Am I fucked?
Its my first time posting here so sorry if this isn’t allowed. I go to a top-25 college without a ton to finance resources. I had a really good time my first two years of college and I don’t really regret it. I explored different classes and only recently really honed in on IB. But I know that this is crunch time already, and I am already seeing so many people here with offers. I’m going into my junior year now, and knew I had to start early - just not this early. I’d like to think I’m a determined and hardworking guy but reading WSO is pretty disheartening.
I haven’t even secured an internship for this summer, but I know it’s going to come. I’m grinding my ass off right now, but is it too little too late?
Also, should I apply to openings ASAP with a half decent resume or try and wait it out a week to see if I land an internship for this summer?
How behind am I and is there any chance I can salvage something?
The bitter truth is that yes, you’re definitely behind the curve. But are you fucked? No. There are plenty of banks that just opened their apps or haven’t even done so yet. My advice would be to network aggressively at every bank that hasn’t closed their apps. You don’t need an internship in your sophomore year for an SA offer. Sure it helps but you could also just get a job somewhere. The bigger aspect of recruiting is how you choose to present yourself. There are people with PE/IB sophomore internships who struggle with this and won’t get future offers. On the other hand, there are also people with no background or experience but their enthusiasm, drive, and preparation make it clear they’re solid candidates. The latter is the bucket you want to fall in. So don’t think negatively. Just get grinding ASAP. Go through the M&I guide, reach out to alumni/family connections, get some resume review. To be fully honest, for apps going on a rolling basis, I’m not sure what to suggest... but maybe apply now and try to speak to a few people within the next week or 2. The biggest thing right now (aside from prepping behaviorals/technicals) is for you to expand your connections and leave an impact on each bank you network with. Assuming your GPA is solid and you nail those calls, lack of experience can be overlooked.
TL, DR: you’re not fucked. You’re in a position a lot of people in IB were once in. It’ll be a lot of hard work but stick with it. Also don’t be too picky with banks. Aim high, sure, but cast a wide net.
Far from fucked. Maybe not BB, but still worth a shot.
First things first, make a list of 50 IBs in an excel file of any caliber and find your connection there thru LinkedIn. Maybe an alum. Maybe a mutual connection. Maybe from the same town or high school.
Make a cookie cutter email that’s genuine and reach out to each person you find. Don’t make any mistakes with their name or firm.
You will get emails back. Once you exhaust your list, start over again. It’s a grind but it’s worth it.
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