Job Search Help- Sophomore/Rising Junior at a Target

Hey guys, I am a rising junior student athlete with a 3.24 GPA at a top target university (HYP). I know my GPA is low, but it is really bc my freshman year (1st semester, especially) was poor and I am bringing it back up. I want to work in finance preferably PE or HF, but would be willing/accepting to go the IB route. However, I am having an extremely hard time finding work this summer.

Last summer after my freshman year, I worked at an accredited fixed income asset management firm in Los Angeles. Yet, banks are not responding to my applications nor giving me any time of day for an opportunity this summer. What should I do? How can I make myself stand out?

Any help is appreciated. Thanks

7 Comments
 

If this is your 2nd year out of 4 at college, you are a SOPHOMORE. Not rising junior, not incoming junior, not incoming investment banker, not incoming BSD.

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Alright I’ll give a shot instead of giving you shit. Here’s my honest advice: 1) you may be at a top target but respect how difficult it is to break into this industry and how hard other non-target kids are working. Saying that you’re willing to settle for IB is not the right attitude to have going into the recruiting process. Be appreciative of any and all opportunities because at this point you don’t have your foot in the door. 2) Start networking your ass off. You have the benefit of going to a top school so fully take advantage of that. A lack of responses is usually because you don’t have people on the inside going to bat for you. 3) tying back to my first point, be humble about your situation and realize that because of your GPA you’re going to have to impress people with experience. You may have to take a more modest job this summer and possibly think about getting a fall or spring internship if you want to compensate for grades. At the end of the day you have to understand where the strength of your application is and really highlight that aspect of it.

Best of luck, hope you break in!

 

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