If You Whiff in Undergrad Recruiting, Can MBA Save The Day?

Just read an article about how MBA grads are crushing it in job market.

https://nypost.com/2018/07/23/top-mba-graduates-a…

My question is as stated above:

If you strikeout in recruiting as undergrad, can an MBA totally change your fortunes? Or will the stink/stigma of your putrid undergrad recruiting experience follow you around?

24 Comments
 

Good question. I'm not entirely sure, however I'd assume that if you had a poor undergrad experience maybe you wouldn't be able to get into a top tier MBA that could change your career path?

Also, might be held against you if you go straight from college to B-school w/out work experience.

 

Doing your MBA without work experience is basically career suicide if you want to do IB or consulting. No decent MBA program will take someone without work experience, and no bank or consulting firm will take someone without work experience if they have an MBA.

Save the MBA for 4-5 years after graduating, but if you really want to give recruiting another shot, do an MSF program or something similar.

 

See, this is why WSO kicks ass -- never would have known this, or considered that MSF is option if one needs to rehab their rep... thanks!

 
Most Helpful

It’s not to say one shouldn’t go get an MBA at a school that’s not Ivy League or top 10, I know people who do that and end up in solid management roles in a F500, or sales roles etc but it’s a bold decision because in an industry like investment banking MBAs qualify for associate roles not analyst roles, however an MBA program right out of college would negate you from being able to apply for entry level jobs due to being over qualified, but then because you never accumulated work experience, you’re not totally qualified to work as a promotion level position. Also the fact an industry like IB recruits at high pedigree campuses for associate roles. Are you going after an MBA at xyz state with 0 actual professional experience or MBA at a top B School that required professional experience to begin with.

 

If you're asking what TrTrTr's rationale is, its because its the truth. 2 years experience is considered the minimum.

If you're wondering what the MBA program's rationales are, my guess is this:

  • Their rankings improve as they place students in high profile jobs (banking, pe/vc, strategy consulting, F500 corp dev/strategy, etc)

  • Those jobs usually hire at the "associate" level, which is client or exec facing and usually has a team under them. Those top tier jobs want to know you aren't just good at school, and so unless you are at an MBB or BB its usually a 3 or 4 year process to prove your potential in the workforce.

 

Getting your MBA straight out is bad for a few reasons. First off, it makes you over qualified for entry level positions and entry level pay, but also you are completely unqualified to manage people for lack of experience.

 

Voluptatem culpa ipsum modi consequatur. Ea sed assumenda voluptatum iure perspiciatis similique. Rerum id laboriosam explicabo qui natus asperiores odit facilis. Corporis maxime velit consectetur.

Culpa esse vel consectetur quod est. Dolorem quis repellendus nesciunt rerum pariatur explicabo voluptas mollitia.

Est id quos modi eaque et. Vel accusamus animi explicabo. Dolorem eaque earum amet voluptas possimus. Nobis non omnis nobis repellendus corrupti neque impedit. Dignissimos deleniti quia tempora dolores saepe doloremque. At commodi neque et ab velit ipsa.

Facilis nihil qui aut nemo quisquam. Id similique vero facere qui ea ipsa quo.

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.3%
  • BMO Capital Markets 13 97.7%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.7%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (46) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (80) $150
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (73) $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
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
10
Mimbs's picture
Mimbs
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...”