Am I completely screwed? Any way to get a job in Finance with no relevant experience?

Thank you so much to anyone taking the time to read and respond to this. I graduated last year from a very middle of nowhere state school with a degree in finance and unfortunately realized fall of senior year that I was interested in private equity instead of a law career. I interviewed at an asset management firm before the position was entirely pulled due to COVID. I finally got a job in the fall in recruiting (which I completely hate) and have been trying to figure out how to get onto wall street for over a year now. I have no relevant connections and feel entirely screwed out of my dream career at the ripe age of 23. I realize that a MBA from a top program may be my best bet at this point but again, I feel as though my current work experience will hold me back there. If you were in my position what would you do? I'm trying to look for positions even semi related to banking at middle of nowhere firms but my resume at this point does nothing to even point to an interest in that. If you were in my shoes what would you recommend I do? Are there any specific jobs/firms/regions that I should look into to try to break in? Any and all advice is helpful here. 

3 Comments
 

You might need to apply to a lot of places to land you a better spot pre-MBA where you exhibit leadership qualities and excellence. 

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 

Alias sit ullam qui recusandae odit ipsum quia. Qui hic enim aut autem. Quis enim voluptas ipsam quaerat excepturi fugit et.

Magni maiores similique enim omnis et esse quia debitis. Maxime qui minima quo.

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.9%
  • Evercore 01 98.3%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.7%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.7%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (15) $434
  • Associates (46) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (79) $150
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (73) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
10
bolo up's picture
bolo up
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”