UF junior
Hi guys,
I study at the University of Florida which is a non target school for many BB firms...the only ibanks that come here to recruit are sun trust robinson humphrey, wachovia, Morgan stanley (operations only, no investment banking), Merrill Lynch (only operations and no investment banking) and a few other regional firms like raymond james and etc.....anyways my point here is....what are my chances at working in one of these firms for ibanking? my gpa is 3.7, honors program, several work experiences, good contacts, writing a ground breaking research paper on debt financing with a respected professor.
Goldman sachs Merrill Lynch Morgan Stanley Citigroup UBS Credit Suisse - know people here and have a client relationship Barclays Capital Banc of America securities Lazard
groundbreaking?
you have a chance, just need to do a lot more networking with alumni. they will not come to you because yours is a non-target. call up an alumni and ask to meet with him for an informational interview. Get the professor (whom you are writing a paper with) to refer you to his contacts on wall street. Hedge your chances by applying to both BB and MM. Don't bother applying to BB firms where there's no UF alumni.
UF Alum were not very helpful. I am a graduating senior from UF. I have a major in finance, minor in entrepreneurship, 3.65 GPA, and passed level 1 of the CFA. Depending on your work experience it'll be tough. Alumni have not been all the helpful (UFs alumni database blows anyways).
My best contact ended up being my ex girl friends roomamte who works at Morgan Stanley. I'd try to just meeting more people than contact alum. Just my experience.
hmm....i understand...which is why i havent bothered contacting them at all so far.....i'm using several different methods...like talking to my father's contacts and ive been doing this thing for nearly 2 months now...but its so hard to break the industry...my professor is the bank of america professor here so hopefully he'll help me with something....and to chelseaFC85...im doing research on step up bonds and possible modifications to help venture capital firms and firms in the growth stage of the business cycle to raise capital with more ease and at the same time manage to maintain a strong financial position....
didn't mean to sound like a dick, but i am sure you'll understand my skepticism...its not everyday that undergrads can help contribute something new to a field. but hey, i am in no place to judge.
i absolutely understand...even when i tell recruiters this...theyre like what???? but yeah...its pretty unique...my prof is actually very interested in my research...he's been doing research in fixed income for nearly 25years now...and hes had several papers published in the journal of finance and all
If he is such a respected finance researcher he should have PLENTY of contacts at the upper levels of major investment banks, asset management firms, etc.
1) Find UF alumni and hound them. The worst that happens is they ignore you. I talked with an alum at my school and he said he wouldn't even answer a call from a student until they tried to get in contact with him 3-4 times, just to see how motivated they were.
2) Work your family/friends network. Duh.
3) Call up MM banks and ask to speak directly with an HR rep or with an analyst (preferably the analyst). Talk to them and see what opportunities they have for juniors and whether you could continue talking with them. Don't give up; sometimes they can be a bit frigid at first but if you email them every other week or so on a consistent basis they might give you a shot.
4) Network through your professors. If this research professor really is respsected then use his experience. Find other teachers or your advisor who know recent grads in the business they stay in contact with. My advisor just got all my contact info down now that I am working at a BB after I graduate so she can suggest 1-3 people a year to pass resumes to me.
You have a good GPA, sounds like good work experience, and you seem motivated. The most important thing is to not give up after a month or two. You need to keep it going for 3-4 months or longer, until you have that opportunity.
And don't turn your nose to Wachovia, Raymond James, etc. Getting an internship with them is the step in the right direction. Not everyone starts at a BB, but the good bankers will have every opportunity in the world to finish at one.
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