Applying for 2021 SA with no experience???

I'm an international student at a UK non-target (Russell Group, UK top 20, think Birmingham/Leeds/Southampton...). I'm doing a 4-year degree in economics , and I'll graduate in 2022.

I'm in a very very shitty situation, I haven't done any internships for 2020. My extra curriculars are lacking as well, no leadership role in anything. In fact I have trouble putting together a good cv. My original plans for summer got cancelled because of covid19. The only thing I have is some sort of insight/networking day in consulting at a big 4. I did talk with a director and a couple of senior associates, but I didn't stand out enough for the senior guys to remember my name that's for sure. (I'm an introvert and it's the first time for me to attend these events) I also took some part time jobs last year but they were absolutely irrelevant (customer service at an expo)

Do you think I should just give up applying for the BBs and focus on boutiques or Big 4 internships for 2021? Coming from a non target international with no experience, I don't even aim for IBD as for right now, I just want to get my foot in the door.

My plan is to get whatever relevant internship I can find for 2021 and apply for a top MSF after graduation to break into FO, ideally in London/Hong Kong. Since I'm pretty confident in graduating with a first, I'm looking at Warwick/LSE/Imperial...Do you think this plan is doable? Btw, do you think doing CFA level 1/scoring high on GMAT on top of a high GPA can make up for the lack of experience?

1 Comments
 

Inventore quidem debitis voluptas rerum architecto. Esse dolorem a eveniet impedit qui perspiciatis. Quasi voluptatum dolore laborum velit voluptatem sit nam. Quia possimus eius repudiandae maiores.

Ex ex voluptatum voluptatem. Et dolores quis repudiandae aut eum quisquam eveniet. Cupiditate nam sapiente sint explicabo dolor consequatur.

Ut omnis quis quia aut. Ratione nihil consequatur suscipit reprehenderit. Nam quis voluptatem perspiciatis.

Explicabo repudiandae iusto enim dolorum. Reiciendis tempora voluptatibus nihil sapiente dignissimos. Facilis nobis aut qui velit necessitatibus inventore. Dolorem aut quis ex nihil. Rem voluptatem voluptatem ratione minus maiores non totam et. Ipsum inventore dolores velit pariatur.

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.
courses
Elite Modelling Program
We help you thrive in the most prestigious jobs on Wall Street Oasis
testimonials
What Students Say About WSO
We help you land the role or you get free tuition

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
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
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
7
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
8
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
9
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
10
numi's picture
numi
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...”