3 Comments
 

Based on the most helpful WSO content, attending a Group of Eight (Go8) university in Australia can significantly improve your chances of breaking into investment banking or private equity. Many banks in Australia use culling criteria based on your Weighted Average Mark (WAM) and sometimes even your ATAR, and resumes are often categorized by the university you attended. Analysts from the same alma mater may review resumes from their school, which can give Go8 students an edge.

However, while a Go8 university is advantageous, it is not the only path. Networking plays a crucial role in breaking into the industry. For example, some elite boutiques and middle-market firms may not formally advertise roles and instead focus on candidates who proactively reach out to them. Building connections through networking nights or personal outreach can help you stand out, even if you're not from a Go8 university.

For private equity, having strong deal experience and finance skills is critical, regardless of your university. If you're not at a Go8, gaining experience at a smaller boutique or middle-market firm and lateraling into a larger firm can also be a viable strategy.

For more insights, you can explore this thread: https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forum/investment-banking/qa-2nd-yr-ib-a…</a">Q&A: 2nd yr IB Analyst - Australia.

Sources: Q&A: 2nd yr IB Analyst - Australia, https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forum/investment-banking/qa-australian-ib-life-etc?customgpt=1, Q&A: Mega Fund Associate - Asia Pacific Edition, https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forum/investment-banking/qa-2nd-yr-ib-analyst-australia?customgpt=1, https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forum/investment-banking/breaking-into-private-equity-from-banking?customgpt=1

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.
 

I would say it definitely helps, easy way to cross-check is Linkedin, the number of those in IB and PE that went to G08 is probably c. 80% (rough guess). That being said, if you went to non G08 but still a decent uni, maybe a UTS or MQ and got a solid WAM with some decent internship experience, you can definitely crack in.

 

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