of different HF and PE websites and the profiles of the analysts and pm's are generally not in line with the ideal path the majority of people on WSO feel is required. It also seems that there is a disconnect between the types of jobs people are seeking and the need for some elite path. For example, some random person will ask a question on here about how to break into finance. A very vague question and the responses will be something like travel abroad for a year, get a 4.0 from Yale then follow up with an MBA from Harvard. That person may have been talking about a MM in St. Louis as opposed to IBD at a BB in NYC.... two totally different worlds!

 
subrosa:
target for life:
subrosa:
I'm 27 and...I am still working on an undergrad degree.

Hahaha. Wow, dude at your age if your finishing your degree I hope its for a technical major. Why not just look at another industry? I'm guessing your attending a non-target. That in itself at your age will completely screw you. If you get a job its going to be doing sh*t work that is designated for a 21 year old rather than someone your age. You will be 28. At this point you should be getting an MBA as far as schooling is concerned.

Honestly I think you might be wasting a lot of time but hey its your time to waste.

I appreciate your response. The reason for me not finishing until now is due to unimaginable circumstances that I'm not even going to go into. It has nothing to do with a lack of motivation or ability. I took the GMAT this fall and got a 680 with a few weeks of study. I plan on taking it again and will spend more time studying. I know my age is definitely an issue, but I recall an interview Steve Forbes did with Bruce Greenwald. Greenwald was talking about the advantages the US has over Europe and one of his points was that in America you can more or less be a bum until you're 35 and if you're willing to work your ass off you can still make it. Now I know that is a stretch and he was not necessarily talking about finance jobs, but I think it's a good point. I know that five years difference seems like a lot but I don't think when I'm 80 I will look back and regret I didn't start when I was 23 instead of 28. It really wouldn't matter.I asked the question so I'm grateful for any response, but I'm amazed at the amount of people that think you must have an MBA from an M7 just to land a decent job. Like most on the website I check out a lot of different HF and PE websites and the profiles of the analysts and pm's are generally not in line with the ideal path the majority of people on WSO feel is required. It also seems that there is a disconnect between the types of jobs people are seeking and the need for some elite path. For example, some random person will ask a question on here about how to break into finance. A very vague question and the responses will be something like travel abroad for a year, get a 4.0 from Yale then follow up with an MBA from Harvard. That person may have been talking about a MM in St. Louis as opposed to IBD at a BB in NYC.... two totally different worlds!

Why did you even respond to him?

 
Best Response

Start networking immediately, contact people in the home office of your firm and try to score work with them. If you don't get anywhere after year or so, get an MBA and hit the reset button on recruiting.

Just curious: why so long to finish your degree? (I finished mine at 29, so, not judging....just curious)

Get busy living
 

Man, don't worry too much about this. I started at my prop at the age of 26 and there are older juniors guys. I had a reason to start studing later than usual, so if you have it too, and that's what it seems, don't worry, seriously. Furthermore, you are almost a CFA charterholder, that's more than many of us already have.

Don't worry about this, just go out there and you will get what you want if you really have the passion to do it.

 

Seriously, I've met guys that are in their late 30's and going to bschool for banking, a guy who became an analyst after 15 years in the military, and another guy who went into ER at the age of 42. 27/28 is definitely not too late.

Just be able to very efficiently explain WHY you're a little older and how it makes you a better candidate, and then keep moving. "After x amount of years in y industry I've picked up the good habits of xyz that I think will help me here" etc, and then move on.

......it's just a job, as long as you can do it and want to, there really is no problem.

Get busy living
 

what do you mean by working as an fa? are you doing wealth mgmt for jp/baml or are you doing insurance for hancock/lincoln? if the former, and are around for 4 years, you would have to be doing well and i couldn't imagine why you'd leave that lifestyle. think about maybe going independent?

If the glove don't fit, you must acquit!
 

Qui est sit corporis ratione eum dolore et. Debitis sit corporis at sed hic. Sint tempora iste nulla dicta. Velit aut quia ullam cumque quis reiciendis reprehenderit occaecati. Quo dolores non delectus voluptatem dolorem ex. Magni qui ullam fugit itaque. Vel commodi est corrupti aut necessitatibus eius eligendi.

Expedita enim saepe et magni voluptas aliquid ab similique. Necessitatibus quasi temporibus porro quis vero corporis et. Enim blanditiis ea reprehenderit aut iste. Excepturi qui architecto cum vero cum. Saepe quod atque consequuntur deleniti molestiae eligendi quia. Laboriosam voluptatem cum libero occaecati optio.

Reprehenderit est aut cupiditate qui temporibus et voluptate. At deleniti architecto vel placeat ullam hic nihil. Totam earum qui est animi magnam. Animi eaque ratione aut magnam nisi autem.

Career Advancement Opportunities

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Jefferies & Company 02 99.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 19 98.8%
  • Harris Williams & Co. (++) 98.3%
  • Lazard Freres 02 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 03 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Harris Williams & Co. 18 99.4%
  • JPMorgan Chase 10 98.8%
  • Lazard Freres 05 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.7%
  • William Blair 03 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Lazard Freres 01 99.4%
  • Jefferies & Company 02 98.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 17 98.3%
  • Moelis & Company 07 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 05 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Director/MD (5) $648
  • Vice President (19) $385
  • Associates (85) $262
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (13) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (33) $170
  • 2nd Year Analyst (65) $168
  • 1st Year Analyst (198) $159
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (144) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
5
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
6
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
kanon's picture
kanon
98.9
9
pudding's picture
pudding
98.8
10
bolo up's picture
bolo up
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”