In need of advice. International Student Job Search in the U.S.

Hi, how are you? I am currently an MSc in Economics student at Bocconi University, Italy (no. 3 business school in Europe in this year's FT ranking). Fluent in 4 languages. Upon graduation I would like to move to the U.S. (preferably west coast) to start my career here. Right now I am evaluating two paths..

1) get another Master's degree in the U.S. and subsequently leverage on the schools' career services and alumni networks to get a decent entry-level position. Schools considered: Johnson, Darla Moore, Olin, Foster, Anderson

2) enter directly into the U.S. job market, gain 2-3 years of professional experience and do an MBA at a top-25 U.S. b-school

Visa is not an issue (I have a U.S. resident status). Money for education, even though has some constraints, is not an issue either. Neither is age (when I graduate from my MSc I will have the age of a Junior at an American college).

My target industry is Finance, which I would like to have a solid position in mid-career. However, I'll be happy to start in any business-related field.

Considering my education, aims and constraints, what would you choose if you were me?

I do not know any working professionals the U.S. to ask this (maybe stupid haha) question, so any advice from professionals, especially those who come from universities abroad will be very much appreciated.

1 Comments
 

Et sed dolorum perspiciatis nisi magnam. Dolor molestias quo quod. Ratione et rem et omnis et. Quod distinctio et quisquam id assumenda rerum.

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.9%
  • Evercore 01 98.3%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.7%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.7%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (15) $434
  • Associates (46) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (79) $150
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (73) $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
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
10
bolo up's picture
bolo up
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...”