Investment Banking Full-Time Recruiting - Is it Worth it?

Hey all,

I am an undergraduate student at a "lower" target uni and I missed the cut for SA recruiting. I recently found out about IB and did not have enough time to adequately prepare or network for SA interviews and roles. I am still very interested in pursuing IB full-time and was wondering if anyone could provide insight into the full-time recruiting process and timeline. I really would just like to know what I need to be doing right now (May before Junior year) to ensure I have the best odds of landing a full-time role, despite not having any SA internship experience. Any information or advice about my situation?

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First, find an internship that's remotely connected to investment banking for your junior year summer - this could still be investment banking. 

There are thousands of LMM investment banking shops that you could cold email into, and literally force them into saying yes because you're just that persistent. It doesn't matter if it's a 200 person firm or a 20 person firm or a 2 person firm, if you can have the experience on your resume that simply says "investment banking summer analyst", your full time odds skyrocket. 

If that's not the case, I would then target PE roles, Corporate Advisory/Merger roles, FP&A roles, in that order. Get something that is related to modeling or forces you to think strategically. 

After that, I would then keep that GPA super high and go for broke on networking. Keep the emails short and sweet, and someone from a MM or a BB will probably give you a shot at an interview. Once you're in there, be lights out on technicals and boom, you have a full time offer.  

 

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