Headhunters and Grades

A lot regarding this seems to be on US forums, my focus is on London specifically. I'm graduating from a "top" university studying a STEM subject but it's been an absolute nightmare. I tried changing courses, expressed concerns about my motivation/enthusiasm and was told to fuck off lol. There's a chance my grade is a 2:2, and I'm curious to know where this would put me moving forward.I don't think this is a big issue for IB but I've heard conflicting responses for buyside recruiting. Do headhunters care? Anyone have any advice they think I'd benefit from?

12 Comments
 

1) If you haven't graduated yet its not a big issue. You can put "expected first" as long as you want, they don't check. The only time it matters is when you've graduated/get the full time offer, either from an internship or direct app as the offer is contingent on achieving a 2:1... Don't achieve a 2:1 by the end of university = no offer for IB in the vast majority of cases.

2) Similar case with buy-side (namely hedge funds) but they're genuinely looking for firsts. That being said, the hedge fund I have an offer for doesn't stipulate a grade requirement when they give you an offer post-internship but will ask for a transcript when you apply for the internship which is usually mandatory (I didn't have one at the time though)

 

Appreciate the response. Regarding IBD recruiting I’m less worried, know multiple people who converted internships and had 2:2s or even took a longer route to getting the job after the 2:2.

The bigger concern is buyside recruiting, and I should’ve specified the interest here is PE/PC/Cross-cap investing (at this stage I’m not 100% leaning on one more than the other but they all appeal to me in their own respects). I’m keen to know how anyone in a similar situation has overcame this problem, and whether there are certain headhunters out there I should be made aware of.

 

lol you don’t need to attach one. You could just attach a statement of attendance.Most unis don’t have transcripts yet

 

Do most IB offers have a 2:1 condition on their Full time offer contract?

I just recently got a offer for a 2023 Summer at an IB (haven't received contract yet) - my only concern is, assuming all goes well and I end up getting a return offer next year, if I don't end up getting a 2.1, will my full time offer be rescinded?

 

This is how GS phrased it on their application portal, seems to me that you need a transcript.

Academic Transcripts

Note! Important information for applicants: In order to complete your application, it is essential that you upload your university grade transcripts.

The files should be either .doc, .rtf, .pdf, .xls or .txt format and, in total, less than 3000KB. Please ensure the files are not being used by any word-processor or other application while they are being uploaded. The attachments must be contained in one document. Please attach a copy of your transcript / grade report below

 

I’ve applied to GS 3 different recruiting cycles and haven’t seen this. Is this for FT? For ldn? Anyway this is useless because GS require that you have a degree, not a 2:1.

 

Consectetur quia quis pariatur fugit nemo quos. Quibusdam sed ratione est porro esse vel magni. Consequatur id ducimus illo modi eligendi.

Itaque asperiores atque dignissimos. Officia modi officiis sint mollitia quia possimus. Et recusandae omnis officia omnis.

Excepturi voluptatem quis et quis modi. Fugit illo enim vel veniam tenetur officiis. Et ut sit ut. Sed nulla quos consequatur. Aut a alias laborum fuga quaerat minima quasi. Totam dolorem sed nobis neque deserunt. Aut consequatur iusto dolorem dignissimos aliquid.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.2%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.7%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.3%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (44) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (78) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (72) $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
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
6
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
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...”