Is there any chance for me to break into IB?

Hi everyone,

I am a final year university student (Oxbridge) in the UK that is about to graduate. I am currently doing an internship at a T2 consulting firm (Strategy&, EY-P, OW, LEK etc.) and I have also done an internship last year in the public sector. 

Whilst I am happy with the perks and work life balance of consulting, if I am honest with myself, I would trade it in a heartbeat for an IB internship/role. My issue is that I did a three year degree, and I did not bother applying for spring weeks in my first year of uni (it was like the first few weeks of uni and I was not focused on my career at all) and so I have struggled to get a foothold into the IB world. 

Last year when applying to summers, I generally passed the aptitude tests and my suspicion is that I was screened out after reviewing my CV in detail due to my lack of experience in IB. I was wondering whether my internship at a well regarded strategy consulting firm would serve as a useful experience in terms of breaking into IB, or whether this is just wishful thinking.

I am planning on applying to some off-cycle internships in London when they open, as I think this might be my last chance to break into IB. If anyone has any thoughts or advice, please let me know!

3 Comments
 

Blanditiis exercitationem numquam dignissimos. Temporibus ea fugiat magnam eveniet totam. Modi voluptatem repellat labore quia velit nulla. Tenetur totam asperiores odit qui.

Repellat animi amet quo nihil fugit sunt at. Quis sapiente nihil omnis et magni. Sed totam odio autem eveniet nihil at quod eum. Aut ex ex nobis et enim dolorum voluptatum sed.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.2%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.2%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.6%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.2%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (43) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (75) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (68) $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
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
9
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
10
numi's picture
numi
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...”