Can a European break in??
I'm a Spanish Economics student (from a non-target uni ofc) that is going to study in University of California his last year of undergrad (will choose between Berkeley, UCLA or UCSD). My questions are two, simple and clear:
-How hard is it for me to break in the US Finance Industry ?(HF,IB,PE), getting an internship or a job at the end of the course?
-Shall i do or push a different strategy given that i have a different profile with the cons and pros implied? (speak Spanish and French for example)
Need all the monkey help a wannabe-monkey can get!!!
Hahha no way im also a spanish undergrad international in the UC system. It worked out for me, ill be in a BB this summer as an SA so I think you should be chill. PM me if you want
I think you're in a different spot having actually attended UC and graduating from a US school. It sounds like OP is just studying abroad and won't have a US work visa
Oh you are right - I started at my UC as a Freshman. But we can work with study abroad, at least being in the US can make OP very competitive for the Spanish market. Especially if you are at Berkeley.
Yoo thanks for replying and glad it worked great for you! How can i PM you tho? (idk how it works with your user being Anonymous)
Como podemos hacer para hablar? Ya que te pediría consejo sobre alguna duda.
Muchas gracias por ayudar a un compatriota español!!
Si claro. Te mando yo mensaje y si quieres te paso mi numero y hablamos x allí???
Is this a study abroad program or are you graduating from UC? If you are just doing an exchange program, you are not eligible for the automatic visa you get for going to school in the US.
Without this visa, the H1B odds are like 30% or something super low, so no one will hire you when you would very likely be rejected for a visa. It'd be different if you were actually a student/graduating from the UC as you would have an automatic visa after graduation.
I would try to land a job in the EU where you don't have visa issues - ideally at a BB and you can easily transfer after a few years.
It's an exchange program for the last year, so yeah i have it rough for the working visa, but is there any way or chance that i can get an internship? (via applying, Investing Clubs internships...)
The thing is that EU is a shithole when it comes to IB compared to the US honestly. At least that's what it is like in Spain.
You have to have legal work papers to be an intern unfortunately - it's the same as FT in that way. I'm pretty sure the F-1 visa explicitly prohibits working if you're only in the US for a year
You'd qualify for the J1 visa if your main course is not within the US. Unless, you are on the J1 already?
I will get the papers for the J1 done next month probably. What can i actually do with the J1? I know some students that worked on internships in the US in the same situation as mine, also one or two that stayed working there.
Honestly, the US system is much more structured than any European one. Specially the Spanish
The US is quite strict on the path to break in. Target school, GPA, spring week (maybe), SA, FT. It is quite hard statistically speaking to diverge from it
In the Spanish system you enter mostly through offcycles, whose main requirement is relevant experience. As such, you will see kids from complete non targets and meh grades break in eventually (the age factor is quite shocking, I have seen interns in their late 20s-early 30s).
Given how you are on a study abroad, it will be as impossible as it can get due to immigration requirements. Only a US student on an F1 who is getting a STEM program has a decent position as they get 3 years to try for an H1B.
As such, I recommend you use this time to prepare a “plan” so you can be competitive for an offcycle when you graduate.
Source: spanish myself who has worked in both the US/Spain
Thanks for replying man! When you say an off-cycle, you mean in Europe/Spain right? Also could i PM you in case i have any doubt? Thanks for helping a fellow spaniard!
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