Career Options for Non-Target Students

Well I've come to the point where I've accepted that going to a rather average state school is going to shut a lot of doors and make my life a lot more difficult when it comes to finding a job. I'm currently a junior majoring in Economics and have a 3.5 GPA that I'll probably be able to increase to a 3.7 by the time I graduate. I'm a member of a few clubs on campus (ie Finance & Investment club) and I'm planning to heavily focus on networking and gaining internships my last couple of years.

Ibanking and other top tier jobs in finance are out of the question, so moving forward I need to explore other options. I'm wondering what are some good careers in finance that are reachable through hard work for non-target students like me?

Thanks!

4 Comments
 
Best Response

Earum sit laboriosam consequatur rem quo. Aut necessitatibus qui aperiam in quia minus aut.

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.2%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.3%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.2%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.2%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (46) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 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

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...”