Breaking into IB

I'm currently doing masters in financial Economics from a non target university and just completed my undergraduate in 2020. My grades are relatively good and I live in Dubai, where the IB and banking industry as a whole is not as good as the ones abroad. I've tried networking through LinkedIn but since I'm relatively a fresher and do not have experience with IB/PE, it's looking tougher to break into IB. I'm very interested in the banking and M&A sector, and I have 10 months to compete the current Masters. Is there any advice of any kind which would help me to stand out and try to get a role, in Dubai, and maybe look to transfer abroad easier? I am looking to gain as much experience in the next 4-5 years and then get na MBA from one of the top B Schools. What do you think I should work on at the moment which will help me break into IB? There is Barclays and other big banking firms in Dubai, but IB is not as famous here. I thought of trying to get a role here and gain as much experience for a year or two and then try to move abroad

1 Comments
 

Ut fuga inventore ipsa delectus. Deleniti quas amet vitae quia et et quo. Qui quisquam quo qui nesciunt. Esse magnam aut quia sed quia est non.

Mollitia doloribus tempora repellat assumenda dolore qui libero et. Enim quam sit est sunt omnis. Vitae expedita officiis ea eos dolor aut doloremque.

Quod et rerum quis. Quia expedita officia reprehenderit. Amet est beatae iste laborum distinctio. Vel aperiam quia aut est quo alias possimus.

Minima aut nemo vero dolore eveniet voluptatem. Dolore quaerat id praesentium esse ad quia. Facere beatae aut soluta atque occaecati officia et.

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

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.2%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.2%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.6%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.2%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (44) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (78) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (72) $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

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...”