Will Military Service Put Me Behind the Curve for Bulge Bracket IB?
I am 23 years old and I have 2 years left of a 6 year contract in the US Navy. I don't have any college credits with the exception of what I can get from my military training; however, I believe those only count as electives anyway. My concern is that by the time I get out of the military and do college start to finish, I will be 29. I know that the average age for an entry level analyst position is between 22 and 25. It seems to me that I will be too old and have too much work experince to get an analyst position but I will not have the education required for an associate possition. Is age truly a factor and is this even a valid concern? I know that there are a lot of other factors that have heavy impact on landing a bulge bracket IB position but this one seems to be the only one that I can't actually change. I would start college while I still have a few years left of military service but first year summer internships are super important for making connections and gaining experience early on. I don't want to shoot myself in the foot by getting a "head start" at a no name college during my military service. Of course there are multiple ways to get to Wall Street but there is a proven road and that is the one I am trying to take.
Your best bet is to apply to target and semi-target schools. Look at Service to School and Warrior-Scholar Project. It's former military servicemen that were once in your shoes who gained admission to top-tier colleges advising and counseling you on your college application process.
From there, just kill it academically and network as hard as you can. Try networking with former servicemen in IB as they'll be more inclined to help you out. Even then, Wall St firms love military guys. The stressful and grueling nature of the work seems trivial to military guys and they're used to not sleeping much and won't complain.
Just market yourself as a ruthless total killer and you'll be hired. They can teach you how to ALT+Tab and fill in Excel templates.
No one gets a job in IB. You have to TAKE the job in IB.
Its not going to disadvantage you, per se. But, things like being a SEAL/Nuke will differentiate you more. I hope you achieved at least E-5. Also, having a track record of leadership is good for applications. Get into a good school and use your 9/11 GI bill. You'll be fine.
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