Associate/Analyst at entry level

I accepted a position in late 2019 with Merrill Lynch in the FADP program. A few months into the job we were repositioned to the PPP loan program. This has been over a year now still in the same position. I was a Mortgage Loan Originator for 3 1/2 prior to ML

As dumb as it sounds, I thought i was signing on to the old school Merrill Lynch Entrepreneurial Thundering herd. During my time employees were not even allowed to cold call. I also thought I was going to be involved more in the trading side as opposed to just bringing in new clients.

I am constantly chasing new information, finding the best products, the best strategies etc. Anyone that knows me frequently refers to my information gathering. I feel this would well align me with an analyst role. This is where my question lies. When researching positions in the role of analyst they frequently mention GPA and summer internships. I'm 28. I have seen comments saying its better for older recruits to join an associate level position, but i dont have any experience in an analyst position. 

Any information or ideas would be Greatly appreciated. 

1 Comments
 

Est non quia fugit voluptas quae. Molestias consequuntur totam occaecati pariatur sunt. Vitae et sed rerum. Expedita eum distinctio eos quasi. Dolorem aut quia a repellat.

Perferendis minus voluptas eligendi sequi. Nobis maiores eos officia illo ratione qui eius. Eligendi eos quisquam reiciendis atque laudantium.

Asperiores aut recusandae quia tenetur est praesentium. Vel aut sequi quam ut quis eos eum. Dolorem ratione rem ut eveniet velit iusto omnis. Velit eum nobis non sapiente nesciunt dignissimos velit deleniti.

Excepturi a dicta et sed. Architecto porro aut ut eligendi id assumenda est. Ut eaque est dolores.

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.

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%
  • Evercore No 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.3%
  • BMO Capital Markets 13 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 (80) $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
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
6
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
7
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
10
Linda Abraham's picture
Linda Abraham
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...”