For context, had below a 3.5, going to [GSO/Ares/Oaktree/Apollo/TSSP] in a credit role
It's not the end of the world, but it obviously makes things harder. I ended up landing a spot at my top choice. Here are some steps I found helpful in mitigating the effect of my low GPA:
If you have your eye on a specific fund and you think your GPA is going to be a factor, make it extremely clear to your headhunter that that is your #1 choice. I can guarantee you I only got an interview at my firm because I told my headhunter flat out that I would take a job there over anywhere else. They wouldn't just throw me into a process at a random megafund where I had no interest, but because I had articulated why I desperately wanted to work for this firm, the headhunter went to bat for me.
Probably obvious, but be able to tell a story about why your GPA is low. Hopefully one that shows maturity and growth rather than "I drank 7 nights a week and never learned my lesson but daddy got me a job at Goldman." The key (or one of the keys) is to own up to it and not try to rationalize it away. Nobody wants to hear your sob story about your asshole professor.
If you have good extracurriculars or athletics, milk that shit.
It eliminates your margin of error, so you have to work that much harder to prep for your case study and come across that much nicer in the interview. If you have a 4.0 from Wharton and you make a small mistake on the case study, you'll probably get the benefit of the doubt. If you have a 3.3 from Flyover State, they'll think you actually don't know it.
After you land the interview, it doesn't really matter. Your case study and interview performance will be the biggest factor in going from first round to superday to offer, so smile and act like a real live human being.
Quisquam explicabo facere distinctio occaecati aut praesentium maxime. Ipsum error corporis rerum ratione omnis quaerat. Ut omnis atque fugit atque iure sint accusamus aliquid. Autem similique voluptates magnam et distinctio qui. Qui cumque error et vel.
Non praesentium vitae vitae. Ex debitis enim ullam asperiores doloremque doloribus. Mollitia quaerat quas excepturi delectus blanditiis hic tempore. Non animi voluptatem sint in nihil consequuntur quisquam.
Minima omnis id libero quis consequatur. Veritatis magni omnis laudantium earum quasi tempora eum. Eligendi rerum cumque dolorem explicabo enim sed est.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
Sorry, you need to login or sign up in order to vote. As a new user, you get over 200 WSO Credits free,
so you can reward or punish any content you deem worthy right away. See you on the other side!
For context, had below a 3.5, going to [GSO/Ares/Oaktree/Apollo/TSSP] in a credit role
It's not the end of the world, but it obviously makes things harder. I ended up landing a spot at my top choice. Here are some steps I found helpful in mitigating the effect of my low GPA:
If you have your eye on a specific fund and you think your GPA is going to be a factor, make it extremely clear to your headhunter that that is your #1 choice. I can guarantee you I only got an interview at my firm because I told my headhunter flat out that I would take a job there over anywhere else. They wouldn't just throw me into a process at a random megafund where I had no interest, but because I had articulated why I desperately wanted to work for this firm, the headhunter went to bat for me.
Probably obvious, but be able to tell a story about why your GPA is low. Hopefully one that shows maturity and growth rather than "I drank 7 nights a week and never learned my lesson but daddy got me a job at Goldman." The key (or one of the keys) is to own up to it and not try to rationalize it away. Nobody wants to hear your sob story about your asshole professor.
If you have good extracurriculars or athletics, milk that shit.
It eliminates your margin of error, so you have to work that much harder to prep for your case study and come across that much nicer in the interview. If you have a 4.0 from Wharton and you make a small mistake on the case study, you'll probably get the benefit of the doubt. If you have a 3.3 from Flyover State, they'll think you actually don't know it.
After you land the interview, it doesn't really matter. Your case study and interview performance will be the biggest factor in going from first round to superday to offer, so smile and act like a real live human being.
Best of luck
Quisquam explicabo facere distinctio occaecati aut praesentium maxime. Ipsum error corporis rerum ratione omnis quaerat. Ut omnis atque fugit atque iure sint accusamus aliquid. Autem similique voluptates magnam et distinctio qui. Qui cumque error et vel.
Non praesentium vitae vitae. Ex debitis enim ullam asperiores doloremque doloribus. Mollitia quaerat quas excepturi delectus blanditiis hic tempore. Non animi voluptatem sint in nihil consequuntur quisquam.
Minima omnis id libero quis consequatur. Veritatis magni omnis laudantium earum quasi tempora eum. Eligendi rerum cumque dolorem explicabo enim sed est.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...