Seeking Advice: Background Info Provided

I am currently trying to land an investment banking internship as a summer analyst for 2016.

Background: -Small Private University -Dual BBA/MBA Accounting Track -Undergrad GPA: 3.4 -Graduate GPA: 4.0 -Career center might as well not even exist -Small alumni base with no Investment Bankers to be found

Work experience: -Interned at a Big4 in audit -Currently a FT "Open ended Intern" at local firm in audit

Kicker: Arrested in 2012 and charge with possession of marijuana. State Jail Felony. Deferred adjudication completed. Cannot be expunged. Can get a non disclosure in five years meaning no one can see it besides public entities.

Questions: -I graduate May 2016; is it too late to land an internship? -Does my background already have me labeled as an accountant, thus condemning me to a lifetime of monotony as an audit slave? -Is my deferred charge the end of my banker aspirations? -Does anybody have any advice as to what steps I can take to secure an internship?

4 Comments
 
Best Response
  1. It may be a bit late for an internship - you'll need to start applying for FT
  2. An accounting background is great. Strong knowledge of accounting is necessary for IB. You just need to have a good story for why you want to switch
  3. It certainly makes things more challenging, but life isn't over.
  4. Know exactly why you want to make the switch and be able to communicate that reason. Be upfront and transparent about the charge when asked, and talk about what's changed as a result of it.

- network hard. Reach out to any alumni; there are bound to be bankers at some places, and if there are as few as you claim, they'll be more than willing to help out since they understand the struggle coming from a small school.

 

That's the right way to approach it. Like I said in a different post, you just have to be willing to get out there and hustle. Coming from where we come from, you need an edge and persistence. Once you get that interview, the school on your resume becomes irrelevant (albeit not completely, but you get the point). From there, it's on you to perform and prove that you deserve the job.

Keep at it

 

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