Tips for a early career switcher?
It seems like most people trying to break in on this board are either experienced and looking to switch to IB, or young, about to start school, and trying to get advice and internships to leverage into a full-time offer.
I am right between these two main groups. I am currently about to graduate from a semi-target state school (with a pretty well regarded business school) with a 3.5 GPA in computer science. I don't have any IB experience on my resume (beyond a case competition), and no formal finance education.
It was not until the beginning of my senior year that I even knew what investment banking was. A friend of mine asked me if I could help out with a IB case competition (we advised an IPO) and it was actually a really educational and fun time. I start a job working in technology at a BB this summer (unfortunately, not supporting CIB, but consumer and community banking). Because I am too old to change my undergrad decisions, and too young to be thinking about an MBA (I don't want to work a job I don't like for three years if I can make a change now), I don't know what to do.
My current plan is to put all of my time into ace-ing the CFA level 1 in Dec and CFA 2 next summer then starting to look into leveraging the network I have at my work, or seeking out MM opportunities. Before you groan at the CFA idea, know that I am primarily interested in working for a DCM or SF group. I'm not interested in trying to be the rockstar IB->HF career others on this board seem to want, but instead want to work with complex deals so someday I might be able to move into bank management.
Am I crazy? Is this just a quarter-life crisis? Any advice?