Hello all!
I am currently in commercial banking and looking to break into investment banking. Being a former professional/ collegiate athlete, I don't have the most traditional background for breaking into the industry (no internships in college and entering the corporate workforce a bit later than my peers). After having completed a modeling & valuation certification earlier this year, I began applying for analyst roles and networking with colleagues in late September. Since then, I haven't had much luck making progress in landing an analyst role (applied to ~40 different positions and networked with ~35 different investment banking professionals). I am mostly targeting middle market/ boutique firms and am wanting a role that involves M&A advisory (would love to cover healthcare, tech, or FIG vertical, but I realize I don't have much room to be picky here). I have been through the complete interview process at 3 different firms and have a slight chance at receiving an offer from one of them.
Assuming I do not receive the above offer, what are some ways I can improve my odds of landing an analyst role and how could I improve my profile/ resume in the mean time? Additionally, are there any firms out there who are known for giving individuals like myself a chance at breaking in?
Thank you to those who respond in advance! Any advice or reality checks would be extremely helpful.
Additional context:
- ~2 years in commercial banking as credit analyst
- 3.2gpa non-target, econ undergrad
- 3.8gpa non-target, leadership and management grad
Only put your graduate school GPA, don't include the 3.2 anywhere. Also emphasize the work ethic that was cultivated from being an athlete, the fact that you went pro is something that will impress everyone you speak with. Also if I were you I would focus on 1 of 2 paths - IB analyst jobs at very small, regional firms
The other option is corporate banking, it is kind of in between IB and commercial banking. Either path will require lots of networking so focus on that
Won’t most people question why he only has his grad school GPA and not undergrad?
Trust me nobody cares
Thank you for the advice!! I recently changed my resume to not include either gpa’s, but if an application has an option to list it, I’ll only put the grad gpa.
Currently targeting regional middle market and boutique banks as well. Hoping for the best!
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