GMAT score for IB Associate Recruiting
Is there a minimum gmat necessary to be competitive in IB summer associate recruiting?
I got a 710, and will be attending a top 15 MBA program in the fall. I just want to know if I should worry about retaking it for recruiting purposes.
Thanks!
700+ fine, very few will hold it against you, and honestly you wouldn't want to work for those that do care.
Here is what I care about when recruiting Summer Associate candidates (in the middle of it now):
Story - why MBA, why banking, why this bank, why location, etc. Have a rock solid rationale and prove that you have thought this decision through in detail, and weighed it intelligently against other options. What we as a bank are trying to screen out are candidates who do a summer internship in banking and then decide it's not for them. We do not hire any Summer Associates that we could not see in theory potentially being an MD at our bank.
Attitude - is this person a good cultural fit, would I want him/her in a boardroom / airplane / working at 2 AM. Does this person respect Analysts / peers / superiors? If they are challenged or put in a tough spot would they persevere and have a positive attitude, or would they become miserable / dejected / aggressive? + the classic Presidential "would I want to have a beer with this person?"
throw in the "Interests" section of the resume right about here
[gap]
[big gap]
High GMAT and GPA definitely reflect positively, they just don't make up for the factors above. You might scan a resume and go "high GMAT, sharp person, good experience, they can learn this job, let's see if they're a good fit." I recruited with a 760 GMAT (49 Q /48 V) but it probably helped more in MBA applications and to get $$$ scholarships than in banking recruiting.
Also cynically it's part of the whole application and box that people put you in. If you're a quiet nerdy person with a perfect score then it might play into the stereotype and be expected. Conversely, if you were a D1 college athlete or military and got a 750 GMAT then someone might say "oh, so they're like a good team player with intellectual horsepower." I was Big 4 TAS so the GMAT probably made no appreciable impact compared to my work experience, people assumed I was an accounting person going in so the uphill battle was more social and fit.
There are a couple of breakpoints that you need to hit in banking recruiting:
Getting on a firm's radar - based on your school + resume
Getting access to informational interviews - based on your networking hustle + resume
[intermediary coffee chats, special events, etc. based on your hustle]
Getting on 1st round interview list - based on above networking + resume if it's too good to pass up
Getting a superday invite - absolutely nothing to do with your resume; based on 1st round performance but also a large factor is how much people like you going into the interview
Getting a Summer offer - absolutely nothing to do with your resume; based on superday performance