Going straight from Undergrad to MBA to Post-MBA associate role?
I had previously thought that it was not very beneficial to do MBA straight out of undergrad as you likely start at the entry level role, but I saw some Linkedin profiles recently where a person starts at post-mba associate role at a major BB like GS or BAML. That means they are effectively ahead of other MBA career switchers (IB to PE aside) and on the same track as A2A promotes without having gone through the grueling 2 yr program. Is this normal or are these one-off occurrences that were likely gotten through family connections?
probs back office
No they were IB associates for sure. One left after a year to PE.
Someone I know went straight to an M7 MBA after H/Y/P and exited into a post-MBA associate role. He was an absolute superstar, however. He had glowing recommendations from well known professors and he had a stellar GPA. So be prepared for an uphill battle in this situation.
First off, it pretty hard to get into a top MBA program if you’re coming straight from undergrad. Most business school admits have an average of 5 or so years of work experience. Schools generally look at how much of a value add you will be to other students when you work in teams and if you’re straight out of school, not much insight you can give based on professional experience. You could have had internships but it’s still different. There are some cases of people making the jump, maybe if you are an entrepreneur or helped run your family business or are doing a dual degree MD/MBA, JD/MBA, etc.
I get that you're trying to hack into IB, but take a look at the profile of any Top 10 MBA candidate.
At minimum, 2 years of work experience, but more likely 4+ years
Glowing recommendations from previous FT supervisors, not professors
Sure you may have the 1 or 2 absolute incredible students who come straight from undergrad, but I can assure you that is extremely rare and they are not IB candidates, they are more likely than not going to be pursuing an entrepreneurial or tech path. Even programs such as the https://www.hbs.edu/mba/admissions/application-process/Pages/student-ap…</a">Harvard 2+2 program are so difficult to get into as an undergrad applicant and they require you to work for at least 2 years to be a viable MBA candidate.
Have you looked at postings for Post-MBA IB Associate? They require at minimum 2 years of FT experience. Even during recruiting, banks are looking for any excuse to cut candidates. If you literally had no full time experience why would any bank move you forward (unless you had some incredibly powerful personal connection to the firm) when they have TONS of overqualified candidates to choose from?
Not sure how many of those linkedin profiles you saw, but I would guess there is something you're missing in terms of their story.
Keep working hard and you can get that A2A promote if that's what you're after.
Good luck!
Est molestiae ad consequuntur aut dolor esse laboriosam. Possimus facilis aut facilis harum earum. Unde nemo dolor vel.
Quia id voluptas minus repudiandae qui occaecati at. Labore occaecati excepturi neque et aliquid numquam. Et sed molestias magnam voluptates in. Dolorem qui et ut amet consequuntur ullam numquam aliquid. Non sit doloribus sed dolor quod quam.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...