Hey WSO, just wondering if anyone else is in the same spot as me. Haven't received any 1st round interviews and I've been networking like hell. I come from a non-target and I'm starting to worry that there are no more MM or boutique firms that are hiring. I'm just wondering if anyone is in the same boat and still looking for a FT position?
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Did you have a junior IB SA position anywhere?
Yes! I had a IB SA at a boutique firm last year, a BB PWM the year before, and a business analyst internship at a private manufacturing firm the year before. I'm just worried because I've recently graduated from a non-target and I didn't network enough for recruiting after my junior year. This was because I took the time to travel and visit my family in Europe before starting my career.
Isn't FT recruiting targeted at seniors rather than graduates?
I assume you didn't get an offer from the boutique you did a SA position at?
There were 4 interns working at the boutique bank during last summer. The MD and VP made it clear that they were not looking to hire more analysts because their team was very lean. They already had enough analysts and associates and gave all of the interns good letters of recommendations. I'm trying my best right now to network and make the jump into the industry but I'm not getting many replies. My non-target school has only had 1 alumni ever to get into the IB industry and they haven't replied as well. I'm just trying to see if anyone has ever been in my footsteps when they graduated from a non-target and wanted to see what they did to break in.
Hang in there man, it is a brutal process. My advice to you would be to network your fucking ass off as of now, and focus on the future not the past. It isn't easy, but thats what I have been doing (looking for Junior year internships) and I have been getting some interviews. Feel free to PM if you want more info. Best of luck to you
Thank you man! I really appreciate it. I've applied to over 200 jobs and understand that its a black hole sending in online applications. So I decided to follow up with that and email analysts, associates, VPs, and MDs for nearly every firm I have applied to. I wish you the best of luck in getting your junior year internship as well! I just feel like my non-target school really prevents me from getting even first round interviews and it sucks.
As a fellow non-target, it is very tough. However, I have found that staying positive and proactive is paramount.
I appreciate the feedback. If I can't get any interviews with 200 applications, I'm just going to have to try 1000 applications or more! I'm going to stay positive and keep trying.
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