Part-time MBA grad feeling hopeless about switching into trading/IM

I graduated from a TOP 10 MBA program - Top 10 overall per USN, not a specialty ranking like Top 10 Part-time - and want to get into either trading or investment management.

Negatives: I have zero experience. I have a MBA GPA of less than 3.0. I was laid off 8 months ago. I do have a JD but didn't take the bar. My 8 years of experience are in non-profits doing mostly research/writing and some marketing. I am in my 30s.

Positives: While in business school I took mostly quantitative finance courses in fixed income, derivatives, arbitrage, stochastic processes, and such.

I went to my career services office and they recommended I use linkedin.

This career switch seems overwhelming and impossible because I have never even been in the office of a finance firm or bank. I know nothing other than my coursework and have no experience to show for. I am willing to take the CFA or CAIA but career services said it's not what I should focus my time. He said networking is everything.

 
Best Response

I assume the answer is financial reasons, but why would you do a part-time MBA if your ultimate goal was to jump from non-profit work to IM? An internship between your first and second year would have made this process so much easier to make the career switch. Your best bet is networking because this really is a relationship business. All you need is a family member, family friend, friend, former colleague, classmate, etc. that can put you in touch with the right person and give you a shot. Probably too late to prep for the upcoming CFA exam but if you have enough free time it is certainly worthwhile.

 

Yes financial reasons. The program I most wanted to attend - because of the coursework and professors, which is somewhat a silly reason now that I went through business school - was in the city I was working in already.

So to give up income for 2 years to go full-time to the same school did not seem like a smart move at the time, compounded by the fact that the city is so expensive to live in to begin with. Now that I'm in this "no internship, older, no experience" mess, I've become somewhat depressed and overwhelmed.

But everyone here seems much more upbeat about it than I was, so that makes me feel quite a bit more confident about beginning the process.

 

Laudantium dolores expedita qui dolores eos et. Corporis harum ab nobis vero. Aut a hic qui iure dolorem quis dolores.

Career Advancement Opportunities

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Jefferies & Company 02 99.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 19 98.8%
  • Harris Williams & Co. (++) 98.3%
  • Lazard Freres 02 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 03 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Harris Williams & Co. 18 99.4%
  • JPMorgan Chase 10 98.8%
  • Lazard Freres 05 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.7%
  • William Blair 03 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Lazard Freres 01 99.4%
  • Jefferies & Company 02 98.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 17 98.3%
  • Moelis & Company 07 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 05 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Director/MD (5) $648
  • Vice President (19) $385
  • Associates (86) $261
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (13) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (33) $170
  • 2nd Year Analyst (66) $168
  • 1st Year Analyst (202) $159
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (144) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
7
kanon's picture
kanon
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
10
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”