How do you get recruiters to realize...

...what your age is?

Since you can't mention your age in your resume or cover letter or whatever...how do you get recruiters to realize that you aren't too old for an analyst role? What are others ways of accomplishing this?

The thing is, I'm going for a Master's in Finance to break into FO finance pre-mba, i.e., into entry-level analyst programs (or if not formal programs, entry-level roles nonetheless). But my resume shows I have 1.5 years of post-undergrad experience (most recently as a corporate banking intern), and I graduated from undergrad in 2008. And yet I had just turned 21 when I graduated...I'll be 23 when I apply and interview, and just about 24 when I start my job. Looking at my resume though, recruiters will probably think I'm at least 25 if not more. How do I get them to realize I'm not too old...?

Any ideas?

23 Comments
 

Others can chime in if they disagree, but it wasn't much of an issue when I was recruiting for FT analysts. A year or two isn't a big deal (since many people are 22 by the time they graduate). The best analysts my group had started as first year analysts at either age 24 or 25.

Now if you looked like you were 40, it might be a discussion point...

 
Best Response

@kjl ... i look more like 17 actually haha. my resume, though, looks speaks of a 24 year old at present (22 at grad + 2 years working)...

@ Want and Drexel ... that's good to hear. However, I'll just be 24, and the difference between that a 25, almost 26 year old is 2 years, a significant amount of time. But it is reassuring to know that the differences are not totally material.

@Risk ... I thought they'd trash your resume if they saw your age or DOB on it...

Other people: is it common for people 24 (or 25) years of age to enter into ibanking analyst programs? Are people such age (well-)represented in your analyst programs 1st year? Is there a difference between IBD and S&T programs in this regard? I've heard - although from dubious sources - that it is more of an issue in S&T.

 

under 25 is no big deal... a lot of people I know graduated one year late and took a year off in between school and work putting them in that age range

 

Lol believe it or not but "The Track" as defined by Leveraged Sellout (Ivy League school, then IB after graduation, then Private Equity/Hedge Fund, then ascension into Godhood) isn't necessarily how things work in real life.

Lots of equity research analysts come from the industry being analyzed, for instance, ex: semiconductor analysts sometimes came from finance positions at Intel instead of just fresh out of undergrad/MBA.

 

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