Are SA positions in jeopardy?

Probably the the same or worse. Banks are dropping everyday, so who are you going to apply too?

I'm in the same boat as well.

I also want to apply for a SA position. I imagine it would be harder since Lehman Bros. are gone, and their applicants will look to the other banks.

So let's see..of the top 5 brokers in the World 3 are out of business or acquired and the other 2 may be same by Friday. Yes I think that might affect your job prospects.

Does anyone know whether Lehman is still taking applications for 2009 SAs?

grandpabuzz: I would really like to get a SA position in MS HK.

Does anyone know how HK SA prospects will be affected?

My optimistic case for similar SA recruiting levels as last year is that interns are basically a call option for the firm. For the relatively small cost of an intern, the firm is able to test potential analysts and has a hiring call option for 2010. From a long term perspective by the summer of 2010 (when former 2009 SAs would start full time) many expect the economy to recover. Hiring interns gives the firm a hiring option on an improving economy, reducing the risk of being understaffed if the economy improves (a problem many banks had when the economy recovered after the tech bubble burst). If by the end of the 2009 summer, the economy still is projected to suck the firm does not have to exercise the option (like this year with low summer analyst to FT conversion rates.)

Also, Lehman's IBD is still going to exist after the Barclay's acquisitions, so I assume they would have summer analysts. BoA/Merrill should be a big source of summer analysts.

My pessimistic view is that most Ibanks think in the short term and lower current deal flow plus fewer actual investment banks points to lower recruiting levels.

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