Confused Non Target Looking for Direction
Hi all,
This is my first time posting on this site so please be gentle. I'm currently a sophomore at a large non-target public school on the East Coast who's been struggling immensely with Investment Banking SA '25 recruiting. It's sort of felt that I've been shooting in the dark in terms of randomly networking with anyone at any bank that is still recruiting and I feel as if I've been spinning my wheels without much traction and am not quite sure what to do. On the positive side, this summer I'll be a summer analyst at an MM PE firm, however, there is no process in place for it to convert to a '25 Internship or a full-time role so I'd still be searching for something post-internship. My ultimate goal as of now is an associate role at an MM/UMM fund but my path to getting there is becoming increasingly less clear to me. Any advice/tips for someone in my situation would be greatly appreciated.
This situation is definitely stressful, but if you make high probability, effective decisions you can find yourself on a good path. Start off by throwing your hopes for NYC jobs out of the window for now. As a sophomore non-target in May, to put it bluntly you're pretty fucked unless something comes out of nowhere. I would focus your efforts on regional offices (Charlotte, SF, Chicago, Houston etc) and start building relationships there. Firms like Wells Fargo have great internal lateral systems in place that can allow you to make the switch to another city if you want. Hopefully, you can leverage your potential network there to find a SA2025 or at least leverage those relationships into full-time opportunities.
As for a direct way to tackle your junior summer process, consider a pivot away from banking and figure out what other opportunities you could be eligible for. Regional consulting shops, other finance positions (BlackRock, back office jobs such as audit, risk, etc) open up later in the game than most IBD roles. That'll give you something strong to have on your resume for a potential full-time lateral.
All in all, take high probability shots. Approach opportunities that are easier to obtain and stack those into better long term opportunities while building a good network in IB to potentially get you in the door later. Good luck
Edit: or you can position urself for an MBA and get to your long term goal of PE that way
what about delaying grad by a semester
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