Associate w/no work experience?

I need some advice regarding the situation I am in. I am currently a 1st year MSF student right out of undergrad. I do not have any previous finance or IB internships, only a few years of project management experience during undergrad. However, I was able to land a spring and summer associate internship with a middle market boutique. I was aiming for an analyst position because I read that an MSF is not considered equivalent to an MBA plus I have no work experience. I have read in previous posts that becoming an associate with little to no work experience is not possible. If I do not receive a full-time offer, would I have the necessary experience of becoming an associate at another middle market or BB firm?
Thanks

7 Comments
 

Well, if they're giving you a spring/summer associate internship, then roll with that. Obviously, they've seen something in you worth having on board as a summer associate.

:-)

 

A finance professor at my school told me a story of a guy he taught in undergraduate who was absolutely a genius. The kid was taking graduate level courses and being the best student in them. The professor told me that the student, when interviewing at banks, would accept no less than an associate position, and he got it.

Another very impressive fact about him was that, according to my professor, the kid apparently made over 250 contacts in the industry.

 
Best Response
rndmacntA finance professor at my school told me a story of a guy he taught in undergraduate who was absolutely a genius. The kid was taking graduate level courses and being the best student in them. The professor told me that the student, when interviewing at banks, would accept no less than an associate position, and he got it.

Another very impressive fact about him was that, according to my professor, the kid apparently made over 250 contacts in the industry.

I am sorry but I think your finance professor is lying. 1) You don't have to be genius to do great in ibanking. Graduate finance courses is not that impressive or rare. Some upper-division math/engineering classes > graduate finance classes. 2) So this kid had 4.0 GPA, great job. We all know 4.0 won't get you very far. 3) What kind of elite ibank hire an undergrad straight to an associate positions. 4) Who would want to work with a guy who demanded at least associate position?
 

nufc you may want to give some banks a call and see how they handle MSF candidates

I'm not sure what's up with the random story above... wrong thread? delusional?

 

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