Third Year Undergraduate Advice
Hello all,
Long-time lurker here. I've learned a lot by lurking at this website, but I am in need of some real, personal advice right now, and I figure I'd go ahead and give it a shot asking here. I'll try to keep this as short as possible.
I am currently a third year student at a Canadian university, and the only job somewhat related to finance I've ever taken was a summer stint at a Government job. On the academics side of things, I went from basically a 3.8 GPA in first year to a dismal 2.8 right now. I really messed things up during my second year, as I was having doubts and questioning my path in life, and as a result failed two courses and barely passed the rest. My previous semester in third year, I only managed to get average marks that still ended up bringing down my GPA to its current level. Because of this, I am also 2 courses behind in my program.
I understand and learned from reading various posts that the best thing to do to break into IB or finance is to get a summer job in your third year. However, if I am not able to do this, what are some ways that I can improve my chances of breaking in after I graduate? I plan to take courses in the summer to catch up, but I am open to almost anything. Even though I've been applying for positions, I just can't ignore the fact that my GPA will put me at a severe disadvantage compared to my peers, so I know I need to prepare in case I do not get any offers. Would it still be realistic to think that I could still catch up to others who are also looking to break into the industry?
Thank you very much for taking your time reading this far, and any help is honestly appreciated.
-gogo7
Honestly, you've got a very difficult journey ahead of you. Coming from a Target school with a sub 3.0 GPA is very tough, but coming from a non-target with a sub 3.0 is damn near impossible. First of all, you NEED to get your GPA back over a 3.0 - take the summer courses, extra courses, whatever you have to do, but get your GPA back over a 3.0. Next, while you can absolutely apply for IB positions, you should put a lot of effort into other fields outside of IB and even front office - anything finance-related and/or analytical in nature - it won't be as great as IB, but it's something and it's at least marginally relevant - moreso than no work experience at all. Beyond that, you need to just keep your eyes open, network, and hope for the best. It will be difficult, but the 1st step is to start getting that GPA up, then work on an internship. I'd also consider delaying graduation by a year, if at all possible, and if you can use that time to: 1) get your GPA up and 2) network. Good luck.
To be honest, 2.8 GPA from non-target in the current job market = virtually impossible unless you have SERIOUS connections.
With that said... there's many more options than just IBD. Find something you like to do, and who knows what could happen.
Qui eius delectus autem doloremque non expedita. Dolores et mollitia ut unde officia laborum. Autem quo consequatur autem praesentium cupiditate.
Dicta ex nihil earum ullam aspernatur id officia eos. Et maxime expedita voluptates. Quo eos dolore eveniet. Praesentium nesciunt ut perferendis occaecati minus.
In praesentium qui molestiae. Sapiente ut perspiciatis molestias qui fugiat quae illo. Quo omnis sed fugiat ea. Non modi ex adipisci aut quia vero unde.
Perferendis sunt itaque impedit ipsam consequatur. Dolore quis alias autem itaque. Sint quis velit et veritatis sapiente quia nobis. Sunt minima rerum id. Aspernatur officia et voluptates non harum qui.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...