From Buy-Side Internship to IBD Full-time?

Good Day WSO users,

With full-time recruiting just around the corner, I'm very lost as to which field of career I should pursue. If anyone could share their similar experience or advice it would be very much appreciated!

I was recruiting for investment banking internship but ended up with a position at a sizeable pension fund doing private equity investments. Now I want to know what to do with this experience, and how to best leverage it to get a full-time job. My GPA does not make me competitive enough for investment banking (3.7/4.0), but my past experiences are good. In this case should I got with the safer bet such as a role in Asset Management, pension fund or do I still have a shot at investment banking? How valuable is buy-side experience when recruiting for sell-side?

Thanks for your help in advance!

13 Comments
 

Depends on where and with which banks you are aiming for, but a 3.7 is definitely enough to secure a banking gig. I know people that have had much worse and less experience.

 

No, it definitely not slim. Like someone else said, it depends on if you are at a target school or not. But even then, with your experience and a good GPA (which you have), you should be fine. Just contact a few people and have a story for them

 

When the hell is a 3.7 GPA "not competitive enough for investment banking"? Sure, if you are coming from a non-target or low-end semi-target it can be a hurdle, but if you are coming from a target or high tier semi-target it's certainly competitive. That kind of attitude is going to hurt you in the job search process, so don't let it bog you down.

 

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