How screwed am I? - Been interested in finance for a long time

I'd like to write you an insightful post but I'm leaving work early today (yay!), so maybe when I got home later on tonight I'll elaborate a bit more.

The short answer though: No, you're not screwed.

You also need to know your stuff cold. If you are good people will have more confidence in your abilities DESPITE all three of the factors you mention.

Breaking Bankers http://chasingconsultantsbreakingbankers.blogspot.com/

Your experience is solid. 12 months at SIG is a lot better than what most ppl have. Not sure why you think you're screwed

I don't know what you are talking about...SIG is really solid if you want to go into anything market related...

The answer up till reading the final 2/3 of your post was pretty much "your in really rough shape" then once i saw SIG my mind totally changed. The fact that you have experience with SIG is your ace card. Let that be where your networking experience starts.

Can I ask why you dont want to do trading?

"Oh the ladies ever tell you that you look like a fucking optical illusion" - Frank Slaughtery 25th Hour.

Trade4size: I would be open to do trading, would like to, just not sure if I would be able to land even the most basic job doing so in this environment. (not being "quant" enough, my aforementioned credentials)

I guess I need to explain a little further what I meant by "how screwed am I?". Screwed for me means not being a trigger-puller, i.e. back office for life. Met a bunch of people at my internship who really just seemed stuck and didn't have that much job satisfaction.

To all: Thanks for your responses, I don't feel as much like I'll always be punished for my past laziness/lack of initiative. I don't need to work at the best firm/make the most money, just want to wake up every morning and get to think about and be involved in the market.

Nonsense dont let that thinking stop you from doing what you want. Trading despite what the children on WSO say is not about math. I am in daily contact with several traders that all make 7 figures trading non of which would call them "quant". They understand the interrelationships and the basic mechanics behind the way markets move.

I will say it again.... TRADING IS NOT ABOUT MATH. Sure to trade a lot of things you have to have a firm understanding but it is not required. The best traders I know trade equities, futures, and options (not market markers).

If you want to learn more search through some of my posts.

"Oh the ladies ever tell you that you look like a fucking optical illusion" - Frank Slaughtery 25th Hour.

djs;

The similarities between you and I are so striking that I created this account to respond to your post. I am a little bit older than you, but a few years ago I might as well have been your twin. I scored almost identically to you on the SATs, but because of a lack of understanding of how the world works, I wound up going to a small, not far above average LAC as an undergrad. Continued disinterest in schoolwork and lots of heavy partying left me with about a 3.0 after two years. Through a random family connection I fell into a finance internship in Dublin the summer going into junior year and realized that I really liked it and was smarter than a lot of the guys on the desk there. I also realized that I had to get very good grades to get a real job in the industry. I aced the next two years of school and made it out with a just under a 3.5, managing only to get a back office job at a good company (this was the best finance job available through on campus recruiting). I worked my ass of there, impressed a few people, and was able to transition to a good job at a major Boston fund manager in less than a year. The experience was outstanding, the PMs were amazing people to work under, I learned a TON on the job and through the CFA curriculum. Now, a couple years later, I'm at a top 5-b school, planning to work my ass of again and expecting to have some great options when I'm done.

I too was initially struck by how competitive it all was, and how much work I would have to do, but once I wrapped my mind around it I realized that I (and probably you) seemed to have the goods, and that the work was worth it.

You're in a bit of a hole, but are not screwed by any means. The main piece of advice I'd give is to be really aggressive with sending out your resume to different places. Literally apply for everything at every fund manager you can find. I didn't do this at first, and wound up with a pretty sh*tty job right out of UG. Tell people your story honestly and directly, and a manager with half a brain will realize that you are not the same person who got B-'s freshman year, and that you're a sharp kid and are worth a shot. I wound up outworking pretty much everyone because I was so desperate to prove myself (guess I still am), and it definitely paid dividends. A smart manager will recognize you are a diamond in the rough.

If you're serious about fund management, definitely take the Dec CFA exam, (study with the Schweser notes). This will help you in an interview, and won't hurt with B-school. You'll also need a GMAT score of 700+ and 3-5 years of good work exp, and you'll be in good shape for a top school. Seems that this is totally doable for you.

Get yourself out there, even if it isn't your dream job, if you're capable and work hard I think things will work out for you. I too wondered if my teen years would doom me to mediocrity forever, but after a few years of very hard work I wound up way beyond anyone/anything I had known in my past. I never would have thought I'd make it as far as I have, and the future only looks brighter. I'd be happy to talk to you more if you want to PM me.

PS, be prepared to spend a lot of time with the sort of people you once made fun of, because they appear to be the majority in the world of successful people.