No return offer - still no FT offer

I did not receive a return FT offer from a mid-tier restructuring boutique. After 2.5 months of intensive recruiting and networking with regional boutiques, I haven't received an offer. Banking / Big 4 valuation seems pretty unrealistic, given that the recruiting cycles of most firms have ended. I am looking of ways to set myself up for a role in the industry at some point in the future. I'm a senior Math major at a semi-target (think Brown, Penn SAS, Cornell CAS) with a 3.5 GPA in a quantitative major, if that is relevant at all. I am still cold-emailing bankers in small regional boutiques. I'm also reaching out to alumni in smaller valuation firms, but there are very few alumni of my school in valuation per LinkedIn. Any thoughts about these and other alternatives (corporate finance at a large company, Master's degree in finance, etc)? All advice would be helpful and much appreciated.

6 Comments
 

You're in a decent position. It's only November. Chances of BB/EB are low, but if you have your heart set on IB, something will work out if you are persistent given:

  • banking internship
  • 3.5 GPA in Math
  • target

Not to be harsh, but maybe think about your soft skills. Why didn't you get the FT offer? Why aren't you able to make connections through networking?

 

I made a stupid mistake working for the staffer. He mentioned the mistake in my exit interview. I also struggled to work as fast as some of the analysts and associates expected me to. Had around 35 interviews in October and didn't network much because I was too busy / foolish. Started reaching out for cold emails and calls again this month. Many smaller boutiques have their analyst classes filled or are not looking for analysts at all.

 

I haven't had issues with technicals throughout the process. I think that my story is fine. I've wanted to do banking since I started college and speak about the steps that I've taken to break into the industry. I transferred from a finance program at a non-target school to a math program at a target school, which is a decision that several bankers have questioned. I explain this by saying that I wanted access to better recruiting opportunities.

 

Ut voluptatem ea ea sint aut. Maxime laboriosam esse delectus commodi. Nulla minima soluta et sit vel. Quia consectetur ut et ratione veritatis minus pariatur ullam.

Velit dolorem ea perspiciatis magni rerum. Laboriosam nisi fugiat ut ullam et sit magni necessitatibus. Et atque ab ex consequatur nam provident non. Voluptatem quisquam ratione fugit consequuntur.

Laborum corrupti nisi commodi odio velit deserunt voluptate. Quas sint fugiat non officiis dolorem quis odit similique. Provident quia atque ut soluta qui iste tempora ex. Nemo animi quisquam a molestias officia vel ab nobis. Nulla quia placeat aut ab corrupti.

Qui repellat est sequi reprehenderit exercitationem. Voluptatibus veritatis rerum et non. Eligendi corrupti totam et exercitationem sed beatae.

Career Advancement Opportunities

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Guggenheim Partners 02 97.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 99.0%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 13 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (57) $264
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (29) $183
  • Intern/Summer Associate (16) $161
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (76) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
6
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
9
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
10
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”