Will top Investment Banks still employ me?

Rising Junior

Cumulative GPA: 3.0 (won't write this on resume)
Major GPA: 3.5
Major: Finance
School: Semi-target in NY

Experience:
FinOps (Summer Intern) after freshman year (Summer '12)
MM IB (Summer Analyst) after sophomore year (Summer '13)

Activities: Multiple leadership positions in school
Certifications: Advanced Financial Modeling, Microsoft Excel Expert

I am huge into networking. Have connections from boutiques to BB. (Sorry if this comes off as arrogant).

Ignorantly assuming that I am good with interviews and my acquaintances/my connections land me up interviews at top IBs, (my main question now -->) WILL I STILL BE DINGED AT THE INTERVIEWS WHEN THEY KNOW THAT MY CUMULATIVE GPA IS 3.0?

10 Comments
 

I have a good story to explain why I have a bad GPA.

Fucked up freshman year. Strong upward-trend since then. Last semester had 3.5

 

It is not a question of whether top IBs will still employ you because they each have their "extreme cases" of who they will employ.

RATHER it is a question of whether YOU can get employed by the top IBs. You definitely aren't top of the pile, but you are far from the worst applicant. So it really just depends on whether you make enough of an effort, do well enough, and maybe get lucky.

If you look at everyone in finance, or even just top IBs, the top IBs will "still employ" a very large variety of people, but in most cases that is because those candidates proved themselves in some way.

 
Best Response
frozencheese

It is not a question of whether top IBs will still employ you because they each have their "extreme cases" of who they will employ.

RATHER it is a question of whether YOU can get employed by the top IBs. You definitely aren't top of the pile, but you are far from the worst applicant. So it really just depends on whether you make enough of an effort, do well enough, and maybe get lucky.

If you look at everyone in finance, or even just top IBs, the top IBs will "still employ" a very large variety of people, but in most cases that is because those candidates proved themselves in some way.

true.. this is true... you are not definitely the top because there will always be those people that have 3.8+ GPAs and have similar internships and experiences.

the best way for you to be competitive is have someone vouch for you so network and show that you are a good hardworking person and a fit for the group

 

Network and study a lot harder.

The difference between successful people and others is largely a habit - a controlled habit of doing every task better, faster and more efficiently.
 

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