Burning Out
Hey guys, I'm a sophomore at HYP recruiting for SA 2025. I applied to maybe 25-30 banks, mostly during early February. Now, of course, I don't expect to get an interview at every bank (I did not network at ~1/2 of them, mostly MMs), but I have gotten literally zero first rounds. I networked pretty extensively at a few BBs and then a bit more mildly at a few MMs and one EB, but it seems like it's just not going to happen for me. I study econ and have a 3.9+ GPA with lots of extracurriculars, including volunteering and leadership. I think the thing holding me back is my total lack of finance experience--no previous internships or clubs (got rejected from school clubs). I do have work experience in unrelated fields though. I get that a lot of the competition have several finance internships under their belt or whatever, but I thought I made a pretty compelling case for myself in my networking calls, which almost always went quite well in my opinion. Anyone else in this boat? Anyone have advice to keep going?
Ah, the classic tale of the high-achiever hitting a snag on the road to Wall Street. First off, let's acknowledge that you're doing a lot right: HYP institution, stellar GPA, and a proactive approach to networking. These are all feathers in your cap, my friend. However, the world of finance, especially the high-octane realms of investment banking, is notoriously competitive. It's a jungle out there, and even the brightest bananas some