Non Target progression within IB or to PE

Does non-target status become irrelevant after you break into a BB FO. Or will I have to attain a MBA from a target to become promoted at my company? Have any of you seen a non target at the associate, VP, or MD level (at a solid MM or BB)?

Finally, will a non target have trouble breaking into PE after his analyst stint or will firms ignore my big state school and focus more on the quality of my IB work experience?

I ask this as it was extremely difficult for me to break into IB because of my university ( however I did it) and I am curious whether I will have the same struggle breaking into PE or progressing within my IB.

I would greatly appreciate some honest answers from monkeys in the industry!

Note that I had a 3.8 and 1440/1600 SAT, if this matters at all.

Thanks everyone.

7 Comments
 
EnidOnce you're in it makes no difference which school you went to. It might put you at a disadvantage when trying to break into PE but the longer you are out of school the less it matters. If you want to do it after just 2 years then unfortunately for you recruiters will still look at your school.

correct

 
Best Response

there are plenty of non-targets in high positions everywhere. I think it pretty much doesn't matter in terms of A-> A recruiting at the bank you've already broken into.

It does not however, become irrelevant that you were a non-target after you break into IB. It'll be extremely hard (if not impossible) to break into megafund PE after your analyst stint (or ever, actually) and it will also be harder to get into a top business school (though still not that hard, with solid work at a BB beforehand). Once you get the MBA from a top school, you'll essentially be rid of your non-target status.... that said, some snobby, snotty firms in PE and HF will simply never hire you if you didn't go to HYPSM. Check out the post by 10xleverage about megafund PE recruiting pre and post mba and you'll see (it's under something like "former MS M&A, KKR....."

Your good grades and solid (good, but for banking/PE only solid) SAT scores will be helpful for you for 1 more step... if you want to go to PE after your analyst stint. PE firms will give both GPA and SATs a lot of weight for pre-mba hires. Once you get an MBA those scores/grades won't mean too much... though your GPA is key to get you into biz school too.

 

Do you care about prestige or money? The funny thing is that if you look at the biographies of many of the guys who started the super-exclusive places they themselves now in many cases would not qualify to get hired at their own firms! If you are good and hungry you will be successful and don't worry about whether or not you get into a top, top place - compete against yourself and you will be fine

 

Well I've had a professor who ~3 years out, after his BB IBD stint get asked in a HF interview so what were your SATs? why did you go to 'non target xzy' and not an ivy?

It may get brought up. As he suspected it was to probably to push his buttons. There should be a 10+ reasons why anyone liked their school and chose over another.

 

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