Breaking into IB after stint in Armed Forces?

I'm graduating this summer and have been unsuccessful in securing any IB gig. I'm planning on doing a short stint in the armed forces and then, return to the workforce. This was a bit of a whirlwind decision (having secured no job offers and an unconverted biglaw vac scheme) led me to think that getting into shape + building some discipline in me might do me some good for the time being, esp. the job market is not looking that great.

My question is: are UK investment banks facilitative of those who have served in the Armed Forces when recruiting? 

I'm sort of split between gunning for a training contract at a BigLaw firm or going for IB analyst after a couple years in the Army (could be Navy as well, but not sure at the moment). I know US IB scene looks favourably to veterans, having heard from a family friend who was a Paratrooper (now P.E. Assoc, former BofA TMT), but I'm not very aware of the ex-military scene in the UK?

Any insights are appreciated.

1 Comments
 

Eum aut vero quidem et enim qui enim similique. Et cum debitis voluptatem repudiandae. Officia voluptatem omnis ea debitis itaque.

Occaecati voluptatem qui aliquid optio facilis sit. Quasi blanditiis facere aperiam veritatis eius non excepturi alias. Alias dolores facere et aut nesciunt. Cum harum cumque molestias minima officia eos sequi.

In eaque sint velit nostrum. Modi voluptatum debitis quis et id.

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.

Career Advancement Opportunities

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Guggenheim Partners 02 97.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 99.0%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 13 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (57) $264
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (28) $184
  • Intern/Summer Associate (16) $161
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (76) $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
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
10
Mimbs's picture
Mimbs
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...”