WM --> MBA --> IB

I graduated from a semi-target (BC) in 2019 with a liberal arts degree. It was only in my senior year that I realized Finance was a field that I was very interested in; I wish I had come to that realization much earlier!

I decided to pursue wealth management to get a foot in the door and am currently in a CSA role at Morgan Stanley.

I think WM is interesting but I’d like to explore further opportunities and aim higher (I'm particularly interested in IB). I'm under the impression that getting an MBA from a T15 will open many more post-grad opportunities and make up for a lack of a traditional Finance undergrad degree / undergrad recruiting.

I passed the Series 7/66 as well as the CFA level I exam. 

Do you guys have any recs on how I can best align myself over the next few years to put my best foot forward for candidacy? Perhaps internal portability? How about outside experience? 

FYI, I screwed up in my first 2 years and therefore my undergrad GPA is not great (3.0) but I hope to compensate for this by reaching a high GMAT (750+).

3 Comments
 

I had a very similar profile to you. So long as you get into a top 15 school, you will be "in the mix" and the rest is up to your interactions with bankers. 

Given your low GPA you really need to do well on the GMAT and work on your "story" but plenty of people have made the jump you're describing.

Will your CSA role change in the next 1-2 years?

 

Certainly, I'm aiming to take the GMAT within the next 2-3 years and will think of ways on how to craft the story. 

My CSA role certainly can change within the next 1-2 years in many directions. Currently, the options for advancement are along the lines of financial advisor type roles but I can also try to move laterally into a different department at MS.

I'm curious, what was your profile / story and how did you make the jump?

 

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