Is it possible for a career switcher in their mid-30s to start at an associate level post MBA or is that too old for an incoming IB associate? Will recruiters hold that against the candidate thinking they might have family/kid commitments etc. and may not always be able to work 80-100 hrs a week since they are in a different stage of their lives?
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Nevermind Associates. Just recently came across two female 1st year analysts, 29 and 30. But this is Germany, guess age is never really an issue here.
i've met 37 year olds. don't worry about it. it's actually easier with men with family. they are more mature and are willing to gruel out the years to sacrifice for the family.
Talked to a guy who did law for a while and then switched. I would would guess over 32.
I know a guy who started banking as an analyst when he was 34. Obviously not the norm, but it can be done.
Do people that age who join at a the junior level get promoted faster? I imagine they must have a lot to bring to the table by simply having been in the work force longer and knowing how to conduct themselves etc.
Maybe, but probably not in most cases. It's not like most others coming in as IB associates don't have good past experience - in many cases, they may not have been as senior (or old) but may have a more relevant background (i.e. past banking/finance/consulting - you generally don't see people with this kind of experience coming back to banking in their mid-30's as an associate). In any case, most IB associates who get promoted to VP get their promotion in about 3-4 years, so at the very low end, if you get promoted after 2 years (which I've never seen happen), you're still only a year ahead of others.
To answer OP's question, I do remember one associate who had done ROTC or something and then over a decade in the military before his MBA. I don't remember his specific age but I'd put him in his mid to late 30's. So yes, it is possible but like everything YMMV.
In my experience it's the opposite. People who start in banking when they're 30+ tend to bring a "I'm too experienced for this shit" mentality especially when it comes to late nights and weekends, and also the associates who can't deal with the fact that some 23 year old analyst knows more about finance than they do.
Oldest I've come across are 31, 32 for analyst, 34 for MBA associate. Anecdotal evidence, but out of the 5 people I've met who started in banking when 30+, only 1 of them is still doing it. Everyone else either got canned or couldn't deal with the hours.
We've got a 31 year old analyst. Military school grad. Seen a few 34-36 year old associates.
I worked with a guy around 40. It was a bit strange and was even stranger that he used to be a Director back in his home country.
Nothing really new to add here....Definitely have seem 1st year associates in the mid 30s....typically either ex-law or ex-military. Mid 30s may be a bit on the older end but it really isn't uncommon for post MBA associates to be the same age or younger than their VPs who were direct promotes, which can be a weird dynamic if the new associate has an ego but shouldn't be an issue.
HR won't hold you age against you...just be aware that it goes both ways though...having a wife and kids doesn't mean you don't have to put in the hours typically of a junior associate. Everyone wants to go home equally.
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