Advice needed - career options

Hello everyone,

I am currently a Junior at a non-target in California. I'll be graduating Spring 2017. I was wondering what are some good career options in Finance besides IB? The likelihood of me breaking into WS is pretty slim.

I also need advice with sprucing up my resume. I haven't had much experience, besides a PWM internship @ a MS branch last summer (cold-called the whole time). I've also held an E-Board position in my fraternity. At this point, would any internship prove beneficial or should I just focus strictly on getting a finance internship? I'm pretty much asking what would you guys do in this situation..

Thanks.

 

You can do ER, be an F500 Financial analyst, there's AM, Corporate (commercial banking), Private Banking, S&T, the list goes on. I'd try to figure out what your interests are before blindly pursuing a path in finance. If you want IB, you can get it. You just have to start grinding now. try to get in at a boutique and work your way on from there.

"Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there" - Will Rogers
 
Best Response

To add to this, these field all break down even further. For example, F500 financial analysts break down into a slew of different departments including FP&A, Treasury, Corporate Development, Strategy, etc ; ER breaks down into sell-side and buy-side at the highest level; Asset Management could be long-only value, GARP, emerging market funds, or a myriad of other strategies; etc.

And I am going to play devil's advocate here and would suggest that @Jfkb" actually focus on pursuing any finance related internship that he finds interesting at this point in the recruiting cycle. I can't imagine there is much IB SA recruiting at all still going on even at boutiques. I think his/her time would be better spent canvassing other firms at this point, especially considering that OP doesn't seem to be dead set on IB.

 
OttoReadmore:

You can do ER

I researched some of the different career options, and I found that ER and AM sound the most interesting. How difficult is it to break into these careers? Also, I've been thinking about purchasing the WSP FM courses...I'm assuming it can't hurt to get the basics of FM down. Thanks for everyone's input.
 

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