3.6 GPA
690 GMAT
2013 - After several years at a Big 4 and getting the CPA, quit because I didn't like auditing. Passed CFA level 1. Applied to top ranked MBA programs but did not get into any.
2014 - Studied for CFA level 2. Did not pass. Realized that quitting was a huge mistake. I should have got another job before I left.
The goal is to work at a top tier banking, consulting or investment management firm. How do I make this possible? The only thing I can think of is re-taking the GMAT and trying to score a 760+. How do I explain ~1 year of unemployment on a resume?
Just say, you are studying towards your certifications
No-one will respect that explanation when everyone else studies towards their qualifications while working full-time...
You win the award for Darwinism. No seriously. You do. 6-9 months of unemployment is kinda acceptable in this economy, but more than that? Why didn't you do an unpaid internship at a small bank. Why not do accounts payable.
Accounting transition to consulting/IB just doesn't happen LOL what world are you living in bro?
Best thing you can do is start re-building your life. My advice is to try and get back to accounting..
Equally, you could try law school, or your chance at the MBA again, but seriously if your that stupid to not find a job for 16 months, that might be an indicator that you might not succeed later on.
And what the heck is voluntarily unemployed? Seems like you cant face the truth that you fucked up. No one is voluntarily unemployed. Theres underunemployed, but no such thing as voluntarily unemployed bro.
I don't get why you didn't just apply to investment banks. A lot of the smaller firms want CPAs with the years of experience you have. Did you major in finance?
No, accounting concentration.
So you got fired from the Big 4?
Don't want to sound too harsh but why would you think you stood a chance at a top-ranked MBA with a few years of big 4 experience and a 690 GMAT? Did you have amazing extra-curricular activities?
What have you done while unemployed? You won't get in with a year of unemployment on your resume, you should have at least tried starting a business or doing some solid extracurricular work (maybe you did?) or something....
I would say it's obviously extremely extremely unlikely you'll end up at a top consulting/banking/IM firm, but no matter what some people will tell you it's definitely not impossible - you just have a huge uphill battle in front of you. I think your best (and maybe only) chance will be through a solid MBA program - which means you need to get back to work for another year or two (possibly/probably in accounting?) and re-apply with a much stronger profile after that.
I spy material information that you left out. Time to issue a qualified opinion...
I think people here are giving the guy (girl?) a pretty hard time. I mean, yes, in hindsight it wasn't the brightest thing to do, but, consider the fact that not everyone is as type A as us who live to work and constantly strive for more. Realistically, we've all thought about just quitting and doing nothing, having no job and the freedom to do whatever, but we either don't have the balls or realize that after a couple months it would surely get old and we'd actually want to work again. But, how many people out there are truly lazy? I'd say many, and you'd never find them within a satellite radius of this forum.
Chances of HBS or top IB/HF/MBB are very small, but that's the price you pay for taking time off while others did not. However, my guess is that you're still in your mid-20's and that's about 40 more years of work ahead, so this time-off might be small in the grand scheme but for now you'll need to develop a story and work your way back from ground zero.
Good luck, if you want it bad enough you can likely get it.
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