Low GPA/Non-target Success Story
Not here to brag, but to maybe offer some inspiration for those in a similar situation. After recruiting hard the past year and a half, I received and accepted a full-time analyst position from a decent-sized fund on the west coast. My GPA isn't great (3.1) and I attend a university that isn't even close to being known by anyone in finance.
It truly is a numbers/connections game; I sent out over 300 cold emails talked to dozens of PMs and put in countless hours researching funds, preparing for interviews and all it took was one more email to the right firm. If you want it bad enough, you'll find a way to make it happen.
At risk of sounding like one of "those" LinkedIn posts; Thanks to all of you in the industry that provide quality advice on this form & a special thanks to ValueJedije for reviewing my stock pitch, challenging my assumptions, and teaching me some valuable lessons.