Internationals in IB/PE - Where are you now?
Anxious sophomore recently landed at a top EB (which does have London offices). Given the visa situation with international students, it seems a finance career in the US is quite uncertain. I hear that the most common route is to get relocated to London, but how would your career play out if that's the case?
Specifically:
1. How has your career played out?
2. Why would the firm lateral back if they know you are only spending two years here?
3. How would PE recruit look like given all that moving?
4. Did anyone recruit for PE FT? Is that a better way to approach PE then? (tho you probably still have to go to London for a bit, but at least they might be more motivated to bring you back)
5. Why isn't Canada a popular option? I heard that quite a few firms have Canadian presence (more applicable to BB and not all EBs)
If you don't feel like answering all, just your story/story of someone you know would be really helpful!
You can always return to your home country
I know this a pretty common response, but a caveat no one told you about is your family/upbringing. If you are wearing designer clothes to school, you will WANT to go back. Most rich families especially in East Asia (not as applicable in Europe given Oxbridge etc.) do this. You are just trying to get an Ivy degree and then go back where you would be set for life. For those that comes from middle-class background or worse, why would you want to come back early when you strived to get to the US in the first place? And later down your career, if you come back, you'd have to consider that you don't have the network (probably the single most important thing in Asian businesses). All in all, just doesn't sound great from a career perspective.
At least that's my view for now. Hence would appreciate someone coming in with a different perspective.