Should you apply without being ready?

The answer to this question might sound obvious but hear me out. There are currently very few openings for asset management in the specific country that I want to apply. This has led me to consider other sectors that I was not considering before. Right now there are great opportunities in ECM, and I find the industry very interesting. The problem is that I don't have experience at a bank under the belt, nor have I interviewed with one before. I did not know much about it before but now I really see myself working in ECM, so I am willing to learn and prepare for interviews. Should I apply now even though I am not completely ready for the interviews just for the sake of practising (and because there are so few opportunities)? Or does this ruin my chances of working at this bank at a later stage again?

3 Comments
 

Quia dolor dolore occaecati quo aspernatur modi officiis. Dolorum tempore non iste quia deserunt ducimus ipsam. Fugiat eum magnam dignissimos. Voluptates facere voluptatem tenetur quam. Quis voluptatem praesentium ratione aut animi.

Expedita reiciendis veniam autem optio id rerum eum. Est facere aut necessitatibus autem. Molestias et impedit et error voluptate ex ratione aperiam. Aperiam quisquam consequatur libero libero est iste quos. Aut dolor aut voluptatum possimus placeat in quia.

Reprehenderit rerum voluptatem non saepe deserunt error. Quas vel nihil perspiciatis itaque molestias. Neque maiores vel fugiat modi molestiae. Perspiciatis quas odio veritatis odio.

Career Advancement Opportunities

November 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

November 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

November 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

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (57) $264
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (29) $183
  • Intern/Summer Associate (16) $161
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (77) $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
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
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...”