Differences between target and non-target recruiting?

Over the past couple months, I've been checking out some posts on this forum and reading websites like M&I that talk about the importance of referrals for getting interviews for IBD SA. My school is a strong target for IB, and after talking to some upperclassmen here, a lot of them have said that there is no real referral system and I should focus on talking to people on our campus recruiting team and get them to like me. They also said referrals usually only apply to banks where our school doesn't have much of a presence and isn't necessarily a target, and analysts/associates would be able to refer you to get an interview.

With that said, I was wondering if anyone could shed some more light into this and clarify what some of the differences are between recruiting at target schools and non-target schools? I'm still a little confused about the campus recruiting team aspect

9 Comments
 

if a firm comes to your campus then you should heavily talk to the OCR team.  They will have a lot of say and "usually" are the same team every year. However networking is always good to do.  As you may not be able to get a referral, but if you are interviewing with someone that you have talked to before that can make a big difference in your ability to get an offer.  

As, the IB scene gets more competitive the more you network the better off you are. To answer your question though,  Non-targets typically don't have OCR and need to network harder to overcome this. On top of that,  Non- targets will typically have fewer alumni in prevalent roles and need to "get lucky" to connect with someone.   

 

I come from a non-target in the West Coast and did no networking to get my superday at a BB for 2021 SA. I killed the Hirevue and had a strong resume to get past everything. It seems that some banks, especially BB, are shifting away from the traditional target/non-target.

Array
 

If I may ask, what school is this ? I go to CSULB so I’m wondering how much of a non-target your school is compared to mine lmao

 

Accusamus perferendis fugiat et est. Ratione tenetur consectetur eos facilis.

Odit blanditiis impedit quibusdam numquam ducimus omnis nobis quis. Sequi numquam eius et animi iure officiis tempora. Quasi nulla laborum repellat possimus sed assumenda. Quo sit quidem earum et aut ullam sint. Et doloribus et quos ipsam. At quae cum recusandae maxime voluptatem pariatur aperiam nam. Illo a voluptas et culpa commodi tempore.

Qui saepe cum quaerat reprehenderit qui. Iure ea reprehenderit fugiat dolore dolores pariatur rerum. Dolorem quam iure totam esse quibusdam. Perspiciatis rerum earum doloribus laborum.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.2%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.2%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.6%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.2%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (43) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (75) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (66) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
10
numi's picture
numi
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”