It would be great if anyone could let me know whether or not it would be possible to start an MBA IBD Associate early? As in, the January/February prior to the full-time Associate class starting in the summer? Has anyone ever heard of this happening before? The reason I ask, is that I may be able to accelerate my graduation and finish one semester early, so would be happy to start work early if possible.
Any input would be greatly appreciated.
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seen it happen at Credit Suisse
Why not take the time off to chill and go travel the world or something?
Know some associates have started a bit early at my MM, but I personally would enjoy the last bit of freedom you'll have for the forseeable future.
It's possible, but has other have said, I don't know that it's worth it. Generally speaking, you don't get credit for starting early (ie. you won't get promoted earlier) and personally, I'd much rather take the 6 months to travel the world and do something fun than an extra 6 months of income. You'll be working for a LONG time and likely won't have another opportunity to travel and enjoy life until you retire so keep that in mind. I went to a bschool that was on a quarter system so you had the opportunity to finish early too (95% of the school was done by the end of the winter quarter in late March) and I can't think of anyone outside of those starting a business that started early.
Along the same line of reasoning, you will also still most likely receive a stub bonus. Take everyone's advice and enjoy the last 6 months.
I had an analyst in my full-time class start 6 months early after graduating in December. He majorly regretted it when he was already burnt out by the time the rest of the class arrived. He also didn't get to experience training with the class since he was already fully staffed up on deals.
In your case, assuming that you don't have pre-MBA banking experience, it might not be feasible for you to start early without having the benefit of going through associate training. Summer associate programs typically only offer a week of training, and it's not as in-depth as full-time training is. As others have said, I don't recommend this move.
Absolutely do not do this, signed MBA IBD Associate. You'll hate yourself later for not taking the time off.
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