25yo College Freshman
Hello everybody, This is my first post so let me give you guys a little background about myself. Like the title says, I am 25 and a freshman in college. I am just starting down the road to my career in finance, and would like to eventually become an analyst. I currently work full-time (not finance related), and I live in the SF Bay area. The reason I created this post is because I wanted to get some opinions from people in the industry about my current job prospects. I would like to begin gaining some work experience and applicable skills. I'm not sure though where to find full-time positions for people still in school. Most of the positions for students are either part-time, or temporary (summer internships, etc.). Any advice on how or where to find an entry job, or any advice in general for someone just trying to get started, would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
What do you do now, when did you graduate HS, what have you been doing since, what made you decide to go back to school, and why for a finance degree?
Would be useful to know all of this info and you can expect to be asked these questions, directly or indirectly, by most recruiters.
Thanks for your reply. I graduated HS in 07, and have been doing construction since my senior year. I have decided to go back to school because I don't enjoy doing construction anymore, and wanted to find something that interested me. I chose to study finance because that's what I thought was most interesting, and would be the most enjoyable to learn about. I wanted to find something that I would enjoy doing even if I wasn't getting paid because we devote some much time to our careers and I know what it's like to have a job you hate. I have always read basic books about the stock market,personal finance, business, etc. so I thought this would be a good fit. Right now I have a mortgage, etc. to pay, so I can't really do any unpaid internships or anything like that, but I was thinking maybe an entry level operations position might be a way to get my foot in the door. What do you think? Thanks for your input.
I would just avoid putting your construction job on your resume so you dont get asked these questions. Just put your graduation date and you will be the same as any other freshman candidate. You may be 25, but there are 18 year olds that look 30 so it would be pretty odd to be called out for this. Unless you are 25 and look 35.
18 year old girls. Make it happen.
Chicks, man.
...it's pretty straightforward
+1
I hope OP goes to Arizona State
Not coincidentally, you chose a definition that few would agree with and the credibility of the source is suspect.
Not what I would call ironic, but it is probably what you would.
Nothing of your situation was paradoxical or unexpected. Coincidental was an apt description. Maybe you could have just written that?
in general I'm confused, but I see you want to learn something extra. feel free to PM, but I think your post right here, lacks direction.
Pm sent. Thanks.
What school do you go to now? Is it a community college or a state university?
A community college for now.
Oh. I don't want to sound like a dick because I do think that you are being genuine with your question here, but as you probably already know, Wall Street is pretty obsessed with prestige. Going to a community college( even if you do transfer to a 4-year institution later on) will hold you back more than being 25.
That being said, I would look into BO/MO roles if you truly feel that you still want to go into finance. You can live a very successful and fulfilling life if you start your career in operations or compliance. Don't just limit your options to IB.
Agree with Wall St, it's difficult to break in even from a target top20 university or as a MBA/masters candidate. I think you said you are in CA which means you can transfer to a UC university after 2 years with good grades. I suggest you put all your effort into achieving the requirements to transfer to a 4-year university, ideally Cal or UCLA.
Also- take time to explore many professional career options in the business/finance world and understand the lifestyle/demands/skill sets required for those jobs. Operational/Project management roles are more likely to value your industry expertise.
As someone who did the community college path before transfer to a non-target, I would disagree with others that prestige would hold someone back from breaking into finance. Age may be the biggest deterrent based on what role you pursue in finance as IB (at least for Analyst roles) trend towards lower-20's to mid-20s. That being said, if you can knock out the grades in school and network, you should be able to position your for a role. I would say further explore the finance industry to see what best interests you to pursue in career and then utilize resources to work towards establishing a career in the field you choose to focus on.
FYI, I did IB in SA and now FT role...
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