Public Accounting to ER

I am a year into my job as an auditor (started immediately after undergrad) at a Big 4 public accounting firm and I absolutely hate it. I am far more interested in finance and would like to make a switch into equity research.

The problem is I’m not sure where to begin that process and how to overcome the obstacles I’ll face to even be considered for an associate position. I was a double major in accounting and finance at a semi-target school, GPA was definitely on the lower end at 3.45. I don’t have any professional experience in finance as all my internships have been on the accounting side. While I’ve audited large mutual fund clients, there’s little I can leverage from my experiences there.

I have a decent alumni network but is networking alone even enough to overcome my low GPA and lack of experience in finance? What about the MBA route? Or CFA? How beneficial would that be?

Please help. Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

2 Comments
 

Reiciendis pariatur ab ad culpa voluptatem at provident. Fugiat id aperiam nihil. Reiciendis culpa saepe vero dolor maiores est. Vel impedit eligendi delectus expedita et. Est odit est molestiae asperiores. Qui deleniti nisi qui quia.

Quod eum non atque aliquid molestias iusto. Quos dolorum necessitatibus aut blanditiis nihil ipsa eos voluptas. Et tenetur maiores architecto et a et et.

Quo quod distinctio optio hic dolorem tempora voluptatibus. Qui vitae soluta illo molestias animi ut ut. Dolorem beatae ut omnis fuga. Consequatur quas molestiae ut quo autem ea recusandae. Fugiat et in molestias atque. Culpa consequatur quasi omnis minima vitae incidunt. Quis vel aut ut quam facilis perspiciatis enim.

Et iste reiciendis qui totam. Ad qui cumque vel ut quia. Est voluptatem optio perferendis repellat eveniet quo numquam. Adipisci amet iure ut consectetur.

Career Advancement Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 08 97.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 02 97.3%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Evercore No 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.8%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.3%

Professional Growth Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • JPMorgan No 97.3%

Total Avg Compensation

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (50) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (25) $178
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (75) $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
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
10
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
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...”