Career Path - My plan
My Situation:
--2.5 years of school left --University of Florida --Will graduate with Bachelors and Masters in Accounting --Currently 4.00 GPA and don't expect to deviate much --710 GMAT --Manage a total budget of $1 million+ as Treasurer for two organizations
My Plan:
--Get CPA and work as an auditor at one of the Big 4, preferably on financial service companies --Work for 5 years at the firm, at which time I will be 27 and a manager --Go back to school to get an MBA, preferably at a top 10 school --Work as an associate at an IB
I understand the competitiveness of IB as well as the stress that the profession is under; therefore, I think working as an auditor at a Big 4 firm will allow me to buy time and improve my chances at landing an IB position through an MBA program. The University of Florida is a solid state school, but it is not a target and is difficult to get placed on Wall Street during these times. I think by going back to get an MBA from a top school I will greatly increase my chances of breaking onto Wall Street.
Comment on the feasibility of my plan and/or if you know anyone that has taken such a track, or something similar. I appreciate any advice I can get.
It's a little too early to be planning now. I had no clue what I wanted to do when I was in the middle of my sophomore year. A lot of things will change over the next year-and-a-half, especially after that first REAL summer internship. And I wouldn't rule out getting into IB right out of undergrad - Florida may be a non-target, but it's a huge school and I am sure you'll be able to find some alums in just about every bank - network with them and you have a shot. Who knows where the economy will be in the fall of your senior year (FT recruiting time). For all we know, it could be in turnaround mode and banks could be scrambling to hire anyone and everyone to make up for the dramatic cutbacks in hiring for this class and next year's class.
As long as you keep a 4.00 at state, you'll be good. You have an impressive GMAT which shows your intelligence, and I'm sure banks will like the fact that with a 4.0 and 710 GMAT, it's likely you'll be able to go M7 with relative ease.
If you're interested in getting into IB faster then my suggestion is to do a masters in finance at one of the top schools, that way you get access to their recruiting etc. UF is a decent school, and if you want to network with some alumni then let me know.
You have great marks and UF is huge, the other posters are right that you should be able to start reaching out to alumni and making connections. Right ow you should be worried about getting a good internship for this summer that will set you up well for SA recruiting next year. As was said, it'll be your first real workplace experience and you'll learn a lot, not to mention how important having something like that is on your resume. I'm sure there are some regional boutiques in Florida that have quite a few gators working there, getting a gig at one of those shouldn't be impossible. That would probably be best, as it'd show BBs you're committed and capable, and give you some idea if you actually care for IBD before you devote 7 years to getting in to it. If you can't land that, there are plenty of other opportunities open as most internships have barely started recruiting yet. Land an internship for now and focus on beginning a contact list of alumni and making a few calls.
Also, bear in mind your GMAT will no longer be valid in 7 years, though I doubt that will be a major problem. But I do think you're setting your sights too low for the moment, you should have a serious shot at IBD out of undergrad.
I would skip the MAcc, and like a friend mentioned above, do the MSF program. If you are driven and motivated you will land a job in IB. The MSF program is very solid in preparation for the work you will actually be doing. Valuable classes you don't get at the undergrad level. There are many Gator alumni who are very willing to help alumni out, the culture is amazing. If you are serious about IB, send me a PM and seriously consider the MSF program. If i had to do it all over again, I too would do accounting undergrad (we aren't allowed to double major in both here) and follow that up with the MSF.
florida is not a "solid" state school. A "solid" state school is one like Berkeley, Michigan or UVA
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