International student from T20 with econ degree - graduated / no internships / low GPA / soon to be unemployed
Hi WSO,
(obligatory this isn't about breaking into IB disclaimer)
In May I graduated from a T25 (LAC, proximity to finance capital + decent Street presence) with a degree in economics and classics, but with little to show for it. I failed to prioritize both my grades and my career during my four years here and... yeah it sucks. Have a GPA that makes my friends wince (Sub 3.3) and didn't intern anywhere finance-related during my summers. I managed to get a data-entry/menial task internship at a research lab at a local state university to stay in the U.S. after graduation, but the runway on that gig is limited and in a year I may face having to go back to my home country (Asia). I've been trying to hunt for finance jobs and have landed a few interviews with BO positions at regional banks, but not much else.
Aside from resolving the personal shortcomings that led me to this position, I'm primarily looking for input on where I should go from here if I want to find work in the states. Some points:
- I have been networking with my school's alumni and generally these calls go well vibes-wise, but it becomes hard to translate this into job leads due to lack of knowledge/experience -- so I've been working through the CFA books + reading books to build up that knowledge base
- More school is an option (Master's in Finance, maybe a Master's in accounting or something like that)
- According to international visa guidelines your employment has to be related to your major -- not sure how much wiggle room there is on this but I can't become a barista or anything like that
- I have about a year's time to figure out how to stay in the States as an employee. If I have to go back I'll fully accept it as my own doing
- I can't lie -- my confidence/self-esteem is completely shot after facing the consequences of my actions (grossly fumbling an opportunity many would kill for) and I know I have to regain that confidence to get anywhere in life. I hide it pretty well during interviews/networking though, suck it up etc. would appreciate any advice on this front
Thanks. Happy to answer any questions.
You should try to get some work experience so you have better prospects for grad school. Aside from that, I recommend going for any job that can extend your stay; you're in that sort of beggars can't be choosers situation, so I'd try not to aim too high.
Thank you. I do have an interview for Ops this coming week. And yeah being realistic has been hard esp. in comparison to my peers, but ya got what ya got
Bump
Do a STEM master degree might help
Yeah it seems like I'll go the M.Fin route, I have been looking into Nova's as they're close
Isn't it too late for fall '23 MSF?
I'm in a similar situation but do not think I can shell out another 70k.
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