Career Progression for Non-Target

Hi All,

I wanted to get some perspective on career progression for a complete non-target. I also want to emphasize non-target as in “middle of nowhere Wyoming state school”. 
 

Life was not easy and my school was best I could afford, I managed to land a mid-tier BB offer in NYC and an UMM PE offer for 2025.
 

However, I am increasingly worried about career progression and the fact I might need to do an MBA
 

i was wondering does this really matter in long-term? I am a top performer, going to a good fund and want to continue doing this without taking a 2 year break.

5 Comments
 

if you are a top perfomer people wont care but a rebrand might be needed if ever pushed out

 

I've asked countless senior non targets this, and it doesn't matter so long as you stay on top. In fact some may look at you even more positively if your winning without the pedigree but the downside is if you get pushed or things turn south for a year or two getting back on the horse can be hard. an MBA is not needed, but if you fall off, it's a good way to jump back on. Good luck and congratulations on the UMM!!!

 

Also, school matters less and less each year. Don't get me wrong it will always have an influence on initial impressions right out of undergrad but the days of being locked out of certain funds because you didn't go to a T20 program and nearly done. I'd rather take the Evercore TAMU kid than a Barclay's Wharton kid, and most of the street would agree with that statement these days. The old guard is rapidly fading away, aka the last holdouts will soon be gone.

 

I'd argue you've reached the point where your career experiences speak much more about your abilities than your university that you applied for when you were 17-18. Obviously, it will still be an uphill battle in terms of initial impressions, picking up girls, and your alumni network that could warrant an MBA, but why is that a bad thing? Play it by ear because you're already doing miles better than 99% of people in general, and 99.9% from your school within this career. 

 

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