IB - Target School
I'm graduating from a target school in tri-state area this May - Princeton/Columbia/Upenn. I accepted an offer from a bank for a rotating MO role with the possibility of rotating on a desk that helps FO s&t teams. I have no good internship experience and saw this as a foot in the door at a good firm. I obviously want to transition to a FO role - DCM, s&t, coverage - especially since I know I'm more than capable of performing as an analyst in FO. My plan is to get SIE and do financial edge training before starting this summer. Thereafter, study for GMAT and kill it so I have MBA option as a contingency, ceteris paribus. Then start working on CFA and learning python. I'm thinking to start networking at about 6 month mark of work, do a year and either lateral to FO internally and if I don't get a spot at a desk, I'll use my network as a hedge and leverage connections to get FO role at another firm. I'd love to get thoughts from others. I know MO to FO isn't easy, but I have things that work in my favor - target school STEM major, speak 4 languages, have traveled to over 25 countries, but got in the game late. I know I belong in front office and I know I'm going to work and get shit done. Any advice would be appreciated..
The below answer is only about IB - S&T lateral is a completely different process/career path. It will likely be an easier lateral given where you sit now, getting into IB from a markets MO role is going to be somewhat tricky since none of the work/skillset transfers to IB.
SIE, CFA, and Python will NOT help you in IB. Yes you will need to take the SIE eventually, but banks don't care at all if you have it already. The other two are completely irrelevant for IB and very large time sucks. Speaking 4 languages/traveling to 25 countries also doesn't really help you... maybe if the languages are Spanish/Portugese and you are trying to be in LatAm group... but your typical coverage group will not care. Networking is king in IB.
You can definitely try lateraling internally but that is a delicate process, have to network internally in a careful way that won't upset your manager, and you need to wait until 1 year as you mentioned. I would think some banks would be interested in you around 1 year, although it may be stepping back a year and entering as an analyst 1 given lack of relevant experience.
GMAT/MBA is always nice to have in your pocket (score lasts 5 years) but don't go to MBA too soon as you will need 3-5 years of pre-MBA work experience for IB to be interested on the other side. I also think you're not that far from FO and MBA would be a very very expensive way to get there.
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