Convert junior summer analyst to another SA position?

Hear me out. I plan on going to grad school after graduating undergrad next year. However, this summer I have a SA role at a bb. I would be opened to returning to the same team (wouldn't mind trying a new division or team tho). What do i say in the exit interview or when/if i am given a full time offer. 

additionally, how does recruiting work if i want to see what opportunities other firms have. Can i apply for a SA role still even thought I plan on attending law school? or is it just a dead summer and should just accept the same team given the offer. 

 
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wannabefinanceguru

Hear me out. I plan on going to grad school after graduating undergrad next year. However, this summer I have a SA role at a bb. I would be opened to returning to the same team (wouldn't mind trying a new division or team tho). What do i say in the exit interview or when/if i am given a full time offer. 

additionally, how does recruiting work if i want to see what opportunities other firms have. Can i apply for a SA role still even thought I plan on attending law school? or is it just a dead summer and should just accept the same team given the offer. 

Former lawyer here.  If your name is "wannabefinanceguru" and you have a SA role at a BB, then you have no business going to law school.  You clearly have enough career interests outside the law that you will be bored and sacrificing too much to make a go at law worth it.  The exit ops, long-term pay (big law last 2-4 years for most), and dullness of each billable hour will be unbearable compared to whatever group you would be placed in within financial services.  Law school is always there and willing to take (a) your parents' money or (b) federally-backed non-free market student loans to pay off inflated tuition.  Having taken classes at my law school's business school too, the quality of the business school education is far superior in terms of material conveyed.  The students at an M7 business school are leaps and bounds more impressive than T13 law student if you absolutely must go to graduate school.

Do your two year analyst stint and reassess.  If you cannot fathom not being a lawyer then, you will be much better prepared to get strong 1L grades to max out your firm placement and you will have a sense of practice areas.  If you have questions feel free to PM me.

 

Understandable. I totally get where you are coming from and have heard it during a lot of networking calls (heard it so many times it really is making me think more about it) but my biggest concern is that just an undergrad degree doesn't get you that far any more. I am not going from the greatest undergrad so i know my career outlooks will be limited in terms of promotions (hierarchy) within a bank, and/or reputation if i go to a smaller firm / start my own. 

I think a legal education will 1) be another credential 2) help me understand finer details that my competition wont plus just give me a different perspective that can be beneficial. Additionally, i have a lot of ideas of what I think could be a cool career but am not 100% sure what i want to do so i feel like going to law school keeps the doors opened, and i could always networking my way back to the same firm having interned w them before. does that makes sense or am i crazy haha? open to all perspectives. 

 

wannabefinanceguru

Understandable. I totally get where you are coming from and have heard it during a lot of networking calls (heard it so many times it really is making me think more about it) but my biggest concern is that just an undergrad degree doesn't get you that far any more. I am not going from the greatest undergrad so i know my career outlooks will be limited in terms of promotions (hierarchy) within a bank, and/or reputation if i go to a smaller firm / start my own. 

I think a legal education will 1) be another credential 2) help me understand finer details that my competition wont plus just give me a different perspective that can be beneficial. Additionally, i have a lot of ideas of what I think could be a cool career but am not 100% sure what i want to do so i feel like going to law school keeps the doors opened, and i could always networking my way back to the same firm having interned w them before. does that makes sense or am i crazy haha? open to all perspectives. 

1. Undergrad reputation’s importance erodes faster than you think. If you are concerned, there’s always an MBA
2. legal education is advanced liberal arts.  The case method has zero bearing on business and investment decisions. In fact it hinders your hard skills being applied.  Your competition is helped by not having attended. 
3. YHS, the top tier, will not open doors outside of law.  You will be niche.  Go on law forums and see how many successful corporate attorneys will take a 75% paycut to go to the business side, anything with upward movement.  It is sad.  Law closes doors. 
4. You cannot simply return to your firm. You will be too old to be an analyst and too inexperienced to be an associate in most situations.  Every ibanker turned attorney I met regretted the decision, 90% of those with solid white collar jobs who left to go to law school regret it.  Find an in-house attorney at your bank with respectable business/Econ undergrad credentials, after a few happy hour drinks get them to explain whether they’d do it again.  That Wharton undergrad who went to Duke or UVA law is pissed about it. 

 

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