An undergrad at a US target school seeking IBD opportunities in China/HK. What's the best way to go about it?

Hi. Hope everyone is doing well during these turbulent quarantine times.

Just a little bit about me: I was born in the States but moved to China at three. Grew up there and came back to the States around the start of middle school. I speak fluent Mandarin with no accent and my Mandarin writing/reading ability is about the same as a Chinese middle/high schooler (can read WSJ Chinese with little to no difficulty). I also know how to speak (to a certain extent) the Henan regional dialect/accent, though I don't know how much of a role that'll play into all of this.

I'm currently at a top target school in the US (Top-10 Ivy League) and have studied abroad at Tsinghua for a semester. I've always wanted to return to China to work. Don't know why, I just feel a pull to go back. Perhaps it's because I spent my childhood there or because the majority of my family/relatives are still residing in China. So, I was wondering how easy (or difficult) it is for an someone like me who can speak/read/write fluent Mandarin graduating from a top US school to get an offer in an IBD in China?

Should I focus on getting into a multinational BB like GS/MS/JPM. Work for 1-2 years on Wall Street, and then request an internal corporate transfer to their Beijing/Shanghai/Hong Kong offices? Is that a plausible idea? Or should I be directly looking for hires in China/HK instead? How easy would it be for me to get offers since I'll be competing against locals and/or Chinese citizens educated abroad? It's been difficult to extensively network in China while living in the US.

As for the desired length of stay in China, I'm looking for something long term (at least 3-4 years, but preferably 6+ years stay in China). Thanks in advance for any advice.

7 Comments
 

It's a mixed bag. I kind of have two separate social circles. The one I hangout the most with are thebuddies from the US that I've met on campus, or at networking/social events and whatnot and they consist of all sorts of races (white, Asian, black). The other circle is basically mainland Chinese and HK students studying abroad in the US that I occasionally hangout with.

 

Fugit exercitationem atque cum quidem. Repellendus eius harum dolorem nobis et dignissimos tempora. Exercitationem voluptatem molestiae aut dolores explicabo. Blanditiis non dicta molestias consequatur alias. Sit unde est in in.

Sit nulla quibusdam accusamus unde. Nihil qui autem voluptatem. Magnam possimus non autem consequatur ipsum beatae perferendis cumque. Molestias laboriosam et porro non at non rerum id. Possimus accusantium reiciendis mollitia perferendis ut. Quae molestias qui iste sed.

Aut id corporis rerum. Perferendis sit ut expedita quisquam consequatur sint.

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.2%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.3%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.2%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.2%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (46) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (80) $150
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (73) $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
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
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...”