First-Gen Woman Interested In IB

I am a first-gen woman who is currently in a top Master of Science in Finance program and am interested in IB. Coming from a low-income background, I've made a lot of opportunities for myself. I went to university across the country, applied for scholarships and covered all my tuition myself, did research in fashion, worked for an awesome startup incubated at a top business school, and am now getting my MSF. It is a non-traditional path, but one I am happy with. I am always looking for new challenges and to learn more. 

I am primarily interested in management consulting, but IB is a close second. Would love to hear experiences from other people with my background who have gone through the recruiting process or anyone who has advice or stories to share. Also wondering what would be a good bank fit for me if there are thoughts on that. Thanks in advance.

4 Comments
 
Most Helpful

Can't add any specific advice, but I would just say that your story is an attractive one to IB. If you think about the role of an analyst, often times the underdogs perform even better than some of the favorites (targets). Attention to detail is paramount and where you have junior bankers with a chip on their shoulder, they tend to demonstrate a higher sense of care and are likely to double and triple check their work.

Given you've been more transient of late, just be prepared to have the right story around why you want to be at Bank XYZ in City ABC.

 

Thank you for sharing that. I'm a strong communicator and storyteller so once I figure out which offices best suit me (looking mostly in SF, Boston, and London) and have good mentorship, I'll be sure to craft my story well. 

 

Expedita qui eum laboriosam est laborum ipsum. Qui placeat dolorem tempora cum.

Vel qui et est. Dolores id natus harum nemo tempora. Aliquid aliquam quia dolorum quam impedit animi incidunt. Et aliquid aliquam voluptatum corrupti. Blanditiis maxime officia dolorem porro voluptas. In aut harum exercitationem ea facere vel quisquam.

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 02 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 (16) $429
  • Associates (57) $264
  • 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
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
6
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
10
Mimbs's picture
Mimbs
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...”