How to get an interview with BBs for Associate Level Positions?
All,
I am a second-year MBA student at at top15-20 school. I have a good GPA (3.8), solid GMAT (770), some good extras and am on the CFA track. My summer was with a small PE firm in the South - it was never offer track, as they only hire people with significant experience.
I am trying real hard to land interviews with IBs for Associate positions. There are some that are coming on campus, but they are first-tier non-BBs and mid-market firms and I do have some interviews lined up. However none of the BBs and most of the first-tier IBs are not even bothering to interview on-campus. I have tried emailing a bunch of alums at these firms and some have agreed to talk, but I am not getting a good feeling about my chances of securing interviews. The credit market problems have affected IB hiring already and most seem to content to just get back their summer associate class (or most of it). I suppose most of the non-summer associate hiring with be done at the Whartons and Chicagos, leaving people like me in the lurch :-(
I am looking for advice on what I could do to secure interviews and invites to the super days of the firms. I have tried asking for informational interviews with recruiters and others but the response has not been encouraging. I was thinking of an NY trip but had to put that off due to poor response to emails to recruiters/IB VPS-Associates, before the trip.
I am still willing to do the NY trek if that would help. How could I get in front of the recruiters and VPs so that I can meet them in NY and increase my chances of an off-campus or second round/superday interview? Any suggestions or advice are welcome.
Thanks. PELBO
I don't think I can be of much help. But I'm curious what made you choose the school your at with such a high gmat. Obviously a top 20 school is still awesome, but I think you could of gone to a wharton or uchicago if you wanted. Was it b/c your stats weren't good enough or was it other personal matters that made you decide not to go to a top 10 b-school?
eyedea,
I can't give much detail here, but yes I could have got in to a top 10 school and even a top 7 school. I had to choose the one I am in for personal reasons. It's a really good program and a great university, but it is far from the financial centers and is not known for finance.
-Pelbo
You made two bad decisions:
1) Going to a lower ranked school
2) Summering at a place that doesn't give full-time offers
You have mostly shot yourself in the foot. Your best bet is through networking or on campus interviews.
Dude, go to career days at targets - make an impression
poppingmycollar:
I know. Any tips for networking? I have been doing, the usual - dropping emails and ocassionally calling folks..
Newbie2banking: What are "career days"? I haven't heard about those in the context of Associate recruiting. Pelbo
going to be tough to break into the business occasionally calling folks, no matter what your resume looks like. Especially if you're at 15-20 B-School, you need to be calling people weekly. Call them with legitimate questions and be persistant (don't annoy them but make them get you an interview just to get you off their backs). Bottom line: make them know you want it.
could you pm me the name of your school, I just have a burning desire to know
I expected someone to have mentioned networking through the school alumni. I dont know the school u are but if the school is in the top 20 or top 30, there should be some alum of ur school in some of those places.
I dont believe u need to be in Harvard or Wharton to secure an interview. If u already think it is only possible if u were either in HBS or Wharton and u are not in either of those 2 schools, then u will not get the interview! Dont see urself as a failure and some people on this board will not make u feel better.
Quia aperiam laborum debitis ducimus exercitationem. Quas quia laboriosam nulla inventore quas.
Sequi unde asperiores consequatur sunt non adipisci. Soluta et doloribus sed qui ut nostrum perferendis. Et nam earum sit. Et sit nobis itaque.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...