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T10 Law Student That Wants Finance
 

Captcha raptcha's picture
 
Points)
 on 8/28/12 at 1:00am
law student to finance.jpg

I could really use some advice on this post. Here is a short summary of my situation.

UG - Top 5 Business School (mediocre grades)
Law School - T10 (mediocre grades) - 171 LSAT

I graduated in 2009 from business school (ug) and was shut out of jobs. Also, when I was in ug I was really immature and didn't have any interests besides going out and getting blasted. Decided I just wanted to make a klot of money, took the LSAT and next thing I know im in law school.

I hate law school, I dont like the law. I have tried to make the most out of it and thought if I could get a firm job, id do it for a few years, pay off loans and get an MBA or use contacts to switch to business side. This didnt happen however (shit grades 1L due to hating the subject matter) and now I decided its time to stop chasing a career that is definitely not for me.

I currently work at a boutique investment advisory firm, have spent a semester at the SEC and wrote a paper of Derivatives that I may try and publish. I am interested most in S&T but my friends have told me that it is really hard to get in from my situation. I would like ibanking or may keep trying with asset managment firms. How do you suggest I begin this job search to get the best job possible. I know ibanking is rough, but I think the experiences I can have there will help me do things that I am far more interested in (PE, VC, start up work). Trading would be ideal, but again, I have no prior experience and it seems impossible to break into witha JD.

Any help or advice would be amazing, thanks in advance.

Tags:
melvvvar's picture

it doesn't sound that bad.

(King Kong, 1,693
 
Points)
 on 8/27/12 at 11:29am

it doesn't sound that bad. range your UG and law schools. pedigree could be your biggest asset here.

Captcha raptcha's picture

Yea my pedigree I think is my

 
Points)
 on 8/27/12 at 11:34am

Yea my pedigree I think is my biggest asset. I think I have a good personality and can interview well also. I got this job at my current IA firm by having lunch with a portfolio manager and he offered me a position on the spot.

Also, I am taking it upon myself to learn the finance - taking MBA classes on valuation, and my buddies have sent me derivatives, equity and other primers that were given to them during their first year as S&T analysts and on weekends I have been reworking banking models my friends sent to me (may take a modeling class next semester).

Tradin's picture

you can try for some sort of

AM
 
Points)
 on 8/27/12 at 11:36am

you can try for some sort of distressed debt desk analyst postions. they often tend to have law backgrounds due to nature of the biz but still get to work in a trading desk/research capacity.

melvvvar's picture

Captcha raptcha: Yea my

(King Kong, 1,693
 
Points)
 on 8/27/12 at 11:39am
Captcha raptcha:

Yea my pedigree I think is my biggest asset. I think I have a good personality and can interview well also. I got this job at my current IA firm by having lunch with a portfolio manager and he offered me a position on the spot.

Also, I am taking it upon myself to learn the finance - taking MBA classes on valuation, and my buddies have sent me derivatives, equity and other primers that were given to them during their first year as S&T analysts and on weekends I have been reworking banking models my friends sent to me (may take a modeling class next semester).

toss out a few names of your schools. with your mess, grades won't be a selling point and you aren't a national candidate. you will have to play the local/regional alumni network angle. i hope for your sake you are in chicago in NYC.

Captcha raptcha's picture

UG was Michigan, Law School

 
Points)
 on 8/27/12 at 11:45am

UG was Michigan, Law School is non-major city T-10 (cant say cause im probably the only person here with this idea and experience). I am from NY however and have a ton of friends that work in NYC, so I find myself up there fairly often

melvvvar's picture

if i were dealing with a

(King Kong, 1,693
 
Points)
 on 8/27/12 at 11:49am

if i were dealing with a candidate like you, the biggest question on my mind is how seriously you would take the job. for me to hire you, i would have to be convinced that i should not hire everyone else who is younger and just as well educated if not better, with the grades to demonstrate a work ethic. now you have a double dinger because your UG and law grades suck. maybe you can explain that away with your story, but it doesn't solve the problem.

i may want to read your paper. i hope it is a damn good paper, because if i were your hiring manager that's your last line of defense. it's a buyer's market for labor right now. i have guys from top MFINS lowballing in the 40s for salary because they are just that desperate. know that this is what you are up against.

Captcha raptcha's picture

I totally agree with you, my

 
Points)
 on 8/27/12 at 11:56am

I totally agree with you, my motivation has kept me back and my lack of work ethic has screwed me. But I was 19 when I was applying for jobs in college, I chalk it up to immaturity and just a total lack of knowledge on the options I had coming out. Also in law school, my grades are about average, I had one terrible semester where I contemplated dropping out the entire time, but other than that my grades are around top 1/3 of my class.

Thing is, my school effort does not equate my work ethic. I am a hustler when it comes to networking and have great reviews from everywhere I have worked in law school. Even though I had terrible 1L grades I got within ear shots of nyc firm jobs solely because I could shoot the shit with the head of M&A or cap markets at some of the big firms. I know this means nothing, but I think my work ethic problem is over and I can definitly try and ease concerns over it.

seabird's picture

Melvvar, I seriously dont

PE
(King Kong, 1,493
 
Points)
 on 8/27/12 at 12:04pm

Melvvar, I seriously dont know if youre a troll or an ass. You walk a fine line between what could be considered satire and actual beliefs.

“...all truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.”

- Schopenhauer

Captcha raptcha's picture

too bad im a big jewish dude.

 
Points)
 on 8/27/12 at 12:07pm

too bad im a big jewish dude. i think im fairly cute though and my voice is awesome. any more advice on which careers to look at and how to try and get in would be great.

illiniPride's picture

Your biggest skill is being

IB
(King Kong, 1,099
 
Points)
 on 8/28/12 at 1:56am

Your biggest skill is being personable? Then go to where the finance people are. If there is a conference, go. If there is a speaker, go. Just keep showing up, talking to people and see what doors open.

Leadership can be defined in two words: "Follow Me"

droking7's picture

This is seriously troll

ST
(Baboon, 166
 
Points)
 on 8/28/12 at 3:27am

This is seriously troll status or some spoiled ass-clown. You have a poor work ethic, you attend good schools, and want to go into finance "to make a lot of money." Your story is awful if you want to get into ibanking and a top MBA.

An interviewer would likely see this as someone who did not make the most out of their opportunities, and immediately toss your resume (if you make it that far in the process.)

MBA could be possible if you ace the GMAT and can someone show them you're not some well-off, greedy, dbag.

Suck my black ****.

droking7's picture

This is seriously troll

ST
(Baboon, 166
 
Points)
 on 8/28/12 at 3:27am

This is seriously troll status or some spoiled ass-clown. You have a poor work ethic, you attend good schools, and want to go into finance "to make a lot of money." Your story is awful if you want to get into ibanking and a top MBA.

An interviewer would likely see this as someone who did not make the most out of their opportunities, and immediately toss your resume (if you make it that far in the process.)

MBA could be possible if you ace the GMAT and can someone show them you're not some well-off, greedy, dbag.

Suck my black ****.

APAE's picture

Aim for restructuring roles

(Neanderthal, 3,660
 
Points)
 on 8/28/12 at 3:43am

Aim for restructuring roles if you're looking at banking, and distressed or high yield analytics or structuring roles if you're looking at trading. Those match your skill-set closest, which makes it all that much easier for you to sell your story coherently to anyone who gives you a look. That will be the hardest part though, getting looks for interviews. Leverage the UMich career center, your classmate and alumni contacts, and if your law school is also at a university with a decent MBA program, either sneak into their corporate recruitment presentations or walk into the career center and sell someone on helping you prepare for interviews.

Your skill-set is not going to be the problem. It's the packaging. By your own admission you have a mediocre academic history, but your pedigree is the only thing bolstering you at this point on that front. Play that for what it's worth, and if you're a natural charmer and a personable guy, you just need to get a foot in the door before your silver tongue opens it all the way.

Good luck bud.

A lot of people do certain things to add days to their life. I do things to add life to my days.

melvvvar's picture

seabird: Melvvar, I seriously

(King Kong, 1,693
 
Points)
 on 8/28/12 at 3:48am
seabird:

Melvvar, I seriously dont know if youre a troll or an ass. You walk a fine line between what could be considered satire and actual beliefs.

this is harder than it looks. stop hating.

DELETED_ACCOUNT's picture

APAE makes solid

 
Points)
 on 8/28/12 at 4:41am

APAE makes solid points.

Leverage your personality/networking. Using an athletic reference, seems you have a match-only work ethic---doing well under pressure and squeaking by, then taking it easy when you should be planning/practicing/improving. You'll need a story and also demonstrate your ability to be diligent and consistent. Good Luck.

DELETED_ACCOUNT

BTbanker's picture

If you are at uPenn, get to

IB
 
Points)
 on 8/28/12 at 8:36am

"A man generally has two reasons for doing anything. One that sounds good, and the real one." - J.P. Morgan

Boothorbust's picture

Captcha raptcha: UG was

O
(King Kong, 1,129
 
Points)
 on 8/28/12 at 10:07am
Boothorbust's picture

Double post

O
(King Kong, 1,129
 
Points)
 on 8/28/12 at 1:25pm
Captcha raptcha's picture

droking7: This is seriously

 
Points)
 on 8/28/12 at 10:11am
Vi's picture

Fellow law bro here (3L) with

IB
(Orangutan, 305
 
Points)
 on 8/28/12 at 10:47am
Captcha raptcha's picture

Also, I am working at a

 
Points)
 on 8/28/12 at 1:50pm
Stringer Bell's picture

Why is it you think PE/VC/HF

PE
(King Kong, 1,679
 
Points)
 on 8/28/12 at 7:16pm
Misspartiesalot's picture

illiniPride: Your biggest

 
Points)
 on 8/29/12 at 2:06am

--Money can't buy happiness. it can only buy orgasms.
--Who the hell says I want happiness? Orgasms all I need.

Captcha raptcha's picture

Stringer Bell: Why is it you

 
Points)
 on 8/29/12 at 12:56pm
Stringer Bell's picture

Captcha raptcha: Stringer

PE
(King Kong, 1,679
 
Points)
 on 8/29/12 at 6:08pm

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