I am frustrated (First post ever)
Profile: Undergrad student in Germany No academic background (family site) Mom and dad are immigrants GPA: 3.0 so far
I need to get this off my chest because I can't bear it anymore.
Sounds childish but I am crying right now and I am struggling a lot because I am kind of ashamed to talk about it with anyone.
Right now I am preparing my CV and Cover Letter but I have no relevant work experience at all. I cannot bring myself out of the comfort zone, its like I'm in a writer's block scenario. I am reading a lot about, what IBD is looking for in a candidate and what they're expecting, but I am wondering if there is a perfect candidate at all? How can I know that I have strong analytical, strategic skills at this young age? It is frustrating for me because I am eager to learn during an internship/part-time working student position, but when I compare myself with my peers it seems to impossible for me to get a position. I would even work for free, just to get more business experiences, that's how frustrating I am.
Don't get me wrong, I am not a whiny/negative person. I am rather a happy person I love to surround myself with intellectual people and talk about everything, especially Finance and Economics/Business. But for god sakes, I need some advice on this.
IBD looks for young people with a track record of achievement. High GPA and a good school act as proof that someone can perform to a standard. While school/grades are somewhat based on sitting down and memorizing material, entry level IBD is similar... very mundane and long hours and you need to be able to grind it out. Work ethic is the key to success and GPA is generally a good indicator of that. There are some exceptions of course, but IBD is very competitive and firms usually have the luxury of taking only 3.5+ students.
Your first step should be to address the GPA and be honest with yourself about why it is low and what you are going to do to fix it. If you're first or second year, you probably just need to spend more time on the material and comprehend more, but it can be fixed.
As for work experience, start emailing small firms in your area to see if they'll let you come in part-time, after school, to get some exposure to the industry. Offer to work unpaid if you want. This will be good for your resume and get you some marketable skills. I would prioritize GPA over work though, so if needed focus on your GPA this year and wait until summer for an internship.
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