How old is too old for each level?

Working on second masters in quant finance after not liking working in biotech lab. Would rather more people oriented positions like strategy consulting and investment banking. Feel under qualified for associate and too old for analyst. I’m 26. What do I do to get into these career paths? First masters was biomedical engineering. Both schools are tier 1

7 Comments
 
Most Helpful

I'll be 28 or 29 when starting my IB stint. I'm also working on a second masters, alongside having work experience in a different industry. I admit this is not ideal, especially because of achieving the financial 'freedom' later than my IB peers (my previous roles were not well paid despite being 'prestigious') but that's fine, not everyone gets all they want so quickly. Getting into IB in late 20s gives you the maturity perspective, something that many younger people don't have. Many people going to IB straight after uni in early 20s tend to get burnt out more easily as this is their first job in a (usually) rather toxic environment so hard to learn how to properly handle that. However, I already know my limits, am more polished due to previous work experience, so hoping to use it to my advantage, especially as I hope to stay in IB for a longer time period than just analyst stint. I'm not saying this is an ideal situation overall, but just trying to share my perspective as an 'older' than avarage prospective IB analyst. 

Speaking of an associate role, I do feel you as I had similar thoughts. The reality is difficult though and the banks have strict pipelines so unless you have a good modelling experience and an interest in ER, I am afraid that getting an IB associate position is not that straightforward without MBA. Anyway, good luck

 

Ipsam assumenda quidem aut asperiores consequatur et dolores. Quia quibusdam qui consequatur quod eum.

Est ratione rerum nihil impedit ad neque. Dolores autem accusantium non et quos corporis. Doloremque omnis itaque consequatur laudantium aut omnis in.

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 (67) $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
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
10
Linda Abraham's picture
Linda Abraham
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...”