Too late at 28 for any roles?

Undergrad from a target school, 1.5 years of work experience at JLL in strategy consulting for infra projects (government advisory), 1 years at a startup in strategy, 6 months at a startup as a manager in analytics but the startup went bust, 8 months contract at LVMH for analytics, a few independent consulting projects.

I never really liked a desk job and am planning to switch my location. The option I was looking at was an mba at a German school like WHU or HHL but I’ll be 31 when i graduate. Also i heard that an mba is not a well recognised degree in Germany hence am leaning for the MSc in finance.

I already have a masters in Management from Boston university online

Please help, will firms be willing to hire a 31 year old associate in consulting or banking?

16 Comments
 

I am from the US so obviously biased, but get to the US. Do MBA here at a top 25 school and you have a solid chance of getting on the track to any job you want. 

 

Incoming Analyst in IB - Gen:

I am from the US so obviously biased, but get to the US. Do MBA here at a top 25 school and you have a solid chance of getting on the track to any job you want. 


Most of my friends from India who graduated from the M7s this year have come back and are starting their careers again here. I think the market in the US is pretty bad right now. Plus no path for a citizenship.

Additionally i have an undergrad from UCL/ LSE so i think that’s a target in Europe and everyone knows about it

 
Most Helpful

I think entering investment banking in Frankfurt could be very challenging. While age shouldn't be an issue, the poor market conditions and your unusual prior experience might complicate things.

The limits of acceptable prior experience for entering investment banking at established firms in Frankfurt are relatively narrowly defined (audit, transaction advisory services, or smaller M&A boutiques). Even transitions from strategy consulting to investment banking are not so common in Frankfurt during weaker market phases.

Your best chance might be at a middle-market firm with infrastructure focus like DC Advisory or a TMT boutique (if your startup experience aligns with this sector) like GP Bullhound or Drake Star.

I would strongly advise against an MBA, as these degrees are often perceived as "purchased qualifications" in Germany and lack prestige unless you come from a natural sciences or engineering background.

How strong are your German language skills? This is often a basic requirement for entering the Frankfurt market.

 

Frankfurt Monkey:

I think entering investment banking in Frankfurt could be very challenging. While age shouldn't be an issue, the poor market conditions and your unusual prior experience might complicate things.



The limits of acceptable prior experience for entering investment banking at established firms in Frankfurt are relatively narrowly defined (audit, transaction advisory services, or smaller M&A boutiques). Even transitions from strategy consulting to investment banking are not so common in Frankfurt during weaker market phases.



Your best chance might be at a middle-market firm with infrastructure focus like DC Advisory or a TMT boutique (if your startup experience aligns with this sector) like GP Bullhound or Drake Star.



I would strongly advise against an MBA, as these degrees are often perceived as "purchased qualifications" in Germany and lack prestige unless you come from a natural sciences or engineering background.



How strong are your German language skills? This is often a basic requirement for entering the Frankfurt market.


I’m learning German as of now. Would internal consulting like Allianz consulting, Porsche, Eon, Roland Berger etc be doable after HHL or Frankfurt?

 

I believe the mentioned internal consulting roles should be possible with your profile and professional experience even without a Master’s. Working at Roland Berger without a Master’s could also be possible, though this heavily depends on the desired field, grades, and other factors.

However, lacking good German skills could be a dealbreaker here as well, since even in the fields of investment banking and consulting in Germany, very little English is spoken in everyday work.

 

Just out of curiosity you say you don’t like working a desk job then why spend a ton of money for presumably another desk job?

 

zz00zz:

Just out of curiosity you say you don’t like working a desk job then why spend a ton of money for presumably another desk job?


What else do i do? Working at a desk job in India is worse than working at a desk job in Europe. Hence I’m choosing the lesser of the Two evils

 

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