Advices for EU-non target to break in IB in US
Dear Monkeys,
I need your advices, as the title states it. Here’s my story, the story of a really determined, non-target Master in Management student from France, with one ultimate goal : break into MFPE or M&A at an EB in the USA.
Growing up, I had limited access to resources or a network, which meant I had to pave my own way. I didn’t know which career path to follow or what schools to target, but my passion for business and entrepreneurship has always driven me.
In high school, I started by making money reselling sneakers, and later I ventured into the crypto/NFT space. This sparked my initial exposure to entrepreneurship and finance. At the time, I didn’t know about PE or M&A, but I instinctively knew I wanted to be part of the corporate world in the US. Since I had never had the chance to visit the country, I dreamed of the “American Dream”—the idea of working in finance and making significant strides in the business world. When I was younger, I watched films like The Wolf of Wall Street, The Social Network, and The Founder, which further fueled my passion for business and finance, and cultivated even more this American dream. Those movies made me realize the impact that finance and entrepreneurship could have, and they sparked the ambition to one day build something of my own or be part of groundbreaking deals.
It was only when I entered business school that I truly understood how I could combine my passion for entrepreneurship and finance: PE and M&A. Now that I’m aware of this path, I am geographically flexible and open to various opportunities.
I am also considering pursuing an additional MSc to increase my chances of entering an EB/BB right out of business school, something that is currently not possible with my school’s curriculum. I’m also open to doing an MBA later on in USW, but I face the challenge of not having a Green Card.
I’m highly motivated and dedicated to making this transition, and I am looking for advice, tips, or insights on how to break into the industry, especially in the US. Any advice on internships, networking, or potential pathways into MFPE or M&A would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance for your help !
Will take a shot here.
Think the most realistic / lowest risk pathway could look something like:
If you want to try a target MSc in the US perhaps you could also take this path, but the OPT-Green Card pathway is inherently luck based and not sure you want to base your career outcome on that. The lottery aspect of getting the H1B can massively mess up your career path.
Not gonna lie to you, from your position to MFPE in the US is exceptionally unlikely - the 'easiest path being to break into MFPE in London and try to transfer (still extremely difficult). Don't want to discourage you and there are lots of doors open to you if you keep working at it, but do think it's important to have some perspective. Set the highest aspiration and see where you shake out.
First thanks a lot for your answer. Then, if I think about it, I think I would rather go on a lower prestige and do M&A/PE in US rather than doing MFPE or EB in London/Paris. Considering this factor, do you think there is any room for me to move in US ?
Without the US masters I would consider it near impossible (or without first breaking in and doing the hard yards in London / Paris). With the US masters, I would consider it quite difficult but the better the masters you can do over there the higher the chances of you breaking in in the US.
Even with a US degree, getting a relevant internship will be tricky and then there is the whole matter of H1B and green card conversion which is almost completely luck-based. So you might end up building a decent life in the US for 1-2 years only to be told that you must return to Europe with limited realistic path of returning to the US. This is why I say the European option is more downside protected.
Really clear to me. And for an internal transfer to the US, what would be easier, work in Paris offices or London offices ? On the other hand, for a top 10 US MBA admission, would it be better to have experiences in Paris or London ?
Probably London for both questions. But both still possible from Paris.
FWIW, a US top 10 MBA is no longer a solid path to working there without sponsorship but still more likely than other Masters options.
I was in a somewhat similar situation except I came from a target school. Agree with the other comments, and would also add my honest take:
On step 1 - tbh I don't think you're in a position where you can be picky about EB vs. BB (even if you were coming from a target school). Since you're from a non-target, you might also want to consider Jefferies, DC Advisory, etc.
On step 2 - do your due diligence on firms that are international transfer friendly vs. those who aren't. Typically, you'd have to be the top performer of your team to be considered for a US transfer/rotation - have never seen any non-top bucket go.
You need to figure out your story and where your priorities are. US? IB/PE?
Hope it doesn't sound too harsh, but the link between entrepreneurship and IB/MFPE is a bit questionable. Do you know what folks at MFPE do? Your why US story is also very weak. Did you just like what you saw in Hollywood movies, which are hardly the reflection of reality? You need to do some soul-searching otherwise you might end up making a costly choice you'll regret.
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