Doing IB while a PT student

Hey Folks,

As I'm nearing my graduation from my MSF program in December, I have started applying to FT jobs. I am pretty much done with all the interesting aspects of the program and have only 3-4 bs classes to take, so I thought it would make sense to try to get a job now instead of later. I recently got an email for a phone interview at a lower MM IB. I know that I can tough it out in school while working IB hours but not sure how they would take it. Here are my options

1) Say that I will be doing IB while finishing school PT (my classes are at night btw so I can probably manage if the hours are not BB hours) 2) Tell them that I already graduated, but do classes on the side (at night) 3) Drop my classes, forget about the degree while I do IB for 2 years, and finish it later

Ultimately, my goal has been to break into wall street, and if I can get it done now then I don't really need my degree (given that I already have my BA). My chances aren't looking that great on other fronts right now, so I am willing to take a shot at it than wait until I'm close to graduating.

Thanks for the help.

5 Comments
 

Would not recommend 2 or 3. 3 is a waste of money if you've mostly completed the program. 2 is silly as you will have random late nights no matter where you work, and 3-4 night classes is still a lot of hours.

I would ask if they can accommodate a January start (not uncommon) and if you really want to start now potentially work from now-then as an internship. That way you can wrap up the degree, get some experience, and January is only a few months away

Array
 

Thanks for the reply. I agree with 2 and 3, but it seems that they are looking for an analyst ASAP, so I don't see how the January window works. When I say part time, I mean that I will finish my remaining 3-4 courses throughout the year (taking maybe 1 class per quarter). Is that something that they could work with? Especially given that this is not a major bank and their hours might not always be the typical 90-100 hour weeks.

 

Et quia ea est earum excepturi animi. Aliquid sed quod odit et quia mollitia veniam aut. Assumenda qui vel eos dolores. Ut natus odit pariatur harum quisquam. Mollitia rerum minima suscipit est culpa aperiam et.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.2%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.2%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.6%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.2%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (43) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (75) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (65) $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
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
7
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
8
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
9
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
10
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
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...”