Graduating in December, Asked to Start Early - need Advice
In a fortunate position during my SA where my staffer has asked me if I have considered starting earlier for FT during my mid-summer review (sometime in Feb or March). In a top group at a BB (GS/MS) who regularly sends to MF PE but I'm from a semi-target with a lower GPA, so worried about on-cycle for MF PE.
1. Would starting early help me with on-cycle recruiting?
2. Would I have to miss training or have to come back from training to work with my deal teams?
3. Kinda irrelevant but would I be compensated for the extra few months in my bonus?
Would love to know what thoughts you guys have or anything that I missed. Thanks!
It will definitely help with on cycle. If oncycle is in the fall (which it likely will be), you’ll have way more deal experience than anyone else in your class. Very few people will have closed a deal between starting in august and recruiting by the fall, whereas you’d have 6 months of real work experience to talk about in interviews. You’ll also have more technical skills and more time to prep
Do you think it's worth starting earlier? Was advised to take this time off and travel/chill before starting FT
1. Yes, having more experience will 100% help with on-cycle... but even with that, MF PE is not super likely if you have a low GPA (depends how low, but if 3.5 I would not put all your eggs in the MF PE basket as that would be a very rare scenario to land MF unless you have some other "hook" like D1 football player or something that will make people grab your resume)
2. Bank dependent but in the past have seen people get rolled off their projects to attend training. You may have to take your series exams while you're starting early though, which does kind of suck. would verify with your team, maybe get in writing that you are allowed to go to training as it's important to you.
3. If your bonus is August, you'll get a stub bonus (used to be $25k). If you're a December bonus, you'll get a ~10 month prorated bonus while your class gets stub bonuses
1. GPA is 3.6
2. Will think about it and see if I can get something on paper stating I can attend training with my class.
Do you think that the advantage of deal experience is better than traveling and chilling for a couple of months?
3.6 isn't that bad, I was expecting like 3.2. Don't worry too much
Deals will definitely help you for on-cycle, but I'm generally in the camp of enjoy the free time if you have it / don't need the money ASAP. If MF is the most important thing in the world to you, start early. If you'd like MF but would be happy with UMM or MM as well, enjoy your summer and get some once in a lifetime travel experiences
FWIW, the handful of people I have seen start early haven't really done any better in on cycle... don't have any real reason for why that is, but just something I've noticed. It's not like start early = you will absolutely be at the top of every fund's list bc you have a bit more experience
What if you were to lateral after a year before deciding on on-cycle recruiting? still start early?
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