Question about SEO

only lss rspct becuz they think you didn't "make it" even thgh half ppl got in thru cnxtions

1nce u r in it's all abt performnce, otherwise u wll gt kickd out regardless

If you're doing SEO, be reddy to get thsi kind of attitudde; just rmmbr you broke in while thousands of othr aplikants didnt.

mudkipz

only lss rspct becuz they think you didn't "make it" even thgh half ppl got in thru cnxtions

1nce u r in it's all abt performnce, otherwise u wll gt kickd out regardless

If you're doing SEO, be reddy to get thsi kind of attitudde; just rmmbr you broke in while thousands of othr aplikants didnt.

Please:

To OP - Sorry, I have no idea

I saw one dude that had it on his linkedin....seemed kind of weird to do that.

The kids from my school that got IB or any BB offers through SEO were all pretty strong candidates who also received MM offers. But I have encountered one or two who received offers and I questioned them, but who am I to judge?

FWIW, a good chunk of the SEO kids from my school were European/international students from well off backgrounds.

SEO helps you break in.

SEO is a great resource and it will not take away "respect" unless you don't perform on the job. It is all about finding a way to get your foot in the door and show people that you can be a useful, future IB analyst.

A kid I summered with was SEO. Received an offer, no one noticed a thing. Only found out because he told me. While his stats were slightly below the average at the firm, he certainly could keep up with everyone. So I guess,

1) only HR really knows 2) because they tend to be less competitive candidates 3) no, same work 4) I would be shocked if you couldn't 5) not in the least

victory39

I can forgive your shortening of words by one letter, but was it really necessary to spell "once" as "1nce"?

aww ty for the support :) Iunno i learned to spell that liek 1nce wasn't thinkin

SEO is just another tool (like networking) a student could use to break into the industry. I don’t think anyone would hold it against an analyst as long as they perform. People have more important things to worry/think about.

Mudkipz, it's painful reading your post.

How do people generally get into SEO and is it a minority or broken home type thing?

CypressLB

Mudkipz, it's painful reading your post.

How do people generally get into SEO and is it a minority or broken home type thing?

u have to apply - my buddy got in and was rotated thru JPM's divisions for his entire uni career

Current SEO IB intern here. There are still MANY misconceptions about what SEO actually is/does, many of which are present in this thread. OP, PM me if you want more info.

Patrick Mastur

I searched the site and realize that most posts about this are very old. I'm looking for current opinions. I've read that people who get into IB through SEO generally get less respect from their peers. My questions are:
1. How do people even know if you got in through SEO or not?
2. Why do people get less respect?
3. Are you viewed as a tool to fill a quota and hence given less challenging work?
4. Is it possible to apply to the same bank both through SEO and regularly?
5. Are your chances of promotion stunted by getting in through SEO or does your work do the talking once you're in?

Full disclosure - I have a friend who is an alum of the program, and interviewed at several BBs on the side which gave offers. In the end, he turned down the offers directly with the banks and rolled the dice on SEO. He says is was the best decision of his professional career thus far. SEO is one of the greatest not for profit organizations in existence, mostly because of the scholars program and its alumni activity. To answer your questions:

1) People will only know if you tell them, you will have events during the summer that are mandatory so you may have to disclose this to get out of work for a couple of hours.

2) Anyone that says they get less respect usually is a bitter junior person, or may have some type of racial bias. The interview process for banking/S&T is just as rigorous if not more than general banking interviews.

3) Anyone that views you as a tool to fill a quota would do so regardless of your involvement with SEO or not. The work part is going to be based on your performance on past work and networking, dont fuck it up and it shouldn't be an issue.

4) You can apply both ways, but if you get into SEO they place you where they see fit and you have no say unless you have a scholarship offer.

5) Not relevant at all, get your work done and get people to like you. If anything SEO will only help this if you have an alum pulling for you. the street is sprinkled with program alums through all of the ranks.

If you want any more candid information on this feel free to PM me.

I had several friends go through this program, and I considered going through it myself.

Here are the facts: - it isn't publicized to the people you work with (or for) that you're an SEO kid - people in your summer class will inevitably find out that there are SEO kids in their class - there will quickly be a process of elimination as to who it is - the program has a perception of being a "back door" to the top firms - many people (even other minorities) view it as a perpetuation of affirmative action - [this may not be accurate any more] you aren't paid by the bank, you are paid by SEO; the bank pays SEO for all the SEO interns there, and SEO allocates the money to you (it ends up being slightly lower than 'real' intern pay)

So to answer your questions: - I don't know how people find out, I just know that they do - Because people are selfish and will point fingers at anything they feel is an advantage that they themselves didn't get to enjoy - It's a mixed bag; if someone is biased enough to treat you differently, you can outmaneuver them pretty easily - Yes; I know several people who did so - Your work product is the end-all, be-all; two years in, no one is going to remember how you got in

I chose not to do it because I felt that it didn't serve the demographic it was intended to. When I looked, I saw black and Hispanic kids from Ivies, HBCUs, and really prestigious private schools filling its ranks. Ironically, all the Hispanic kids were the white Hispanics, often from Europe (who you wouldn't have known were Hispanic because they were blond and blue-eyed) and named Jorge de Borbon Castillo or Alfonso Felipe Corrado IV.

To me, a program that intends to change the face of corporate America by bringing underserved or underrepresented students into these blue-chip firms probably ought to dedicate its resources to helping students who haven't enjoyed a tremendous level of access and privilege all their life. I realized that was a generalization on my part, but on principle, I decided it wasn't for me. I did well enough in recruiting on my own that it wasn't necessary. One of my good friends got several offers on his own as well as the SEO one, and ended up taking SEO for all the ancillary components (the training, the network, and the branding).

APAE

I had several friends go through this program, and I considered going through it myself.

Here are the facts:
- it isn't publicized to the people you work with (or for) that you're an SEO kid
- people in your summer class will inevitably find out that there are SEO kids in their class
- there will quickly be a process of elimination as to who it is
- the program has a perception of being a "back door" to the top firms
- many people (even other minorities) view it as a perpetuation of affirmative action
- [this may not be accurate any more] you aren't paid by the bank, you are paid by SEO; the bank pays SEO for all the SEO interns there, and SEO allocates the money to you (it ends up being slightly lower than 'real' intern pay)

So to answer your questions:
- I don't know how people find out, I just know that they do
- Because people are selfish and will point fingers at anything they feel is an advantage that they themselves didn't get to enjoy
- It's a mixed bag; if someone is biased enough to treat you differently, you can outmaneuver them pretty easily
- Yes; I know several people who did so
- Your work product is the end-all, be-all; two years in, no one is going to remember how you got in

I chose not to do it because I felt that it didn't serve the demographic it was intended to. When I looked, I saw black and Hispanic kids from Ivies, HBCUs, and really prestigious private schools filling its ranks. Ironically, all the Hispanic kids were the white Hispanics, often from Europe (who you wouldn't have known were Hispanic because they were blond and blue-eyed) and named Jorge de Borbon Castillo or Alfonso Felipe Corrado IV.

To me, a program that intends to change the face of corporate America by bringing underserved or underrepresented students into these blue-chip firms probably ought to dedicate its resources to helping students who haven't enjoyed a tremendous level of access and privilege all their life. I realized that was a generalization on my part, but on principle, I decided it wasn't for me. I did well enough in recruiting on my own that it wasn't necessary. One of my good friends got several offers on his own as well as the SEO one, and ended up taking SEO for all the ancillary components (the training, the network, and the branding).

I think one of the biggest misconceptions about SEO is the topic of your last paragraph. SEO is about underrepresented minorities--not social classes. Honestly, SEO has neither the time, nor resources, to take someone starting off with a sub-par education and educate them well enough for them to excel in banking. SEO plays a very economic role in that it provides a market for a dual coincidence of wants--banks want to diversify their workforce with educated minorities, and minorities want to break into banking. When a prospective employee is looking at how diverse the bank is, they're not checking who was in poverty or not, they're checking the amount of people of color within the bank. If a person of color comes from poverty and happens to have all the right tools/potential to succeed in banking, SEO will invest in that person. If that person isn't ready or doesn't have the potential, then SEO can't risk wasting valuable resources on that candidate over another candidate who may be wealthier, but also far more educated and able to get an offer.

The SEO Career Program (the particular program we're discussing) is about getting underrepresented minorities into positions on the street so that they can use their influence and proven work ethic to not only open the doors for more minorities, but also so that they can contribute their time and/or money to other programs in SEO such as the SEO Scholars Program, which is the original SEO program that focuses on educating inner-city youth in NYC and San Francisco. The SEO Career Program is not explicitly about sob stories, but about allowing banks to hire underrepresented minorities that have already been vetted through a proven and intense process, so that these minorities may in turn benefit inner city youth through mentorship and donations to the SEO Scholars Program. Although the SEO Career Program plays a huge role overall in SEO, many understand the success of the Scholars Program to be far more important.

And to clear up one of your questions, SEO interns are paid directly through the bank.

well said

DiggsRTC APAE:

I had several friends go through this program, and I considered going through it myself.

Here are the facts:
- it isn't publicized to the people you work with (or for) that you're an SEO kid
- people in your summer class will inevitably find out that there are SEO kids in their class
- there will quickly be a process of elimination as to who it is
- the program has a perception of being a "back door" to the top firms
- many people (even other minorities) view it as a perpetuation of affirmative action
- [this may not be accurate any more] you aren't paid by the bank, you are paid by SEO; the bank pays SEO for all the SEO interns there, and SEO allocates the money to you (it ends up being slightly lower than 'real' intern pay)

So to answer your questions:
- I don't know how people find out, I just know that they do
- Because people are selfish and will point fingers at anything they feel is an advantage that they themselves didn't get to enjoy
- It's a mixed bag; if someone is biased enough to treat you differently, you can outmaneuver them pretty easily
- Yes; I know several people who did so
- Your work product is the end-all, be-all; two years in, no one is going to remember how you got in

I chose not to do it because I felt that it didn't serve the demographic it was intended to. When I looked, I saw black and Hispanic kids from Ivies, HBCUs, and really prestigious private schools filling its ranks. Ironically, all the Hispanic kids were the white Hispanics, often from Europe (who you wouldn't have known were Hispanic because they were blond and blue-eyed) and named Jorge de Borbon Castillo or Alfonso Felipe Corrado IV.

To me, a program that intends to change the face of corporate America by bringing underserved or underrepresented students into these blue-chip firms probably ought to dedicate its resources to helping students who haven't enjoyed a tremendous level of access and privilege all their life. I realized that was a generalization on my part, but on principle, I decided it wasn't for me. I did well enough in recruiting on my own that it wasn't necessary. One of my good friends got several offers on his own as well as the SEO one, and ended up taking SEO for all the ancillary components (the training, the network, and the branding).

I think one of the biggest misconceptions about SEO is the topic of your last paragraph. SEO is about underrepresented minorities--not social classes. Honestly, SEO has neither the time, nor resources, to take someone starting off with a sub-par education and educate them well enough for them to excel in banking. SEO plays a very economic role in that it provides a market for a dual coincidence of wants--banks want to diversify their workforce with educated minorities, and minorities want to break into banking. When a prospective employee is looking at how diverse the bank is, they're not checking who was in poverty or not, they're checking the amount of people of color within the bank. If a person of color comes from poverty and happens to have all the right tools/potential to succeed in banking, SEO will invest in that person. If that person isn't ready or doesn't have the potential, then SEO can't risk wasting valuable resources on that candidate over another candidate who may be wealthier, but also far more educated and able to get an offer.

The SEO Career Program (the particular program we're discussing) is about getting underrepresented minorities into positions on the street so that they can use their influence and proven work ethic to not only open the doors for more minorities, but also so that they can contribute their time and/or money to other programs in SEO such as the SEO Scholars Program, which is the original SEO program that focuses on educating inner-city youth in NYC and San Francisco. The SEO Career Program is not explicitly about sob stories, but about allowing banks to hire underrepresented minorities that have already been vetted through a proven and intense process, so that these minorities may in turn benefit inner city youth through mentorship and donations to the SEO Scholars Program. Although the SEO Career Program plays a huge role overall in SEO, many understand the success of the Scholars Program to be far more important.

And to clear up one of your questions, SEO interns are paid directly through the bank.

Great explanation.

DiggsRTC APAE:

I had several friends go through this program, and I considered going through it myself.

Here are the facts:
- it isn't publicized to the people you work with (or for) that you're an SEO kid
- people in your summer class will inevitably find out that there are SEO kids in their class
- there will quickly be a process of elimination as to who it is
- the program has a perception of being a "back door" to the top firms
- many people (even other minorities) view it as a perpetuation of affirmative action
- [this may not be accurate any more] you aren't paid by the bank, you are paid by SEO; the bank pays SEO for all the SEO interns there, and SEO allocates the money to you (it ends up being slightly lower than 'real' intern pay)

So to answer your questions:
- I don't know how people find out, I just know that they do
- Because people are selfish and will point fingers at anything they feel is an advantage that they themselves didn't get to enjoy
- It's a mixed bag; if someone is biased enough to treat you differently, you can outmaneuver them pretty easily
- Yes; I know several people who did so
- Your work product is the end-all, be-all; two years in, no one is going to remember how you got in

I chose not to do it because I felt that it didn't serve the demographic it was intended to. When I looked, I saw black and Hispanic kids from Ivies, HBCUs, and really prestigious private schools filling its ranks. Ironically, all the Hispanic kids were the white Hispanics, often from Europe (who you wouldn't have known were Hispanic because they were blond and blue-eyed) and named Jorge de Borbon Castillo or Alfonso Felipe Corrado IV.

To me, a program that intends to change the face of corporate America by bringing underserved or underrepresented students into these blue-chip firms probably ought to dedicate its resources to helping students who haven't enjoyed a tremendous level of access and privilege all their life. I realized that was a generalization on my part, but on principle, I decided it wasn't for me. I did well enough in recruiting on my own that it wasn't necessary. One of my good friends got several offers on his own as well as the SEO one, and ended up taking SEO for all the ancillary components (the training, the network, and the branding).

I think one of the biggest misconceptions about SEO is the topic of your last paragraph. SEO is about underrepresented minorities--not social classes. Honestly, SEO has neither the time, nor resources, to take someone starting off with a sub-par education and educate them well enough for them to excel in banking. SEO plays a very economic role in that it provides a market for a dual coincidence of wants--banks want to diversify their workforce with educated minorities, and minorities want to break into banking. When a prospective employee is looking at how diverse the bank is, they're not checking who was in poverty or not, they're checking the amount of people of color within the bank. If a person of color comes from poverty and happens to have all the right tools/potential to succeed in banking, SEO will invest in that person. If that person isn't ready or doesn't have the potential, then SEO can't risk wasting valuable resources on that candidate over another candidate who may be wealthier, but also far more educated and able to get an offer.

The SEO Career Program (the particular program we're discussing) is about getting underrepresented minorities into positions on the street so that they can use their influence and proven work ethic to not only open the doors for more minorities, but also so that they can contribute their time and/or money to other programs in SEO such as the SEO Scholars Program, which is the original SEO program that focuses on educating inner-city youth in NYC and San Francisco. The SEO Career Program is not explicitly about sob stories, but about allowing banks to hire underrepresented minorities that have already been vetted through a proven and intense process, so that these minorities may in turn benefit inner city youth through mentorship and donations to the SEO Scholars Program. Although the SEO Career Program plays a huge role overall in SEO, many understand the success of the Scholars Program to be far more important.

And to clear up one of your questions, SEO interns are paid directly through the bank.

It all worked out more than well enough for me. Hopefully it works as well in the future for those who choose to join it.