What Firms Should I Be Targeting?

I go to a non-target (Penn State/Kelley/Fordham/Rutgers) and was wanting to know: realistically, what firms should I be targeting? I feel like it would be foolish talking to people from GS/EB's, since I don't really have a chance there. However, what firms are more receptive to non-targets?

11 Comments
 

this. i promise you when you put yourself in the same room as the hyper target kids you will realize how awkward they are and how they cant hold a conversation or come off likeable. cast a huge net and im sure you will get something if you interview prep.

 

To be frank, coming from those schools, you have an equal disadvantage at all bulge bracket banks. Armed with that knowledge, you're going to have to network aggressively and independently everywhere, so I can't see why you would limit yourself to any of them in particular. 

 

I go to one of those 4 and am heading to EB next summer. Had 2 of the other 3 at my superday. Seriously shoot for the stars there's no waste in recruiting for each and every firm you have genuine interest in. Retrospectively wish I did the same. I also think firms are generally casting a wider net by the year and saw some really interesting backgrounds of fellow candidates during my recruiting.

 

GS has higher school diversity than a lot of firms, the premise that top firms only hire from top targets is false (with the exception of some EBs, to your point).

but yeah, your whole line of thinking is really out of touch w reality. That's normal for freshman/sophomores but after you go through recruiting/get a SA, kids usually wake up. 

 

I think this is bad advice. I went to a large state school in the south and I definitely targeted MM firms knowing that the big boys and independent advisory shops would mostly be a nonstarter. If it’s a numbers and reps game why wouldn’t you target firms most likely to get you into the first round?

 

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