Anyone in 4th year land a SA position in IB?

So ...

I am a senior at a target school, and landed a SA position at a BB for IB (think GS/MS/JPM type of firm). I made it clear to HR and during both 1st and 2nd rounds that I am a senior, graduating in April 2018.

When they asked why I was recruiting for SA ... my answer was: I realized the pipeline for the FT positions at the BBs mainly came through their SA classes, and so I figured joining as a SA would give myself the best chance of landing a FT role. I said/implied that if I did well, and they liked me, I would simply stay on as a FT analyst after my summer.

I wanted to know - anyone out there with a similar experience? Does being a senior hurt my chances or strengthen them? Any advice on securing that return (in terms of my approach, mindset, etc)?

Some background ... I have two internships in AM and ER at a BB under belt. Decent extracurricular and GPA 3.50.

Thanks in advance!

15 Comments
 
"universitystudenti" I'm also a senior graduating spring 2018. I accepted an offer for a summer internship. I guess my position is a bit different because I'm doing a 1 year masters program after I graduate with my bachelors degree.

Thanks for the comment. I think your situation is a bit different because, if successful, you would return the following year in 2019 (after you finish your Masters), whereas I will likely be staying on.

My main concern is if me being a senior puts me at a disadvantage.

 
Best Response

Your situation is likely on par/more favorable than a traditional summer analyst (assuming your question was framed as that being the comparison).

Consider the bank’s goal here; the group you are with is looking to gain a FT analyst(s) starting next fall, but they would rather test candidates through an internship than commit to FT right away, as the team can only tell so much about potential hires through interviews. Because of this it may be you and one other intern competing for one slot, or three competing for two, or maybe, best case scenario, it’s just you competing against yourself.

I think it’s a good situation to be in, and there will certainly be other ‘looking to hire immediately’ teams out there should you not get an offer. Imagine a team that can’t do formal training for you on the spot, but just had 2 analysts more than expected leave. If you’ve got MS/GS you should have no trouble finding some of these, though they may not be quite as high caliber.

 

If you have made it clear that you're a senior then I think you're good to go. Keep that in mind that if you start early like in February, you might have a very tough time because you haven't gone through training yet. Your year end bonus will also be significantly less and won't be proportional to the months out of the year you've worked full time.

 

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