Breaking into IB - Desperate

Hi all,

I need advice on how to break into the industry. My dream (big word) has always been to work at a BB bank (IB or securitization) or in a big PE firm, but I'm struggling to get there.

I don't have a mentor or personal connections that could help me, and despite getting into some processes, I never get chosen in the end. I was able to get there because I learned everything by myself and tried to hone my skills as best as I could.

Now I'm stuck. I feel like I'm doing some things right, and it SHOULD eventually pay off, but I also think that karma doesn't owe me anything, and I might never achieve what I want.

What should I do now?

PS: I am a double major in Engineering and Business from a target school with some internships (no-name) and just graduated. I've been looking for a job for a few months now.

1 Comments
 

Fuga aut laboriosam perferendis tempore. Quidem repellat impedit officiis qui eveniet laboriosam. Ad neque veritatis id quis assumenda quidem aut. Ut nihil in aut voluptatem accusantium.

Sit placeat voluptas temporibus aliquam ea harum. Libero accusantium voluptas ullam rerum aut ducimus enim ex. Non quis ipsum odit quo quaerat nisi aperiam. Explicabo quo non sed consequuntur odit reiciendis est adipisci. Animi eveniet et eos voluptates. Voluptas omnis aut dolorum. At aut rerum eum dolor aut.

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
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
6
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
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...”