What would you do ?
Hi WSO Community,
I'm reaching out for some no-nonsense advice on breaking into investment banking, possibly through boutique firm experience. Here’s my background:
- Age & Location: I'm 35, based in London. Single, no kids.
- Education: Graduated from a target UK university in 2021 with an overall 2:1 in Humanities. I had some low-scoring modules due to extenuating circumstances (was hospitalized for a month).
- Extracurriculars: Held leadership positions in various committee activities during university.
Post-Graduation Experience:
- Gained M&A and PE experience through shadowing in corporate law.
- No finance internships.
- Interned in the entertainment industry (worked with an award-winning rapper).
- Worked in an administrative role at an import-export company.
Additional Experience:
- Participated in interactive M&A experiences guided by ex IBers - learnt fundamentals of M&A analysis by building operating financial models, preparing pitchbooks and live deal materials (experience was modelled on a high profile tech merger at the time)
- Despite these efforts, I've been an unsuccessful candidate so far and am conscious of time passing.
Current Considerations:
- Taking online courses (Python, SQL, Excel, GMAT).
- Pursuing a master’s degree.
- Volunteering at a boutique firm.
Questions:
- How can I realistically achieve a position in IBD / ECM / DCM given my background?
- I feel super self conscious - am I crazy for still wanting to pursue this at my age?
- What steps would you take next to improve your chances if you were in this position?
Grateful in advance for any feedback!
Based on the most helpful WSO content, here are some detailed steps and advice to help you break into investment banking given your background:
Realistic Path to IBD/ECM/DCM
Networking:
Building Your Profile:
Gaining Relevant Experience:
Master’s Degree:
Addressing Self-Consciousness and Age Concerns
Next Steps to Improve Your Chances
Set Clear Goals:
Enhance Your Resume:
Prepare for Interviews:
Stay Persistent:
Summary
Grateful in advance for any feedback!
Sources: Ask CompBanker, Feel like I'm going to be stuck in this job, what do I do?, Laid off, Depressed and Giving up..., Advice From an Advisor to Senior Wall Streeters, 2 steps to killing it in 2016!
Hi,
I'll try to be no-nonsense and direct as you've asked, but please don't take that as mean or condescending.
1) You would need to be very lucky, or very indirect. I think, given your background (no relevant experience, unclear education (i.e. definition of "Target"), several years since graduation, very unconventional career and education history), you have close to no chance through conventional recruitment paths (graduate or direct applications to, e.g., junior experienced hire positions). It's a bad recruitment market as it stands for top tier candidates. Indirect routes could include training as an accountant first and pivoting, or hitting it lucky with a very small boutique (the only advice here would be networking - and you'd need to be quite lucky).
2) Weird question for me to answer to be honest. It's difficult to form any view as you haven't mentioned why you want to work in IB
3) I think this is just (1) in different words. Depending on your motivations, there might be other career paths which provide the same rewards that you're looking for but which are more realistic (if you enjoy deals and strategy, perhaps join a corporate and try to move over time to their Strategy / Corporate Development teams, if it's money, maybe somehow look towards some tax advisory roles, etc.)
You don't need to share your marital status. Online courses are unlikely to help (particularly SQL and Python for IB). A MSc / MA might help but low probability and a big cost in time and money. I would love to be proven wrong on the volunteering suggestion, but my understanding is that these are almost extinct (reputational issues).
Good luck with whatever you choose to pursue
Hi, I appreciate the response; it's certainly given me a couple of things to think about.
Could you elaborate on the corporate route you mentioned? I take it you're referring to corporate finance firms like the Big 4 or MBB?
To address your question on my motivation for working in IB, there are a couple of interesting facets for me. My enjoyment of deals and corporate strategy became apparent while exploring commercial law. I also want to advise companies in navigating various growth stages and challenges. I favour the more active and speculative approach taken by investment banks, such as conducting fundamental analyses (digging into company reports / financials etc) and marketing transactions and products to their clients. Hopefully the added context here helps.
Thanks again
By "Corporate Route", I meant more joining a large corporate (Unilever, Cisco, Symrise, Diageo, whatever), and working up their corporate ladder. Their recruitment processes are typically less regimented, and internal transfers can be effected quite readily. It would also (if you get into the right teams) give you a lot of exposure to strategy (you'll see it referred to as "Corporate Development" in these forums, but that's the end goal). Unilever is selling its ice cream division, for example.
MBB or Big 4 are also great routes.
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