Criminal attorney interested in IB

The biggest problem in your situation is that no bank wants to hire someone with 10 years experience for an entry-level position. What banks want is a starry-eyed, fresh out of college analyst who will take all the shit that they serve up. I am not of the expertise to offer any advice as to how you should proceed, so I'll let someone else take over from here.

Why don't you just become a securities or corporate lawyer? That would be your only back door entrance at your age.

See if you can use your Law School Alumni network to find something M&A related and try to segue that into something more substantive in the banking sector

You should really think MBA. It will also give you the finance background that you are lacking. Moreover, you should be open to more career options in finance; IB is very hard to break into from the traditional path, and much harder from an unconventional one. Besides, there are many more finance jobs on Wall Street. And for the non-IB positions, instead of an MBA , consider the CFA designation. The CFA, which you get by passing a test ( there are 3 parts) , is another good way of breaking into Wall Street.

so what kind of high rolling banker embarrassed you in front of your wife over the holidays?

How are the pay and working hours for a corporate lawyer compared to and investment banker?

Walkerr, the hours are about the same. I'm not exactly sure what the difference in pay is, but I've heard that bankers make a lot more and that banker bonuses are a lot higher. I really want to avoid becoming a corporate attorney. I went a crappy law school, so getting one of these jobs in NYC might just as difficult as landing a Wall Street gig.

Hound, I'd like to get an MBA eventually, but I don't wanna go without acquiring some financial experience first. And I wanna be reasonably assured that an MBA I will help me continue advancing. . I don't wanna spend 100- 150 K on a degree won't make a difference. I already spent a fortune on my legal education. Thanks for the suggestion on the CFA. I'll look into that.

Well i don't think so bankers have a lot more then the corporate attorney.Who told this that bankers earn a lot more which an attorney can not? ? ?

So what lead you to wake up and decide to be an IBer?

I would look at financial advisor roles. IB is like trying to bite the backside off a bear. I would get licensed and try to move over to a salaried shop where there is an established book. They like lawyers in fa roles because you can sell that you know a bunch of wealthy lawyers. Start somewhere that you can get your licenses easily like AXA. Then move to a real shop. Think Fidelity Investment Center or Schwab.

You're going to need the MBA. If you can crush the GMAT and have a solid GPA (which I assume you do since you you got into law school) then with your experience you could be a good candidate for a top-ish MBA. The MBA is going to be your only chance honestly (knocking on doors has a less than 1% chance of you actually getting in) because you're shooting for entry level as an experience candidate with no relevant finance experience.

Based on what you've described, there's low chance of banks showing much, if any, interest in you.

Likely the most (if any) would be from the financial crimes team in risk management or perhaps compliance. How attractive you'd be to them will depend on what criminal law you've worked in. If financial crimes, that's a good background. If crimes of sin, passion and violence, that doesn't give you much to work with.

The two most immediate things that come to mind that hold you back:

• 10 (?) years of training in criminal law, which has trained your brain in a particular direction not very well suited to banking. As someone mentioned above, banks want young, malleable brains that are clean sheets, ready to be trained. Reprogramming someone is difficult.

• Your age - being someone in your late 20s giving instructions to a mid-30s junior is uncomfortable. I've seen that first hand with a late-in-life hire who is only in his early 30s. Most people prefer to avoid that.

Neither of these factors are going to change. Even if you can concoct some life affirming, Oprah Winfrey Couch tale of self transformation that make WSO posters all pump their fists and cheer with the determination to BELIEVE IN HOPE and TRIUMPH OF THE WILL over all obstacles, a bank is unlikely to take the gamble.

Third thing that comes to mind - if you've determine this late in life that criminal law is not for you, then you've fucked up. Either you fucked up in checking at the initial stages whether the career was for you, or you fucked up along the way such that you've hit your mid-30s by the time you are looking to bail out.

You may well have a good explanation on why it's not your fault. Like a lot of interviewers, I appreciate the excuse may be valid but I'm not that interested in hearing it. There are plenty of young kids looking for the same job whose scoreboard reads 0 for 0. That looks like a better risk for an IB to take then someone who is 0 for 1 in their mid-30s.

Unless there is some massive potential in your skillset that offsets that uncertainty. From what you've written in your posts, I can't identify any particular selling point.

Private wealth or some other role where you are selling stuff to small scale individuals - maybe. You may have insights into the psychology of people from your criminal law work that could be adapted there. But that's not IB.

EDIT: Some banks to make room for later in life hires for veterans. Those candidates likely fill up any quota for late in life hires who have no other selling points.

Why are you guys who are responding pretending to ignore that he asked this question 5 years ago?