No SA 2024 offer - next steps?

Rising junior at a target who struggled during recruiting for SA 2024 investment banking roles. High GPA, extracurriculars, internships... but I prepped technicals too late and failed to connect with interviewers.

Definitely willing to keep my head up and learn from my mistakes over the past few months. However, I'm having a lot of trouble deciding where to focus my recruiting efforts and what direction to head in. What finance careers/divisions at banks are still early in the networking/recruiting process? Are equity research, capital markets, PWM, AM, corporate banking, etc started? Should I just begin to network at MM/regional boutiques and see if I can break in on the late end? Feels like a lot of opportunities are closing up and I'm rushed into making major career decisions now.

What's the next best step if you've realized an IB SA offer isn't feasible? I'm definitely willing to put the work in, I'm just unsure how to move forward and lacking a sense of direction as it feels I put all my eggs in one basket over the past few months. I also don't want to put all my effort into processes that I'd be behind the curve in, especially since I'd consider pursuing management consulting, which I have more time to prep for.

don’t stress. breaking into IB first try is not do or die. you can always lateral from a different job. If you want to end up in IB, it just takes effort and a little luck. always have some regional boutiques open for summer 2024, and maybe some reputable banks who could have open slots still. plus unfortunately your recruiting during a bad job market

In same boat. I go to a target and a lot of students got screwed and now are case prepping. Personally would want to kill myself than to case prep, but definitely now heavily considering it since I fucked myself this spring.

Would recommend

1. looking at foreign balance sheet banks (socgen, smbc, hsbc, nomura, tds, rbs?, mufg, bnp, credit agricole, Santander, mizuho, macquarie, cicc, ING, pnc?) apply to all rn and network asap(prob stronger in dcm/lf or certain verticals) - but then again anything is better than nothing, even if it’s m&a at mizuho or port mgmt at smbc. Or apply to small regionals that have groups in ny

2. No name boutiques/regionals

3. Corporate banking? (Don’t know timeline but lateraling after a yr seems better than going to big4) 

Notes

- I’m an SA this summer so take these recs as you will.

- I feel like ib(product/coverage groups) and corporate banking are most similar with one another and roles within s&t, am, equity research might require an adjustment in your technical prep and story to why this group.

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