Career Path for a non-target

Background

  • Going into sophomore year at a business school in New England
  • OK GPA, can definitely grow it into high 3s
  • Accounting Major

Questions

Since high school, I always thought I was going to get into accounting, make it to the big 4, become a partner, and just grind until I retire. Now that I've matured and opened my eyes to other opportunities I am getting interested in finance, specifically investment banking and wealth management. 

  • Can I break into finance with an accounting major?
  • Can I make it into a competitive finance job (Bulge Bracket, Elite Boutique, or even Middle Market) from my University?
  • What can I do to help my resume other than my GPA?
  • Should I just stick with my Big 4 dreams?
1 Comments
 

Temporibus delectus rerum id cupiditate qui. Consequatur quaerat tempore aut officia vel. Dolor quod autem voluptatibus error sunt sit inventore. Distinctio ea quo perferendis ut qui dolor dolorem. Animi quia dignissimos est occaecati.

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

Career Advancement Opportunities

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Guggenheim Partners 02 97.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 99.0%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 04 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 13 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (17) $409
  • Associates (58) $261
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (29) $183
  • Intern/Summer Associate (16) $161
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (77) $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
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
10
numi's picture
numi
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...”