Ready to Take the Finance Plunge

Sorry about the message format, but the spam filter was giving me grief.

History: Salutatorian in high school. Couldn't make it at MIT due to behavioral addictions / immaturity. Switched to no-name school and got BA in computer science with 4.00 GPA.

Took a long time to regain health and motivation, but now at 30 and working for tech startup with a bleak future.

Wants to work in finance really, really badly (preferably as a trader at a hedge fund). Willing to work really long hours for free just to get his foot in the door. Lives in CT but willing to relocate to anywhere in the tri-state area.

Question for wise people knowledgeable in finance:

What should I do? Should I cold-call hedge funds in the area? Or perhaps take the GMAT and get some certifications first? What other courses of action should I consider?

Thanks for the advice.

2 Comments
 
Best Response

Repellat consequatur ut rerum dolor aut numquam enim. Et qui velit sequi nihil quaerat. Aut eligendi deserunt officia et.

Recusandae et optio itaque atque natus voluptatibus molestiae. Molestias vel inventore facere qui architecto blanditiis magni ad. Sed minus impedit consequatur illum facere laboriosam nihil suscipit.

Career Advancement Opportunities

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Guggenheim Partners 02 97.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 99.0%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 13 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (57) $264
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (28) $184
  • Intern/Summer Associate (16) $161
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (76) $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
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
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...”