Future of Non-Target Recruiting

There’s been many discussions about decreased headcount either from COVID-19 or other factors. Will non-target students be recruited less to accommodate decreased headcount? If I’m a non-target is there anything I can do to standout? Should I look into other careers?

19 Comments
 
Controversial

Most kids at Target are going into MBB and FAANG over IB lately so Banks would have to recruit more Non Targets

 

disagree. Banks instead of taking the top 10-20 percent at a target would just lower the bar at a target and take the top 20-30 percent instead.

 

Presumably the main thing is the way of thinking. While yes anyone technically can be taught IB, consulting is a lot more natural given the analytical way of thinking that is prevalent at top tier schools. especially given the variety of majors that people studym

 

it might be a controversial opinion but MBB pretty much offers better overall experience than IB. most people go into IB for PE but you can get into MF PE thru MBB. Their culture, support system, and other benefits are way better than IB. Also MBB provides transition time where they pay you to find job for like 6 months. MBB is fairly harder to get into since they focus a lot on meritocracy thru grades and target schools so it’s not likely that a lot of people can just network their way in.

 
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"Intern in IB-M&A"

it might be a controversial opinion but MBB pretty much offers better overall experience than IB. most people go into IB for PE but you can get into MF PE thru MBB. Their culture, support system, and other benefits are way better than IB. Also MBB provides transition time where they pay you to find job for like 6 months. MBB is fairly harder to get into since they focus a lot on meritocracy thru grades and target schools so it’s not likely that a lot of people can just network their way in.

The culture and overall experience has always been better at MBB vs. IB, but I disagree that people are gravitating more towards consulting vs. banking. I don't think anything has really changed in that arena.

I do agree that to some extent banking is losing out to tech / FAANG, which is a trend that has been taking place the last 10 years, but the trend has been much slower vs. what people had expected and there is a bit less overlap between these candidates as well. If anything, IB at top targets is losing out candidates to direct PE/HF, which have begun to pull from undergrad level for their analyst roles (increasingly). This is only a handful of kids per year, but this would be the "top talent" most likely. Other than that, I think the same profile of student today is going into banking as was going in 10 years back. IB lifestyle / hours suck, but that's no secret, and it has always been the case.

 

very much agree that MBB is a better cultural and support system, but has it been feasible for MBB to go to MF PE? Thought consultant to PE was a very difficult transition if you're not going to a consultant-friendly shop, and that a consultant would be less technically strong than their banking counterparts, so can't imagine MBB -> MF PE available except for the top few consultants

 

No! everyone goes thru the same resume filter and then get passed to their preferred location after round 1.

 

I would say the proportions will remain the same for each bracket. Reductions across the board for all target and non-target students. As long as your application fits the bill, you will be given a shot. The same preference for target will remain, but the amount of target applicants will decrease at the same rate as non target. Target will constitute the majority of incoming classes as per usual and non target will constitute a minority.

 

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