Getting into IB without prior internships

Hey everyone,


I am here to ask for some advice again.


I am currently looking to start a master’s degree next fall at one of the very good universities in Europe. When starting the programme, I will have completed a Big 4 Audit internship. Additionally, I still have time to fit in 1-2 more internships next year, so looking at Big 4 TAS / M&A and something else (does anyone have a recommendation as to where this second one could be? Would not score an IB internship due to lack of experience for sure).


Thus I will not have completed an IB internship and am therefore worried that I am not going to find a job after graduating.


Does anyone have experience with applying to the standard banks without prior IB internships and my chances of getting an offer?

In case that does not work, I would also consider doing an internship after my master’s graduation. Does anyone have any personal experience doing that? I am finding very mixed reports online as to if that is even possible, as they are mostly looking for penultimate-year students and not graduates.


Thank you very much in advance. Looking forward to getting some advice!

 
Most Helpful

If you want my advice, avoid 1-year programs like LSE/LBS/Imperial and target 2-year ones like Bocconi. Some guy from my non-target undergrad with virtually 0 experience besides a 6-month internship at a tiny brokerage (nothing to do with IB) got into EDHEC's 2-year MiM program, completed a bunch of IB internships and eventually got into MS in London. If he'd gone to a 1-year program, he'd be dead in the water.

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