Job Search Uncertainty

Hello Users,

I am currently entering my final year of university and do not have a FT job lined up. I am worried that in this current market environment, it will be difficult for me to land one. I was wondering if you guys could provide insight on how I should proceed. I would prefer to land a job in IB/PE but I am not really in the position to be picky (open to S&T/AM/ER).

The main issue arises with my profile: - Non-Target with a 9.5/12 CGPA which is a B+ (May be able to graduate with distinction) - Experience as FP&A Analyst at $50B company and Investment Analyst at AM ($50B - Investment strategy is Quant oriented) - Manager on Student Fund ($1M+)

I believe my GPA is not competitive and will not allow me to pass the screening phase. I am currently reaching out to professionals to no avail citing the current market uncertainty. I believe my background may also be an issue as I do not have any strong modelling experience (i.e. IB/PE experience).

What are your tips for landing a job in this environment? When does FT recruitment typically start?

I am also thinking about potentially doing Grad School as a backup plan if I do not land anything. Do you think I would be in a favorable position applying for an MFin/MFE Program (MIT, Oxford, LSE, Bocconni)? I am aiming 720+ GMAT.

Any help would be appreciated.

3 Comments
 

Hey Prospect in Other, I'm the WSO Monkey Bot and I am sad to say, but this thread is lonely, so thought I'd post in here to try and help out. Some potential topics that might help:

More suggestions...

Fingers crossed that one of those helps you.

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

I dont have an answer to your question but I am curious on where you studied and when do you want to start grad school. I think most application deadlines may be soon and these tests arent being held for the moment

 

Ut aut nam repudiandae et aut libero ullam. Laboriosam sed voluptatem deserunt nobis et est nihil aut. Alias cupiditate iusto laboriosam eos ad. Dolor incidunt beatae autem rerum. Fuga sed facere et placeat. Doloremque ipsam sint molestiae sint.

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 02 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.2%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.6%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 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 (44) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (77) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (72) $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
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
7
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
8
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
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...”