IB or bust

I am a sophomore at a target school and I'm getting frustrated with my IB job search. I know it's tough to break in, but I've been sending hundreds of emails to my alumni directory and applied to various jobs only to receive one interview thus far (EB). I'm obviously going to keep trying to get into IB but is it truly IB or bust? What are some other good banking jobs/internships to go for in 2021 that can still lead to a successful career in finance. Any help is appreciated.

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I know your frustration first hand, when I was looking to break into IB, it was like that, and unless you come from a well off family with tons of connection or you attend a target school, its going to be hell but don't give up.

Asset Management is one you can try to put on your resume, that would put you in a good position to get an actual IB gig the following summer. Wealth Management is another good one. You can try applying to local Private Equity Firms around you that are typically smaller. You can also try applying to local Investment Banking Firms around you that are typically smaller. Do a quick google search by typing, "Local [insert job here] near me."

Just don't give up. I probably cold called and emailed like 2,000 people before I got something tangible and I wanted to quit too because it just wasn't fair in my mind, but that's the way it is in a nut shell.

Amazing-Boomer
 

If you're at a target and having this level of difficulty, you may want to reach out to juniors/seniors and see what they did or what you're doing wrong.

"Markets can stay irrational longer than you can stay solvent."
 

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