Curious how difficult it is to recruit for FT compared to SA and how it works as I’ve heard many FT positions don’t get posted. Also was wondering about the timeline for FT and what I can do now to help as I just finished SA27 recruiting but have an offer at a bank I’m not super happy with.
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Full-time (FT) recruiting is generally more challenging compared to Summer Analyst (SA) recruiting for several reasons:
Limited Openings: FT recruiting typically has fewer positions available because many banks aim to fill their full-time analyst classes with returning summer interns. This means the pool of open roles is smaller, and competition is higher.
Timeline: FT recruiting often starts quickly after the summer internship season ends, with some processes kicking off as early as late July or August. The timeline can vary by firm, but the process tends to move fast, so being prepared early is crucial.
Target vs. Non-Target Schools: During FT recruiting, the emphasis on target vs. non-target schools tends to matter less compared to SA recruiting. Banks are more focused on finding candidates who can hit the ground running, which means prior experience, networking, and demonstrated skills take precedence.
Networking: Since many FT roles are not publicly posted, networking becomes even more critical. Reaching out to contacts at firms, alumni, or professionals you’ve connected with during your SA recruiting process can help you uncover hidden opportunities.
What You Can Do Now:
By acting quickly and strategically, you can position yourself well for FT recruiting despite the challenges.
Sources: How to Navigate FT Recruiting: Learn from My Successes/Failures, 2019 Investment Banking Full Time Recruiting - Do I Have a Chance?, Difference between FT Recruiting vs SA Recruiting?, 2019 FT Analyst Recruiting Timeline, How hard is full time recruiting with a solid SA beforehand?
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There are so many threads answering your question man, just search it up.
Search “FT” with the quotes and filter by date look for threads w comments or bananas king
“I’m so unhappy with the job that will pay me a 6 figure salary at 22 because the name on the offer letter is unrecognizable by the sorority huzz at my university”
Its a lot harder but doable. EBs have all their seats filled save maybe one or two which go to laterals from equivalent or better banks. BBs is the same. MMs typically have the most seats open and your best bet is to network your junior year summer and try to get an interview in the fall. Postings are just for the 1-2 seats they realized they'll need for a specific team and those come after the big wave of FT recruiting is over. If you interviewed and got rejected from a place for SA, dont bother reaching out to that bank for FT. Good luck
why would you say if you got interviewed for SA and got rejected that it ruins your chances for FT?
If they did not like you then, they probably wont like you now. Generally speaking, if someone is skilled enough for IB and lands an offer elsewhere, they probably did not land an offer at that specific firm due to fit. After all, that is all banks really care about once you get past the technical threshold (which is the bare minimum).
What do you specifically mean by fit though? Is it just based on your classic behaviorals, tell me about a time, and if you’re enthusiastic, etc?
could be, it is completely different for every group. There is zero specific answer, you just might mesh well with some people and not so much with others. Some people have a talent for meshing with anyone, some people are socially stunted, it is just life.
I would just approach it like this, if your interviewing for an industrials team in NYC that has primarily East coast WASPy kids and your a "nerd" from SF who is ethnic, your probably not going to fit in well. Is that unfortunate and maybe annoying? Sure, but that is the cold-hard truth and whether they tell you that or not, it is factored in.
So you’re saying that one can sound very competent, be very polished, know the industry well, and still not proceed just because of fit? What if the interviewer just seems burnt out and not the most personable - how do you try and connect with the interviewer or still seem likable when they look miserable/not even interested?
Unfortunately, yes that is the case. That is why many people shoot for many different teams and hopefully have 2-4 super days during recruitment. I think generally, interviewers want you to do well and succeed. Rarely is an interviewer going to have an awful attitude for no reason. I would be cautious to try and look for small reasons like that as to why you didn’t place, and instead just think of ways you can improve.
Of course there is nuance, you may just not mesh well with the team and chalk it up too that and move on. However, if you had 4 superdays and didn’t convert a single one, it may be a little more then just a fit problem.
LMAO. You are not an AN1 I swear to god. What percentage of the superday interviewers do you think represents the whole team / banks' culture? Senior culture differs from juniors, and culture varies widely even within the same bank. Even in a same coverage group, culture can vary. Please stop giving false advice; no, I'm not at intern if you might wonder.
Unsure what your point is? If you re read my statement, I literally said that if you are not converting multiple superdays I would be cautious on pinning that as “culture fits”. Not landing 1-2/4 roles that you interview well on can be due to fit, who do you think selects the candidates? That means I’m insinuating that not landing a specific role could be due to fit but largely that is not always the case and to look deeper if it’s a constant theme. Maybe improve your reading comprehension.
Additionally, I’ve been apart of my banks interview process, have you?
Yea I had 4 superdays and wasn’t able to recruit for SA27. Besides fit, and knowing techs well and behaviorals, what other factors could be the case? A lot of my interviews were good (answered all techs right and behaviorals well) and couldn’t get the offer or proceed to the second round. Fyi, I’m not the guy hating on you - you have great advice so i’d love to hear more. Thanks!
I mean it could be just really bad luck, but that is exceedingly rare. If you truly feel like you interview well, I would just keep pushing. Not everyone's paths are linear.
That being said, Investment banking is a client facing industry so they are going to judge you on multiple things (that you can control) like being well groomed, having a suit that fits at least decently (does not have to be tailored), having a decent haircut, eye contact, etc. The little things matter a lot more after you come to the conclusion that the technicals do not really matter when it comes to decision making due to the fact that multiple people at your super day will get all the technicals right.
I dont know you personally so it is hard to give tailored advice but it sounds like you are doing all the right things and not converting which leads me to believe it has to do with the little things. Practice confidence, learn how to speak to people older then you, etc. Sorry to hear that though man, just keep pushing. If you really want to be banker, you can claw your way in. It is just a numbers game.
Dont bother reaching out to that same bank after getting rejected for SA? Definitely untrue.
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