Army Reserves/National Guard + Investment Banking

I know I am protected by law, but I am wondering how my reserve requirement will be viewed by my employer. How will this effect pay/promotions/exit ops/ b-school/NYC office transfer opportunity? Will I be hated by my boss/coworkers? I believe this move will pay off for me in the long run. My plan is to not tell my employer until groups are determined, fearing getting a bad group based on reserve status.

my story:
I am on track to graduate from a T-15 undergrad. I simultaneously will complete the Army ROTC program. I am a nonscholarship cadet and can still back out of my obligation, but completing a term of service is a lifelong desire for many reasons. I accepted an IBD offer at a BB (nonNYC location - think Barcleys - think Charlotte). My intention is to move to the NYC office after ~1 year of work. I am 100% fine with no days off/long hours. I listed ROTC on my resume, but have not mentioned my eight-year reserve obligation since getting my offer. Obligation consists of one weekend per month and two weeks per year. I plan to pick a reserve unit with the intention to not be deployed for at least three years, so I can work with no major interruptions. I may even quit after two/three years to complete a deployment and a four month training course (BOLC), then go to b-school with veteran status and 2/3 years of IBD under my belt.

 
Most Helpful

The biggest near-term hurdle, presuming you already did advanced camp (unless you are end of camp) is BOLC which you will have to do, even in the reserves/national guard, which ranges from 12 - 19+ weeks (cyber is around a year I think).

Realistic time commitment will depend on what unit and branch you choose. There are people out there who have been/are at BBs in IB and are in the guard/reserve, so it can be done. Still early in my career so I can not enlighten you on some of the longer-term headwinds and tailwinds, but happy to chat offline on my experience so far and offer up some of the advice I've been given.

 

I am an end of camp comissionsee, but my analyst training program does not start until July 15 and I luckily can complete Advanced camp between graduation and work start. As for BOLC, I have flexibility in scheduling, I should be able to push it off for 1.5 years.

 

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