I am currently a 2nd year student at a target school in Europe, but I wasn't able to land a SA position in London. By the time I finish my bachelor's, I will have had experience at a Big4 S&T and a (small) PE fund, both regional offices. Can I get a FT in London with this experience?
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Not *impossible* but it would be very hard, yes. Do you have a UK passport?
I do not have a UK passport. However, I would need financial support for my visa
Target school and at least one relevant exp is good to go in London, networking isn't as demanding as it is in the US
Not impossible however have you considered that you can still apply to SAs in your final year for a fair few banks?
I thought graduate SA are only available to students pursuing their Masters. Was this not correct?
That method works for all banks but some (like DB) will actually make you do the masters. There are several banks where final years can legitimately apply with no workaround:
JPM, Barclays, MS, Citi, UBS, CS, Rothschild. Just off the top of my head.
DB definitely doesn't but BofA and GS I'm not sure.
You can still apply for SA next year as a final year. Just include a line in your CV saying that you will do a Master's degree after graduation. "Intended Masters 2024 - 2025" and fill up the form as a penultimate year student.
If you want to make it 100% legit then actually apply for the Masters so you can have the offer letter (but then decide not to take it)
Should I start preparing for the GMAT than?
No need to prepare for the GMAT, simply indicate that you're expecting to do a master's degree in order to be considered a penultimate-year student and hence be eligible for the role.
Agree with the others here, it’s possible but generally spots for FT IB recruiting in London are limited as most are filled through SA. Also, most successful FT applicants tend to have a full IB SA internship completed already at another bank.
I know I am at a disadvantage, I just wanted to know how big it is
Big disadvantage unless you are a "target" diversity candidate or have a very good recommendation from someone inside the firm
What about a one year masters program at LSE or Bocconi etc. to have another shot at a spring week and internship?
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