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.

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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. 

 

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