Work experience requirement: Is working at a major firm MANDATORY?

Based on Sandy Kreisberg's writings, I got the impression that the BIG name schools only accept candidates from MAJOR firms. If you worked for no name companies or started your own, they won't take you, regardless of everything else. So what are those major firms besides the obvious?

5 Comments
 

I don't know if what you're saying is true for every situation - but definitely true often (if not most of the time). Part of the reason is getting into a big/top firm is much more competitive than say, an accounting firm down the road or whatever. However, if you had a huge impact on a less well-known firm/on a firm you start and can quantify/prove that, you may have a good shot.

Might be off-base here, but that's my $0.02

 

Depends how you define smaller firm? People definitely get in from 10 person PE firms....people don't get in from working at a local accounting shop. Start-ups are a hot space, and experience there is VERY good. Starting your own company is also good if you have actually have revenue, impact and its scale-able and/or provides transferable skills (Selling shit on Ebay wouldn't help you, but starting a company that created some medical device or fixed some systematic issue would be very good for bschool admissions)

 
Best Response
newyork

If you worked for no name companies or started your own, they won't take you, regardless of everything else.

This is simply not true. Big brand names (BBNs), be they schools or employers, help but aren't everything. Just thinking about my classmates I saw today (didn't go to campus, so it's a small random sample), some of the pre-MBA work experience includes: - Consultant at a very small (2-6 person) boutique - Manager of several independent music venues - Lawyer at local non-prof - Project manager at regional, 250 employee general contractor Several counter-examples too, of course, but I think you get the point.

Some BBNs, like Yale or Bain, are helpful because they indicate a high degree of selectivity from a trusted source of MBA talent. Others, like many corporatees, are helpful because they are easy to understand. I know very little about cosmetics, but I can pretty easily imagine what a supply chain manager at L'Oreal does.

To answer your question about which firms count as BBNs, A good start might be F100, top 10 consulting and law firms, US government, and international non-profs.

 

I would agree that they help but are not a necessary factor. It helps build credibility to have a brand name on your resume. And this doesn't just go for b-school application, also for the job hunt itself. Think of it as a boost to your application if you have it, but not an end all factor. Kind of like a high GMAT.

 

Harum aut architecto qui est. Labore est expedita ut repudiandae et. Ut quia et quas. Et aspernatur corporis eveniet eum. Quo quia in qui cupiditate.

Voluptates eum qui voluptatem odit voluptates aut nemo. Eos dolor temporibus quis porro perspiciatis ducimus deleniti. Et modi veritatis esse quisquam qui. Voluptatem labore rerum quibusdam autem voluptatem blanditiis consequuntur. Impedit ea blanditiis error voluptas voluptatum ad. Corrupti sit est dolorem aliquam sint possimus.

Pariatur est amet illum est quae. Voluptatem nihil excepturi deserunt. Accusantium velit sint doloremque et labore ratione magni. Omnis velit explicabo sed. Dolore libero illum praesentium iure neque aut. Eum in ab deleniti incidunt.

Ipsum veritatis quod totam blanditiis porro error. Voluptate aut nulla sed ut eum velit aut. Amet in similique natus.

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.3%
  • BMO Capital Markets 13 97.7%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.7%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (46) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (80) $150
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (73) $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
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
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...”