Anthropology/Strategy Consulting pivot into IB: Delusional or Plausible with Work (and Luck)?
My background:
- Very high 1st (highest ever mark) in Anthropology from a non-target and a MSc in Anthropology from Oxbridge (also a first, or 'distinction').
- Will have 1 year strategy consulting experience from a tier 2 once IB recruiting rolls around. Activities include due diligence, financial modelling, (a lot of) slide deck creation, and some deal strategy. Currently a top performer.
- Grand total of 0 finance related internships prior to consulting (I was not very engaged with the finance/consulting graduate hiring landscape/ecosystem).
The situation now:
- Very keen to try and break into IB but painfully aware of my unconventional background and suboptimal macroeconomic/industry climate.
- I have 4-5 months to leverage my existing financial modelling skills and practise LBO, 3 statement, DCF models etc. and similarly nail down behavioural/motivational/technical components to interviews.
- Assuming the above are met ... is a chance at a full-time opportunity even realistic?
Appreciate your thoughts, monkeys.
So you are targetting FT/Grad level spots?
Yes. Although I appreciate the possibility of coming an as an off-cycle analyst and try and convert it into a FT offer.
I honestly think you can handle the DCF monkeys. Do a lot of cold emailing and networking and I think doors will open for you.
I normally don't read these "can I break in" type posts but you have an unconventional and quite interesting background, which I think you can make work to your advantage. Like the other poster said, start with cracking open doors networking.
Here are my thoughts from the lens of a recruiter.
After doing two anthropology degrees and a stint in strategy, why banking. It comes off as you're directionless or just chasing a job. Latter is not a bad thing but frowned upon. The solution is to craft a really REALLY good story as to "why finance/banking"
Second concern would be lack of finance fundamentals, since neither your degree or your internship have given you that. Take a modeling course (Idk which ones are the go tos nowadays), and try and get some of that in your strategy role.
Macro environment is tough so might not get as much traction just yet.
Out of curiosity, and especially considering you're a top performer, what is making you want to move into IB? Most seem to go the other way
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