central bank experience vs. grad school

Will Central Bank research experience help getting into Ivy League Graduate schools? My concern is the central bank experience will send me in direction of master of economics. However, my goal is to do a master of finance or financial engineering and get into S&T (preferably trading) at BB upon graduation. Can someone please provide some insights on this? Thanks.

7 Comments
 

...could get you a good job on the buyside right away. Go to the central bank and make good contacts with everyone who will talk to you. Then show up a few years later at a hedge fund and say you used to work for the fed and have high-level contacts...when they ask who dont say just say you work closely with the money market desk, know the board staffers, etc. Tell them you cant mention names. This will sound impressive. no need for grad school. Ive seen it many times before. No im not joking.

 
Best Response

I have worked at BB S&T sell side before and liked it there and definitely would consider going back if possible. I understand in today's economic environment, the compensation level and job security have been aggravated at BB sell side. I think there's a possibility that this is only temporary. If it continues to be like this, the top talent from BB will all leave. It must come to a halt at some point in the future. Hedge funds are not doing that well nowadays either. Besides, they are very volatile and could blow up if not choosing carefully which one to work for. Also, working for a not-so-well-known hedge fund will limit future mobility. These are just my opinions. That's why I have my sight so set on sell side for the future.

 

Consequuntur nam aliquam illum beatae. Iusto in vitae corporis dolores quas fuga id. Quibusdam est qui est iste. Officiis eaque quia qui ullam quisquam esse. Incidunt iste nulla voluptatem animi non. Perspiciatis quia illum voluptatem qui quia dolores cum.

I love my bananas!

Career Advancement Opportunities

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.9%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.9%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • 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

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...”