I don't think I'm going to get an Internship
Hey yall,
I hate to be writing this, but stress of not getting an internship is getting to me. For context, I'm a rising junior at an extreme non target. Before I started applying back in February, I self-selected myself out of the BB's like DB,JPM, Citi, and a lot of the boutiques firms, all my apps have been to MM and LMM like Stifel, RJ, Truist, M&T. I've also applied to a lot of the middle office roles as opposed to the FO roles. I've applied to about 90 different firms, and even ISDA(Didn't know they had internships before I googled them lol) and not a single interview.
I'm starting to think that I'm not going to get an internship at any bank and I really don't know what to do. I'm in the middle of transferring to a better school for placement purposes but even then it's not a target like Stern. I really don't want to graduate knowing I don't have a job or any experience in the finance world because honestly sometimes I can't sleep at night.
I would appreciate any career guidance. I'm in no position to go into the unknown not knowing.
Ya u probably right
Honestly every time my family talks to me about internships and if i recieved any emails or interviews I have to convice myself that's it's still a rational path for me to take and it gets harder every time.
You should consider working at a corporate(or really anything) for a few years then go do an MBA and become a post-MBA associate. The market is tough
I'm honestly terrified of FT recruiting. I actually also applied to a couple Corp Fin roles and haven't heard back from them as well. The MBA route seem the most logical but I have no way to pay M7 tuition without taking on six figure debt and even then it's still another networking game when it comes to MBA roles. Graduating without an internship during my undergrad makes me feel hopless. I've read all the posts on this site about guys coming into IB or a Front Office role from an extreme non target and it does make feel hopeful, but a lot of them were back before Covid and it just seems like the game has gotten even harder.
I guess I get scared at night when it comes to my future.
I guess—if you have high conviction—the MBA should pay for itself assuming you get an IB job, plus you can save up money in the interim to ease the burden of loans a little bit. The networking game should be a heck of a lot easier from an M7, or even T15, MBA than from an extreme non-target. Have you considered why you are scared of FT recruiting?
Have you considered taking a break? Maybe just a couple weeks not actively applying and doing something else? I get that IB recruiting is ridiculously early and accelerated, but if you remove yourself from this career path for a moment, you still have 2 years left in college. There is plenty time for you to get an internship or job. Just take some time for your sanity. That is totally reasonable.
After a few weeks, think about 1) if you really need to do IB. 2) if so, why your recruiting efforts have been ineffective. Talk to friends who have done it successfully and compare notes. If you have no internship for the summer, spend your time creating stock pitches and deal case studies to demonstrate your interest. Network with people work in the industry.
While it may feel like it, but missing a IB recruiting cycle is not going to ruin your career, just as catching one is not going to set you on a path to financial glory.
I honestly feel like I can't take a break. Every time I shut my laptop off I feel like I'm missing out. It's to the point where I literally wake up at 2 or 3 am when my email on my phone goes off. The first two years of college have flown by me in a blink of an eye and I already feel behind.
1. I've done a lot of self reflecting during this process and I still feel like IB is a good career for me. I have nightmares where I don't have a job and it terrifies me to be a dissapointment. 2. None of my friends have interest in IB or the finance world. Truthfully, none of them even know what IB is.
It's been hammered into my brain that life gets progressively harder the older I get so not getting an internship is crushing me and the way things are going it's only going to get more difficult for me.
This whole thing makes me cringe why do you have a massive inferiority complex?
Advice wise no where in your post do you mention networking which as a fellow non target who broke in is the ONLY way we get jobs in this industry.
I forgot to include it in my original post. I've done my fair share of cold emailing and LinkedIn messages. I've had coffee chats with people from Analysts to VP's and all the advice is the same at the end: keep applying, so I keep at it. My first coffee chat was with a VP at a BB and her advice was to not apply to BB's because they wouldn't look my resume. With no previous internships or finance experience on my resume, yeah I kinda feel inferior when it comes to applications. I think I'm a lot more cyncial. I gave myself a 1 percent chance to get an internship when I started applying.
You don’t network for advice you network to get bankers to like you and stick your neck out for you.
You certainly don’t listen to bankers who tell you to not apply for the largest banks. Most bankers are stupid (including myself) if we were smarter we would be doing something cooler. That VP has not recruited for 10 years they have no clue what it’s like to be a student right now even if they are running their recruitment process.
Stop wallowing in your pity it’s gross lock in
I went to a state school, extreme non-target for IB/Consulting. Worked for a large corporation for 6-12 months and got my MSF at a semi target and now going into FO/MO IB despite the current market and zero connections within the industry and the MM bank I’m heading to.
The inferiority complex will hold you back, especially if you automatically disqualify yourself out. If I was you, I’d get a corporate job at a F100 company in FP&A or Corporate, and get into a T-15/20 MBA program after a few years. High GMAT/GRE would allow you to be more competitive to the point you may be able to receive aid. Just my 2 cents
Some just can't make it, there's a reason the whole thing is competitive. Super non target breaking in isn't the norm it's the exception.
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