IB in SG/HK for a 23 year old

Hi all,

Long story short - i'm currently working at a boutique IB in HK and it's not quite what I hope for it to be(less than a year). Still effortlessly trying to break into a BB in HK/SG and finding it incredibly tough.

I'm 23 years old, graduated with an accounting & finance degree from a semi-target in UK (UCL/Warwick/Imperial - not LSE).

Starting to come to the realisation I need to get bigger names on my CV to be eligible for analyst programs still.

What do you suggest I do? Stick it out and try and lateral my way? Or would I have a much better chance in doing a masters(not necessarily MBA eg. Msc/Mphil @ Oxbridge/LBS/Insead sorta thing).

Cheers monkeys x

3 Comments
 

I know that feel bro. I went to what most would consider a UK target - Imperial - but wasn't able to secure anything for 2 summers straight. Currently working in a boutique AM firm to try to break in. The BBs in HK and SG tend to love US targets (Harvard, Yale, MIT, Stanford etc.) a lot more than even LSE/Oxbridge, so its making it really difficult to break in.. maybe you should consider postgrad in the US to "rebrand" yourself?

I've heard that networking works too, but in HK and SG, your connection must be with someone really high up (like an MD)

 

Sit suscipit sequi iure harum dolorum. Quis suscipit facere magnam est rerum. Voluptas laudantium velit iusto reprehenderit consequatur. Aliquid sunt esse occaecati ea optio autem neque exercitationem. Sunt incidunt iusto ipsam expedita et dolores ex velit. Libero rerum eum optio omnis perspiciatis.

Ea corporis inventore maiores aut quod aut vel qui. Quo sit ut et amet ut. Soluta saepe quidem soluta aliquid cupiditate nisi voluptatem.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.3%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.7%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.3%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (44) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (78) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (72) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
6
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
10
Mimbs's picture
Mimbs
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”