Last semester of MBA Program and I feel lost

I come to all of you with humility and need of advice.

I'm in my last semester of a T15 MBA program and am 2 months from graduation without a job lined up. I was in Big 4 assurance before the MBA and last summer did a summer associate internship at a good bank in NYC but didn't receive the return offer. I won't go too deeply into the reasons, but there was one person on a deal team that didn't like me for political reasons and that resulted in me not getting the offer.

I've been re-recruiting ever since I got out of the internship, and I've now had my 6th super day and not a single one has worked out. I've done hundreds of coffee chats over the past 7 months and I'm completely demoralized. I'm completely fearful for what the future will hold, especially given the rising macroeconomic uncertainty, looming recession, and war in the middle east.

Please if you have any advice, I'm begging for help. Getting into banking has been my only focus for years, and with a wife to support I don't know what to do if I don't line something up before I graduate.

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This was me back in 2009 and I was recruiting during the GFC.

It’s really tough. But I can tell you what I did.

I kept at it and didn’t give up - but at the same time opened up my field of view a bit into other non-banking options.

I didn’t get a job until October after graduating. It was stressful as hell. But one of those non banking options worked out and gave me a great launching pad into my career.

I’ve had a funny career since then with some twists and turns but overall I’ve done very well and built a good life and socked away a good amount of money.

Keep faith things will work out (even if it takes longer than you think) and be open to more than one option for the path forward and I can promise things will work out. Just remember that when you get your shot you need to grind it out and make sure no one out works you.

It’s not where you start - it’s where you end up.

 

Hi @rf949, I wanted to come back to this message. Just a week after your message of encouragement I ended up receiving a full-time offer with a bank in New York.

Not sure whether you will see this message, but I wanted to say thank you and that I’m really grateful for your encouragement. It’s incredible how quickly things can shift in this business — a week ago I was at my lowest point, and today I’m feeling more optimistic about life than I have in nearly a year.

Thank you very much for looking out for others, and I wish you many blessings in this life

 

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