Recent BBA grad seeking advice on entering commercial banking!

Hi everyone, I recently graduated with a BBA from a target school back in June and I'm seeking some real advice/guidance from this community.  A primary issue is that I don't have any internship experience (Ik this is very unfavourable), but I do have some sales experience.  I'm trying to determine whether pursuing a master's degree would improve my chances of entering the industry (MBA + Coop or an MIB). 

I wouldn't be starting until fall 2024. So essentially I have around a 1-year gap before I'd be starting school again. Throughout the gap year, I'd be pursuing certifications and self-paced courses to work on technical skills while working a PT job (most likely in retail sales).

My question is what would you do in my situation to land an entry-level position in Commercial Banking? Would you continue to try and land entry-level positions with little work experience, or pursue a master's while gaining certifications and working retail sales for a year?  I'd greatly appreciate your input. Thank you!  

1 Comments
 

Voluptate corporis similique ipsam iure. Ducimus amet hic molestias et et corporis tempora repellendus. Eaque repellendus ut qui incidunt vel animi. Voluptates aut vitae ut velit est aut velit. Iusto eius tempore dolore dolor deleniti. Quidem architecto minima debitis eligendi aut. Dolore voluptate saepe ab qui harum.

Aut id natus temporibus ad alias eos. Esse dolor fugiat repudiandae qui.

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

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 06 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
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
10
Linda Abraham's picture
Linda Abraham
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...”