When Does Your College Become Irrelevant?
Hey guys, wondering when does one's college and or GPA become irrelevant during the hiring process especially out of undergrad. Most of the time when you're out of undergrad, most don't have any work experience, some have an internship and others have a couple of internships.
It is well known that most big name HFs tend to typically favor HYPSW, when does this become irrelevant? Extremely valuable internship at a small HF where you led an investment in the 7-8 figs? Prior internships at a big HF with highly transferable skills? The problem arises when even in internships college plays a crucial part, but let's say despite all that you managed to get good internships in the HF/AM space but you still went to that one generic college in a fly-over state in the mid-west, does one negate the other or is it the other way around. Does your college make your experience irrelevant or does the experience make the college? If so, at which point? When do big MM/SM shops actually want you?
College is mostly relevant for your first job after. More important after landing your first job is your track record and reputation. It has some value if your hiring manager or interviewer went to the same college, other than that a few years out it’s all based on your track record in the workplace.
FWIW I have been asked about having an OK but not amazing (think cum laude at Ivy) GPA at interviews ~10 years after college for very legit firms/roles. Didn’t get the offers where they were asked (but they were competitive interview processes with multiple applicants) but clearly was gating item for some ppl. Would think less important for purely performance oriented firms (e.g. MMs) but def something SMs may care about
For a risk taking seat any firm prioritizing GPA over track record is dumb as rocks. Fortunately I don't think many do that.
Some people care. I’m 5-6 years out of college and recently got asked why I went to a certain school / college transcript. For background, I went to a non-target, but had top IB / PE jobs.
I keep it on there because I went to a large state school without the best reputation, but got damn near perfect grades while there so in my head it makes me feel better that I can justify it.
Most of the interviews I've had over the last 3-4 years (for reference I'm 8 years out of undergrad), don't really talk about undergrad anymore because I've got a solid history of work experience to talk through now.
By your third/fourth job it doesn't matter AT ALL, not even for grad school.
Your college and GPA is all you have coming out of undergrad so irrelevance is wishful thinking. Internships can help a little bit, but so few interns actually "lead" anything that when making claims on your resume make sure you can back it up.
Elite firms hire elite people. The most straightforward way to get there in your shoes is to get an MBA from HBS/GSB/Wharton/Booth in a few years. If you're an engineering major you may have an easier go since it'll be easier to demonstrate intelligence. Most of the former non-target undergrads I've worked with started out with engineering/CS backgrounds and could be FAANG engineers but have a passion for trading/markets. State school business major screams low-IQ frat guy until proven otherwise.
Otherwise it matters less after 30. Go work somewhere less prestigious and crush it. HFs are a meritocracy if you're competent and persistent you'll eventually get to where you want to be. The experience will also make you less annoying and more interesting.
Found the Booth guy
It is all about how you market yourself, people who have responded here were asked cause they market themselves that way. They apply to places where their alumni or types like themselves work. Truly no one really cares after two years if you have something else to market yourself off. By year5 its barely a talking point. Someone who did the typical path is going to rely mostly on their educational pedigree. But if you network your way into an interview at say Citadel and your hyper focus is why you have a passion for X, have succeeded, etc…No one is going to give a crap.
Getting an MBA to be considered for “elite firms” is just another way to market yourself. Reality though is larger portion of people who succeed in this industry are from targets and have high gpas. So as someone who does not have that, you need to respect that they are their cause of their talent/knowledge and not just cause of their education. Likewise you need to prove you belong there and stop worrying about your education.
Which college matters less after your first job, but I know some people (myself included) care about GPA even for experienced hires because it could correlate to your innate character (grit, drive, foresight, etc).
The day you make it irrelevant
GOAT
it matters if youre trying to break into a certain field in your 20s but work relationships end up mattering way more than anything else over time. I'll always want to hire a known quantity i used to work with or the guy a top colleague used to work with over a high gpa unknown.
At some point people will stop asking... but they'll never stop caring.
Voluptates quia neque fugiat delectus vero error pariatur ea. Autem consequatur qui incidunt veritatis. Sunt veritatis est minus corporis corrupti.
Eaque ut rerum et dignissimos officia libero et vel. Molestiae repellat et quod repellat eaque molestiae error.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...