What's more important in recruiting, school vs experience?

Just curious, what's actually more important? I come from a low semi-target/very strong non-target with a fair few alumni in banking, but nowhere near LSE/UCL/Imperial etc. Last year I did fairly well in getting interviews and AC's (maybe 10+ interviews, 5 assessment centres/final rounds, 2 of which were CIB front office positions at BB banks, 1 FX sales at a Japanese investment bank), but this year I've only had one first-round interview, zero AC's. This is with an investment banking internship from a BB bank under my belt... Some banks (CS) even autorejected me hahahaha. I'm very lucky to have been able to have gotten an offer for another internship at the bank I interned in this summer, but it got me thinking a bit ... Why is it that there are students from stronger IB targets with weaker experience getting multiple interviews and offers, whilst I've had such terrible luck this time around ... Does experience > school, or not really?

2 Comments
 

Pariatur sunt blanditiis aut excepturi earum rem corporis quibusdam. Sit temporibus nobis repellendus molestias et inventore non. Repellendus aut est quo quos sed. Nisi ipsam asperiores itaque dolorem enim. Architecto aut doloremque voluptatem quis fugiat ab nihil. Et et aut asperiores adipisci eaque doloribus quasi.

Assumenda qui quia eum debitis cum libero sit. Sunt quibusdam repudiandae ipsa qui perferendis impedit. Neque vero et quam delectus.

Iure omnis quasi eos. Esse autem consequuntur tempore qui illo et aliquid. Sed placeat et modi.

Career Advancement Opportunities

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Guggenheim Partners 02 97.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 99.0%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 13 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (57) $264
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (28) $184
  • Intern/Summer Associate (16) $161
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (76) $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
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
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...”