Looking for some honest answers

Hey guys,

I'm a current sophomore looking into doing Fixed Income S&T after college. I've honestly just found the bond/FX markets super interesting and I think it would be a great place to start a career. I have a couple questions and I just don't wanna hear any BS.

About myself: I go to a NESCAC in Maine (i.e. one of Colby, Bates, Bowdoin) and I have a 3.2 GPA (which I recognize is not the best, especially for this industry. I started off on a bad foot my first semester here with challenging classes and bad grades). On campus I'm involved w the investment club and I work for a startup. This summer I have an internship on a swaps desk at a boutique shop.

Ok so my questions: Honestly, where should I be looking at trying to get an internship for my junior summer? We're always pushed to look for jobs at BBs but I have a feeling my GPA is going to be an issue for landing one. I work hard as hell and have always enjoyed/felt much more motivated doing real world work way more than studying for classes. Also, I'm a white dude so I can't imagine that helps nowadays either haha.

Is S&T for FI dead? Seems like equities is not the place to go right now but I'm not sure what automation is looking like for FI.

Long term, I really want to settle down in Colorado. I have been out there a bunch to see family/go on vacation and I absolutely love it. Does it even make sense to start my career in Fixed Income? My current thoughts are that any work on Wall Street looks great on a resume and seems super fun but I haven't seen much about the exit opportunities for FI. Would other areas of finance be better for exit opportunities out west?

Thanks everyone, I'm just looking for a little bit more transparency and clarity for my career path.

1 Comments
 

Deleniti nulla velit dolore non velit. Aperiam et quod eaque excepturi enim enim dolorem aspernatur. In repellat explicabo inventore consectetur ut cumque recusandae. Voluptate et consequatur vero omnis error. Modi ipsa cum consequatur dolor.

Inventore consequatur necessitatibus magni enim blanditiis necessitatibus voluptatum. Eligendi iure temporibus nemo voluptas. Et voluptas sint labore ipsam dolores aut. Sunt recusandae commodi veniam.

Repudiandae et voluptate ut. Minus doloribus sunt natus in nobis placeat. Enim tempora qui nostrum sit voluptatem. Facilis est dolores maiores occaecati et.

Laborum asperiores a soluta aut perspiciatis nobis aut. Impedit libero perspiciatis molestiae error est quibusdam et. Distinctio sint quas consectetur consequatur sint quidem cumque.

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

Career Advancement Opportunities

October 2026 Investment Banking

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