14 Comments
 

AngelOfMusic

its ok to take another finance related job for a year while you network and try getting into IB. dont get trapped in the "it must happen as soon as you graduate or bust" mentality. Keep working, you'll get there 

Thanks, I might have sounded overly desperate only for IB positions, but I'm keeping my options opened so I can set my first step in Finance and work from there. Thanks for your advice.

 

I had a similar realisation. neverstopgrinding provided some invaluable advice in my previous thread that’s worth looking at.

Also, I think you could be overreacting and panicking. Keep preparing your technicals and general interview questions and be ready when the applications open. You know what you have to do now.

Btw like everyone always says, best to change your username to something anonymous.

 

_oak

I had a similar realisation. neverstopgrinding provided some invaluable advice in my previous thread that's worth looking at.

Also, I think you could be overreacting and panicking. Keep preparing your technicals and general interview questions and be ready when the applications open. You know what you have to do now.

Btw like everyone always says, best to change your username to something anonymous.

Thanks _oak, I will do what you have just said, but I feel like freaking out boosts my productivity somehow and Sam Sung isn't my real name. Thanks for the concern though

 

No worries. I am the same, a certain amount of anxiety definitely fuels your output, but there's a point were you will burn out. Haha yeah I wasn't sure if it was a play on Samsung but I seen some South Koreans with that name on Linkedin and that tied in with the military experience.

But yes as these guys have said, don't focus on the "IB or bust" mentality, focus on trying to get relevant experience so you could potentially lateral into IB at some stage. You have a long career ahead of you, the next few years are just a small part of it, you may even decide you don't want to do banking anymore along the way. 

 
Most Helpful

I was sort off in a similar situation, although in continental Europe. Learnt about Investment Banking, and the difficulties of breaking in, very late in my ‘academic career’. What I did, and what I would advise you to do, is to not focus on landing an IB analyst position at a BB or EB for now. That will costs you lots of precious time, and the chances of succeeding are just not very high. I think you would be better off trying to fix either an off-cycle internship or FT position at a MM bank or maybe even a no-name boutique with good deal flow and work your way up from there. With a Master's in Finance and a high 2:1 Bachelor’s that should certainly be possible. So thereby I agree with the comments above. Many people make an upwards lateral move later on in their career, so not breaking in now does certainly not mean its over for ever. Good luck!

 

I didn't have any internships, only took courses for 4 solid years and got into management consulting. If you have good stats you have options. 

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 

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