Need Advice on my situation... i know its pretty shit
Hey guys,
I'm a long time reader, but first time poster... I recently graduated from my undergrad (not a very highly reputable school) and I didn't do so well either. During the course of my studies, I didn't apply myself, nor did I do any relevant internships with IB, BBs or anyone for that matter... My program was at least specialized in Finance, Investment & Banking, but I guess I was more concerned with other things in life and kind of neglecting everything related to my career. Bad start thus far, I know.
Anyways, I am still dedicated to break into one of the big fields (IB, Hedge Funds, PE, S&T) despite the circumstances, and trying to figure out how. I am currently looking at an offer from SS as a Fund Accountant. Now, I have read what's been said about this position, but considering my situation, my plan is as follows. I am not a dumb guy and have been hitting 700+ on practice GMATs, I speak several languages (english, german, polish, and learning spanish), and teamed with the fund accounting experience, I hope to get into one of the better uni's in Europe for an MSc in Finance (Bocconi, Erasmus/Rotterdam, Copenhagen, IESE, IE, etc)... This 1 year MSc Finance would give me an opportunity to refocus and reset my GPA to something really high. It would also give me the chance to do a relevant internship with someone in the game while I'm studying. Assuming I can do this, what are my chances of getting into IB?
What else should I be doing? I would greatly appreciate any advice. Did I completely fuck myself and now my goals are hopeless or what? Also, does age start to really play against me? I'll be 25 when I finish the MSc Finance....
Just on top of my head, wouldn't a year away from U.S limits your ability to network for a job here assuming U.S is the only place you want to work. It's not much but considering how crucial networking is, it's worth considering it as a con.
When did you graduate? What was your undergrad GPA? When would the SS job start? Do you have any other possible job opportunities at this moment?
Sorry, I did indeed double post, just cause I wasn't sure which forum it was more appropriate to post this in... but i'm checking responses on both quite frequently, and i truly appreciate all the responses...
More about my situation... I'm not solely motivated to work in the US... in fact, I don't consider the US to even be my main target... I would be happy in many other places... England and Switzerland are two obvious targets in Europe that I have no problems working in, Canada is essentially my home country and one in which I would be happy to work/live, USA would also be a target, and many other euro countries are of great interest to me but don't have the same financial hubs as those mentioned + are in cutting jobs mode as of now (Spain, France, Germany, Portugal, Austria, etc...)... anywhere in South America has appeal to me too...
Currently I only have this fund accounting gig as an opportunity (starts in Jan)... i'm still gonna keep looking for something better... a relevant internship or better position, I'm especially targeting Polish hedge funds/brokerage firms and investment banks within Poland (BNP Paribas, Citi, Credit Suisse, etc) due to me feeling I have a competitive advantage in Poland... but i can't afford to lose time without making any money at this point or having a large gap...
I made it to the Assessment Centre with Citi earlier for the position of GTS Analyst... would have been great especially considering the networking opportunities (every 6 months u work in a different country), but I didn't get chosen for the job, despite imo being very competitive and although I felt I could've done some things better, I didnt bring any shame on myself... It was my first experience with the entire process, so I feel it was largely a learning experience...
as for how shit i did in school, it was pretty shit... I studied at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada... did an Int'l Busi degree concentrating in Investment, Finance, & Banking, with a Minor in Economics and one in German... my gpa was 7.8 on a 12-point scale, which is about a 3 on a US 4 point scale, and about a 2.2 on a british scale... its not at all what im capable of, and i'm sure i can be a 3.5+ (2.1) type student, thats why i'd really want to do one of those 10-12 month MSc's so that I can reset my shit... european schools are also a lot less competitive, so I'm sure I can get into one of the better ones... i've talked to a few and they said the GPA won't disqualify me, and that the GMAT, work experience, motivation letter, recommendations and languages are major factors... I know several ppl that went on to work at places like JP Morgan/Credit Suisse/etc as Investment Analysts and they graduated from top POLISH uni's... i feel those polish schools are essentially safe schools for me here, so i DO believe I can still make something of myself...
sorry for writing so much
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