Hey monkeys,
I'm finishing my freshman year studying industrial engineering at a target (think Cal/Umich/Northwestern). I was wondering how IE is viewed on the street? I'm most interested in investment banking or S&T. I have a good GPA for engineering standards, but I just wanted to hear from people who have maybe studied this or know more about it.
Thanks!
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If you're at Cal or UMich, people will probably wonder why you're not in Haas or Ross. That means, you'll probably have more explaining to do during behavioral. That, however, could be an opportunity to stand out from the crowd. The work you do in Investment Banking is much easier than what you probably have to do as an industrial engineer, so as long as you study the technicals for the interviews, you should be fine. Only thing is the GPA. I don't really know how much HR cares to put each candidate's GPA in the context of their coursework, especially when they don't even collect transcripts in most cases. To recruiters, a 3.8 Haas student will likely seem more appealing than a 3.3 Engineering student.
I go to UMich and know several engineering students with really good banking offers! As long as you have a good GPA and are involved in extracurriculars that show your interest in banking/S&T, you'll be fine.
If you are an engineer (especially at a good school) that is extremely appealing to firms. Yet, you need a solid GPA for banking/consulting jobs. But answering your direct question, you can definitely go from any type of engineering to investment banking...no doubt (just need a good gpa to really emphasize your success in a tough curriculum compared to other students)....In addition, network network network network network! I have many engineering friends who have gotten some solid IB offers and the one thing they all have in common is a strong effort in networking. Lastly, enjoy your classes...industrial engineering is such an awesome major. You will learn so much stuff that will develop your critical thinking skills, concepts that will make you an exceptional optimizer of businesses and systems etc...it’s hard, but have fun with it and do your thing...Good luck, you’ll kill it!
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