BB Economist like our boy David Kelly?

Other threads about this but not as useful. I enjoy reading/learning about the economy, practical and theoretical work but would prefer to work on the private side. It seems like BA - > PHD -> BB work? I am a rising junior and am lost on what my path could even be. What does recruiting even look like for this? 

9 Comments
 
Most Helpful

I sometimes daydream and imagine myself having done a PhD, worked in a central bank/IMF, then pivoted over to the buyside. That kind of background would definitely help you get in and provide a strong technical basis for FX/rates strategy and the like (which in reality is more an art than science but hey, if you can build fancy econometric models and point to a background like that, people will listen to you). 

That said, it's simply not necessary and the bulk of people in the industry only have a masters degree and got all their experience in the private sector. As Dick said; people who do PhDs are people who are academic by nature and are happy to do research for the sake of research. If you know you want to be in the private sector I would do a terminal econ masters (can also be a way of getting a top school on your resume if you don't already) and recruit straight into a macro focused role (strategist or macro investment analyst at a bank/fund, sovereign ratings at a CRA, macro research for a sell-side provider etc). 

 

I really can't speak for the US as I'm not from there, but I would think just targeting any of the terminal masters programs available at the top US schools would be good. That said I don't get the impression that school prestige counts as much as in other roles; recruitment seems to be a lot less formal and seats far fewer and less consistently available. I think all you need is a relevant academic background, a demonstrated interest and a little luck. 

 

Eum itaque velit sed omnis libero. Recusandae quaerat voluptatibus possimus. Quo neque esse laborum sed occaecati.

Sed nesciunt et odio voluptatum cupiditate rerum eos. Voluptatem repellat quas dolore sit laboriosam non.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.3%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.7%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.7%
  • Goldman Sachs 02 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (44) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (79) $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
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
6
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
7
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
10
bolo up's picture
bolo up
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...”