Military to IB
Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen,
I have been reading along for any information, or guidance I could find in regards to how to transition from active duty military to IB. I believe I will be able to accomplish my masters in Business while active and will be complete in 3 years. I've had the goal of IB for many years and I believe my best opportunity will come after my masters. Does anyone have any specific guidance or POCs that I should pursue?
The need for an MBA to pivot into banking isn’t so much the credential as it is the access to structured recruiting processes. If you’re opting to get your MBA with the intention to pivot into IB, make sure you’re going to a school that recruits into IB and allows part-time students to utilize the on-campus recruiting programs (not all do).
I will have to utilize a night school since I am still active but I do believe that I will be able to complete my masters in a timely manner. Are you saying that a master's is not worth pursuing for IB?
I would pursue an MBA after you get out. How much time do you have left on your contract?
Edit: a random MBA is not worth pursuing. An MBA from Wharton, Harvard, Stanford, etc. is
Will add here that if the goal is to get into IB then Wharton, Booth, CBS, Stern are all worthwhile too as they send a lot of people into IB each year. Increasingly Darden and Cornell too.
A good in-between option that more people are doing is an MS in Finance. It’s a cheaper 1-year program (easier to get into than MBA/UG Business Program too) that basically gives you a chance to access a full-year of on campus recruiting at a good feeder school. It’s meant for people with little to no work experience.
I’m saying that the masters alone won’t get you the opportunity. Banks recruit directly from schools, it is an entire process and not just an application.
Exactly 3 year today.
Thank you everyone for the information so far. It is appreciated.
Also keep in mind many banks have programs for vets to transition straight to the private sector without first going to b-school. Goldman’s Veteran Integration Program for example. These usually start as a rotational internship for a few months across a few functions, with the chance to convert to a full-time position at the end.
I’ve spoke with a few in IB who went this route. I can’t speak to how much control you have over which business function you end up in—maybe if you reach out to some guys on LinkedIn, they could give you that color.
This would probably be the best route without b-school (or even if you do a part-time MBA). I agree with the above posts though: if you go for an MBA, much better to go to a top, full-time program with established recruiting pipelines. This seems to be the much more traditional route for active duty military transitioning.
Not really relevant but as a non-US veteran, IB is pretty good at giving you adrenaline rushes you may have felt in the military. In that sense, it is pretty good. Just the work is a bit of a grind, but like most things in the military, there is alot of waiting and grinding at a single task. Just sayin' there is reason why there is alot of veterans in IB.
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