Is it possible to go straight to IB Associate after MSc Finance?

Plan is to go to a MSc Finance grad program after college. The program is one year of academic training, then another year of work experience in order to graduate. So by the time I complete the degree, the plan is that I'll have had a total of about two years in cumulative IB, PE, and AM internship experience, plus other professional experiences in addition to those two years.

After all these years of experience, I wouldn't want to start as a first year analyst. I'd want to recruit for the Associate position at top banks (BBs, EBs). But if that isn't possible, would top banks accept me as a senior analyst (second/third year)?

For context, my undergrad and the MSc program that I'm aiming for are both target unis in the US/UK.

6 Comments
 

It does happen in Europe out of UK MScs. Have a connection on LinkedIn who came in at the VP level from one of Imperial’s specialised finance MScs, for what it’s worth. That said, it’s pretty rare and not something to bank on unless you have a specific value add.

From your post, it sounds like you have no FTE? If so, you’ll be starting from AN1.

 
Most Helpful

It's probably hard to see now, but it's truly in your best interest to start as a first year analyst.

Given turnover in the group, the learning curve has gotten incredibly steep for new associates. If you can almost do the associate level as an analyst, you'll get great feedback and will be a hero to the group. If you an almost do the associate job as an associate 1, you'll get grinded until you quit. 

(e.g., "hey sorry, I know it's not reasonable to expect you to play the analyst, associate and VP role all at once 3 months in but we just don't have anyone else who can help. This isn't how it should be, but the seniors are stretched thin so please try to avoid asking try to limit questions to them so they can focus other projects. If you need anything, ask your peers. BTW, this is a super important client so everything you send needs to be perfect and you need be completely confident and flawless when presenting to them")

If your peers are too busy to help / resent they have to teach you while getting paid the same:

"sorry, but it's your job to develop relationships with them so that they'll prioritize your questions. If you can't even develop relationships internally, how can we trust you with a client."

 

At eligendi culpa labore impedit sunt amet. Qui sit occaecati neque qui. Fugiat nostrum aut suscipit et rerum maiores.

Provident ut et ad reprehenderit ipsa repellendus et. Quaerat dolor repellat voluptates et aut atque.

Cannabis Equipment Financing refers to a loan used to purchase business-related equipment, such as a restaurant oven, vehicle or copy machine. Our HEF Finance will work to get you a quick approval on virtually any type of Cannabis Equipment Financing equipment. They will then find the payment option that's best for you.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.2%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.2%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.6%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.2%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (43) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (75) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (67) $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
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
10
Linda Abraham's picture
Linda Abraham
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...”