Coming from a non target school, what is the most traditional route to High finance bar Investment Banking?
There’s tons of ways into high finance though not straightforward especially coming from a non-target or top 50. Can majoring in Stats/Math give you a better chance at getting to high finance job? Or would the big 4 accounting to ER route yield better end results?
I'm not sure I'll add any more value here than the myriad of threads that already cover this topic (non-target wants to get into IB). You can search the forum and--believe me--there is a ton of solid advice just waiting.
I don't know your situation/year in undergrad, but some considerations;
- Internships: Have you interned at a bank/AM/Corporate or something related to finance? If not, why (you'll likely have to explain/step in front of this in an interview)
- Majors: Important, yes, but what about your GPA? I think any major in Business, Math, Engineering, etc. would help, but your performance is likely more important (granted you're not majoring in something way off base)
- Big 4: I'd say Transaction Diligence, Commercial Due Diligence or Financial Due Diligence, or Valuation groups likely have the best paths to IB. You should note, however, that this is a very challenging road. Not sure about Accounting. Could be helpful, but you'll do Audit or 'best practices' Accounting engagements. Would that really help you get into banking? I don't know. In my mind, going to a tier-2 or tier-3 IB and getting deal experience is a better option to break into 'high finance bar investment banking'
- Networking: This forum talks about the importance of networking so much that it should be ingrained in our heads. I can't stress how important this is and--more so--networking effectively
Thanks for the response. Networking seems vague in a practical sense. What exactly is the best way to network? Searching people up on LinkedIn and messaging them? Cold calling companies? Speaking to f&f? I just don’t want to end up calling the wrong person and making a fool out of myself.
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