Prep for FT recruiting class of 2025
Hi all, I'm a junior looking to start preparing for FT recruiting. I'm graduating in 2025, have a 3.3 GPA (major in math), go to a semi-target (think UMich, NYU, Duke, UChicago, etc.), and have worked at a small private credit shop for the last two summers and have decent extracirriculars.
I know my GPA is below many cutoffs and it's been my main focus in terms of improvement, but I want to start preparing for FT so that I can graduate with an IB job. My main questions are:
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What is the main difference between FT and summer recruiting in terms of networking, technicals and interview process?
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What can I do to set myself apart given that I'll have no IB experience when I recruit FT?
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What do you anticipate will be my biggest challenges and what do you suggest I do to overcome them/mitigate any damage?
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If you were in my shoes (granted I've given limited info), what would you do?
Thank you all for any and all advice, and please don't shy away with any advice or harsh truths!
Bump
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I'm in a similar boat and was wondering the same things. For now I've just been continuing to go over the stuff I learned for summer recruiting to keep myself up to date and to make sure I don't forget anything. Would definitely appreciate any insight!
Let’s connect, my guy, will PM in the same boat
Tired of the bumps, so let me drop my personal experience.
A 3.3 GPA is a tough sell, but a major in math might help it. To be honest, it would depend if you got passed the resume screen for a lot of places. I think that I would network as much as possible - first to see if any places would have openings, and second to see if an analyst/associate/VP would bump me passed the screen regardless.
Now to answer your questions.
1. The main difference is structure. FT recruitment for me was so unstructured as compared to SA recruiting. This is due to two reasons. First, a lot of seats are already filled by SAs, so realistically you are grinding for the one or two seats. So at any point in the summer, the processes could be kicked off. For me, it started in early August.
Second, networking is so-so. I didn't do a lot of it, but I would say it still helps. Focus on getting a RO first from whatever shop you are in.
Technicals are going to be harder. The jump from SA to FT was super hard for me. Start studying now, and also found out which group you want to apply.
Interview process end to end is a month. Starts in either July/August and ends in August/September.
2. To set yourself apart, overplay your role in credit. Say that you liked understanding individual credit deals, but you want more exposure to advisory and M&A. Listen, it's not as a clean as someone who's going from LMM to a BB, but you have something there.
3. Your biggest challenges is your GPA and lack of IB experience. But, fuck it, what are you going to do about it now? GPA can be easily explained by a tough ass major, and lack of IB experience means that you just have to say you were always interested in IB, but liked the credit people who you worked with. You can even say that the credit people told you to go and get IB experience. Just try man, and see what happens.
4. Try. Listen no one is going to be in your shoes but you. Don't throw in the towel. If you want this IB experience, you can get it. I would target every bank, network with literally everyone, and see what happens. You're at a good school, you seem like a hard-working guy, and 95% of the time, that's all it takes. Go for it champ.
Thanks so much, I really appreciate all of the advice!
I'm continuing to move through the basic guides that are used for SA recruiting to refresh myself before I move on to more complex things. A few questions related to that:
1. Which resources did you use that helped you with that technical jump?
2. Why didn't networking seem to matter as much? Is that because at this point in the FT cycle, they cared much more about the more advanced technicals?
Thank you again!
bump
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