Military Veteran interested in working as an IB analyst. Will my age count against me?
Hello,
I was recently accepted into Brown University for Undergrad. I spent 10 years in the military as an enlisted service member, and I am interested in working in the banking world. A little bit about myself, I will be over 30 years old by the time I graduate from Brown. I know working as a 30 y/o IB analyst would be rare, but I am used to working for people younger than me in the military (i.e. junior officers). I am also married, and my wife works a fully remote job.
I do have an itch to pursue an MBA after getting experience in IB later on, but I am unsure if this is a necessary or recommended course of action for people who gain experience as an analyst.
Please, let me know your thoughts. I know Gold Sachs does offer a SA for military vets that I could take advantage of while in undergrad. I am looking at majoring in either CS/Econ or Applied Math/Econ at Brown, FYI.
Brother is a navy fighter pilot and my boss at Goldman was Owen West who went on to be assistant defense secretary under Mattis.
Anyone who has a fucking problem hiring a veteran for any role is a beta cuck. Also, I don't look at a resume and calculate someone's age based off the dates so who cares?
Agreed! Cheers 🥂 🫡
This was for markets trading jobs not IB and Asia not NY but I have seen ex military join banking at a similar age into entry level roles.
They progressed well as they already had significant experience and maturity from their previous career.
If you're interested in CS/Econ a trading role might suit you well. Also the hours aren't going to be as long as IB which can be helpful since you are also married.
I don't have insight on IB sorry, just my 2c from a trading perspective.
Good luck! You're doing well getting started on WSO. It's a great resource.
Connect with veterans on the street via LinkedIn to chat about their experiences
No issue at all. PM me.
Some of the most genuine guys I've talked to on the street have been veterans and there are definitely programs at almost every bank specifically looking to hire people in your situation. Congratulations on Brown- I'd second what they guy in S&T said, I see veterans tend to gravitate toward those roles, but I am biased.
Yeah man you'll be good, I'm knocking on 30 after doing some time in the army and have had no issues with banking or other careers. And you'll be at Brown as opposed to VCU or something so you'll be pretty set. Some other people have mentioned it but reach out to your school alumni, and other military people who are working. Usually, everyone is super willing to grab a coffee or hop on a call, review your resume, etc. And also don't feel required to do something CS/Econ related.
Recently transitioned from the military and went to the buyside, pretty much every vet I reached out to was willing to take a call and find a way to help out. Feel free to DM me, there are a lot of programs out there that can set you up for success.
There was a guy on the desk who joined the sales side as an analyst in his mid 30s. He's now a VP and is probably around 40. 30 is definitely not too old. I think military is the one exception where pretty much everyone will look past your age and is considered normal to be older. I'm actually in the midst of a military leave and will probably returning to finance in my mid 30s.
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