Did an IB BB summer in London but did not convert. Am faking a masters and applying for summers again but I’ve got dinged at CV rounds. Is it really that challenging? I’m losing steam and motivation at this point.
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Based on the most helpful WSO content, re-recruiting in investment banking can indeed be very challenging, especially if you did not convert your summer internship into a full-time offer. Here are some key points to consider:
Competition: The pool of candidates for full-time positions is extremely competitive. Many banks fill their full-time roles from their summer intern pool, leaving very few spots open for external candidates.
Networking: Networking is crucial. You may need to conduct numerous informational interviews to get noticed. For MBA recruiting, it can involve 100+ informational interviews across various banks.
Perception: If you did not get a return offer, it might be perceived negatively unless you can convincingly explain the situation. Banks may be wary of candidates who did not secure a return offer from their previous internships.
Alternative Paths: Consider other related roles or smaller firms where the competition might be less intense. Boutique banks and middle-market firms might have more flexible recruiting timelines and could be more open to candidates with diverse backgrounds.
Persistence: The process is inherently tough and can be demotivating. However, persistence and continuous improvement of your application materials and interview skills are essential.
Geographical Factors: There might be differences in recruiting intensity based on location. For example, some users have noted that London might have a slightly different approach compared to the US.
Remember, the key is to stay resilient and keep refining your approach. Good luck!
Sources: https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forum/investment-banking/m7-ib-associate-full-time-recruiting?customgpt=1, What’s Harder? MBB or EB/BB, When did banking recruiting get so hard?, Recruiting is broken [Change my mind], Breaking Into Banking: Your Timetable is Everything
Recruiting over past few years has been very hard however, this needs context. what type of BB was it? How are you displaying 'faking' a masters on you CV? what is your previous experience? Are you diversity?
Indicating that I want to do a Masters and changing my graduate year to 2026 on my CV.
Interned at JPM/MS/GS and did a VC internship as my first year summer.
Somewhat diversity - am a white woman.
You are top priority tf lol
In similar boat but recruiting for FT ... demoralising
I am also interested what you mean by faking a masters? Putting it on you CV and then hoping if you convert the role you will say you dropped out or something along those lines?
Yes that
Bump
Unconverted is a massive red flag. But you are a woman, so someone will probably give you another shot just keep applying
It's still early. Not converting a top BB is not a red flag as per above comment. You should be fine.
Oddly you will probably struggle more with the lower-tier banks as they will want to know why you are downgrading (and will have to disclose that you didn't convert), whereas banks where you 'upgrade' will not be so suspicious.
With that said, you obviously should apply everywhere on the tracker and see what sticks. A lot of people make it work
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