I feel like a failure for IB recruiting
I honestly feel depressed right now and like im a failure. i sacrificed so much of my academic, social, and personal time to focus on ib recruiting only to fall short at every opportunity and ultimately get nothing out of all the hours i’ve put in. with all these banks wrapping up their interview processes, i feel like im cooked with no prospects
this thing is, im getting the first rounds and superdays at really good banks, such as centerview, evercore, and goldman. however, im not converting any of my interviews into actual offers. i even got a hr call from goldman telling me my interviewers really liked me and to keep them posted only to get ghosted.
for my first interviews, i honestly flunked the technicals and that was on me. but i studied technicals really hard and for the rest of them i got the techs all right. i try to connect with my interviewers, sometimes it works sometimes it doesn’t. but even in the cases where i feel like i really had a good interview im ghosted. its just so frustrating that im letting all my opportunities slip through my fingers. im improving and learning from each interview, but not getting any results. what can i be doing to maximize my chances? are there even any chances left for me?
for some background on me: i go to a target. i have a sophomore summer job in ib, im leadership in my schools finance clubs, relevant finance internships, and i have a 4.0 GPA. im also diversity. i just feel like i tried so hard and now im basically done with no prospects left and i wasted my entire fall and spring semester away.
i know this is a long, stupid rant that’s probably incoherent because its 2am, but i just feel like shit right now and want to vent it out/would love advice
Hey man. It will be okay. No sunk cost u learned so much
Perhaps a few words from an old head to give you some perspective. You rarely have it when you're 22.
Firstly on why you're crashing out. The best bet is to try and drop the interviewers a note that you think went well and ask for advice. Say something to the point and honest like "Hey, I was disappointed not to progress because I enjoyed meeting you and thought it went ok from my perspective. I'd welcome any feedback you have to improve on my other processes as I'm very determined to work in IB". Most will ignore but you'll find some who will step up.
Secondly- realise that you're shooting for top firms. It's a very competitive process. You may have not done anything wrong but someone was a hairs length ahead of you. Focus on getting a seat at any reputable BB and EB and then you can network and shoot for the top seats. Nobody starts anything day 1 as a world champion.
Thirdly- think culture. Whilst you tick boxes, it may seem your life has been IB recruitment. People hire people. How are you fitting in on culture. Do you like sport? Do you have any actually interesting hobbies. Have you worked on your soft skills so you don't come across as a nervous robot?
Just some thoughts. Continue fighting. Keep your head up. The best bankers I know never had a straight path to the top. Adversity builds a strength you'll never get from going Harvard -> GS TMT -> KKR.
thanks for the advice! im actually 19 years old so still trying to figure this all out haha. once i get the official rejection email, ill send my interviewers a follow-up
i think for me right now, im not worried at all about not breaking into ib because im already going to work at a reputable firm my sophomore summer. perhaps its my arrogance, but i see my friends and peers land offers at places i want to be and im just stuck in this toxic mindset of “why not me? why am i not good enough?”
my parents told me that my first job out of college doesn’t matter and its more about what i do with it that does, which i completely agree with. for me, im just having trouble accepting that my current level is below where i wanted to end up and be at. im beating myself up over the fact i let opportunities at such great firms just slip away.
"Nobody starts anything day 1 as a world champion." Not always 100% true, look at Verstappen, Hamilton, giving insane performance on their day 1
It's tough to hear, but your day will come. If I were you I would just try to maintain that high GPA , continue studying techs, and keep recruiting all the time. I didn't get junior summer BB/EB IB and worked somewhere else. Sent 250+ emails to MDs in August of senior year and that resulted in 5 interviews, 1 worked out. You will get chances and it's all about what what you do when you get that chance. At the bank where it worked out, I emailed every single MD on LinkedIn. every. single. one. And 1 of them got back to me to set up the interview. Absolute worst case scenario you can extend grad date by one semester and re-recruit next year for these top firms.
Is delaying grad by 1 semester to rerecruit actually worth it? I haven’t had much success this cycle and I’m trying to figure out what to do from here
Right now I’m just trying to go for niche buyside stuff since those processes aren’t as standardized so maybe I have a shot
No. Do not change your graduation timeline to recruit for IB
It didn't work out for now, but that doesn't mean it will not change.
You go to a target, have a 4.0, and seem to have internships lined up. It could be a lot worse.
Start networking with all different banks / groups. With those you build rapport with, follow up every few months with a deal you saw their group close or a quick status update of how you are doing. Try to get an internship at a smaller boutique for your junior year.
All of this will set you up for FT recruitment during the end of your junior year summer.
You have a great GPA, target school, leadership in extracurriculars, AND diversity? Something is going wrong in the late-stage interviews, you are likely highly deficient in your social skills. Work on that and keep up those things above. You'll hit it out of the park.
i keep fucking up technicals. like i study so hard, and then they ask me a question that confuses me a bit. i wonder if u have advice on how to solidify my understanding of them, especially since i have some more interviews coming up
Are you studying hard or just trying really hard on memorizing? I would suggest breaking technicals down with chatgpt so you understand why things happen, how does x impact y, etc. When you understand the basic mechanics, it's much easier to succeed when they give you an iteration of a question you memorized.
Did you end up placing
no, but i did manage to get more interviews at bbs lol, so not everything is over
i ended up getting goldman nyc ib lol
update from me: i got goldman nyc ib, so pretty happy lmao. if ur crashing out like i was, its not over till its over
oh man im so glad for you congrats!! i was reading this while also feeling lifeless and like recruiting is not going anywhere but glad to hear it worked out for you!!
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