Help Me - Recently graduated with a degree from a small private school

I recently graduated with a degree from a small private school in San Antonio. I want to get into IB. I know I can hack it with the best of them. My grades are alright (3.0). I am struggling to get interviews. I am thinking that since my grades are not that great I should focus on boutique banks. I was wondering if anyone knew of any boutique banks in the Dallas and Houston area that are currently, or will be looking.

Thank you

 
  1. recruiting season was like ohhhh 9 months ago
  2. a 3.0 from a non-target wont cut it
  3. there is a search button on this forum

your best bet, try to find alum from your school, or if you were in a frat, i know a guy who just emailed everyone in my house saying he has an opening on his desk, so its not impossible but if you research only as well as youve indicated, youre going to be sol

 

Yeah I know I missed recruiting season. I was preparing for my CFA level 1. I was in frat at Incarnate Word, and my alumni advisor has not been very helpful. I kind of had a bad experience with that whole thing. I did not do an internship, which I wish I would have. For some reason it was not required and being in San Antonio not any really good IB around here. I know damn well that I can hang with any of those people from the big schools, it is just a matter of getting interviews.

 
pulary:
I know damn well that I can hang with any of those people from the big schools, it is just a matter of getting interviews.

I read this bro and think of the following great 6th and 7th grade spelling bee words:

Arrogance Contempt Humility Naivete

You being able to "HANG" is b.s., you will learn this my friend. Lose the attitude if you want to survive in IB.

 
pulary:
from the big schools, .

You forgot to mention that they are elite, prestigous, and target schools that I referred to. You will simply have no chance against SMU, UT-Austin, A&M, Rice, U of H

Unfortunately, you won't be able to watch your resume get flamed. I'm telling you this because I've been through this process and you've got an attitude that appears way off base.

Good luck anyway...

 

What most people will say is that your best option is to get real good work experience, get into business school and try getting into IB after you get your MBA. That is probably the easiest way.

However, there's a thread here with a list of banks by area. It is "stickied" at the top of the IB forums. If you do go about it by contacting boutiques, make sure you know everything possible about banking w/o being in the industry already. With your lack (i'm assuming here) of prior work experience, poor grades (relatively), and status as a non-target, it will be difficult. You need to make sure the interview goes perfectly AND that you get lucky.

 
wannabebanker:
What most people will say is that your best option is to get real good work experience, get into business school and try getting into IB after you get your MBA. That is probably the easiest way.

However, there's a thread here with a list of banks by area. It is "stickied" at the top of the IB forums. If you do go about it by contacting boutiques, make sure you know everything possible about banking w/o being in the industry already. With your lack (i'm assuming here) of prior work experience, poor grades (relatively), and status as a non-target, it will be difficult. You need to make sure the interview goes perfectly AND that you get lucky.

My friend who's good looking, smart, and well spoken tried this at a few boutqiues in Houston and got flamed. They told him that he didn't come from the right school. It is a FACT that boutiques only want a few biznitches who have had the misfortune of being looked over by the BB's but in fact are probably good enough to do the work. With a 3.0, he's just another wannabe in a mens wearhouse suit. (let me know if you need the hookup at Mens Wearhouse, my girl Taniqua works there)

 
pulary:
I recently graduated with a degree from a small private school in San Antonio. I want to get into IB. I know I can hack it with the best of them. My grades are alright (3.0). I am struggling to get interviews. I am thinking that since my grades are not that great I should focus on boutique banks. I was wondering if anyone knew of any boutique banks in the Dallas and Houston area that are currently, or will be looking.

Thank you

I assume you go to St Mary's? Or UT San Antonio?

Both ok schools in TX speak. Here is some decent advice: REalize that most banking spots go to UT BBA's, the rest go to Rice kids who want Banking, the next go to SMU, then a few to U of H... there may be a random kid with a 4.0 from a random school like Tulane or Loyola New Orleans or maybe even LSU.

With a 3.0 you obviously aren't an idiot, and if you're hispanic that's considered better than your peer average. BUTinternships you don't really have a story. My recommendation to you is to take the LSAT on Sept 29th and to work at a good company (not banking but some oil.gas company, try Valero in San ANtonio)...until you're accpeted into Law school. Of course, this is assuming your hispanic. If you're not hispanic, and just are a crappy white student who partied too much. Then...I would go to Houston and pimp yo'self on Montrose.

Werd 2 yer motha 4 shizzel my san antonian nizzel.

 

3.0 from a sorry school and you think you can hang with top guys at better schools? That gpa is lower than any other that's been posted on this board.

Go back to community college, maybe you can pull a 3.5.

 
Mr. White:
3.0 from a sorry school and you think you can hang with top guys at better schools? That gpa is lower than any other that's been posted on this board.

Go back to community college, maybe you can pull a 3.5.

If you knew what you were talking about, I might consider this a worthy response. Incarnate Word is the largest private catholic university in the state of Texas. I believe it is like the 30th best private school in the nation. Could be wrong, but it is a very good school.

 

not to be a dick, but trying to answer candidly:

You didn't go to a target school. You didn't get good grades. So, the question is, what have you done to distinguish yourself? You say you can hang with people from the big schools, and maybe you can. But, as a recruiter, why would anyone think you can? They're not going to just take your word for it, you have to show them some accomplishment in your past. Maybe you don't realize how competitive it is to get into banking, but there are a lot of people with much better grades from much better schools who don't get jobs. At this point, your best chance is to work for a few years, try to get into a top-15 business school, and then go for an associate position. Good luck.

 

I actually had to work full-time while I was attending school, cause of my families financial situation. I guess I chose to sacrifice grades, and the chance of going to a big school, to help out. That being said, I am not trying to be cocky, or arrogant I just understand that I am going to have to fight for everything because of my grades and school. As for the attitude, you might be right, but it is more of a chip on my shoulder because people do not give smaller schools a fighting chance, or for that matter those that had to work through school. I am not looking to get in with GS, JPM, MS, ML or any other big bank for that matter, my focus is on those smaller boutique banks where I can work and learn as much as possible, while working on my MBA, which I feel is my best option.

 

US News ranked it third tier, and it's admissions as "Less Selective." The top-two tiers make up 125 schools, so it's no better than 126th. Wait, did you mean 130th best private school in the nation? Seriously, you should focus on an MBA. And, don't go to University of Texas at Craptown for your MBA either. Look at the Wall St. Journal MBA rankings, the US News rankings and the Business Week rankings, find the top, say, 15 from each list (there will be a lot of overlap obviously) and apply to those schools. That's where banks recruit. Right now, any boutique that would hire you wouldn't be worth a crap anyway and you won't learn anything. Finally, regarding the chip on your shoulder about small schools and/or people who work through school. That's just not true. Schools like Washington and Lee, Davidson College, Colgate, etc. are small and they put a lot of people in banking (there are lots of other schools, these are just samples). It's not that the school you went to is small, it's that it's not a well-known school. Also, you can certainly gain traction b/c you worked full-time through school, but that's a way to differentiate b/w two people who got 3.6 gpas, not a way to rationalize less than stellar grades.

 

haha pulary you fag

pitchmonkey:
US News ranked it third tier, and it's admissions as "Less Selective." The top-two tiers make up 125 schools, so it's no better than 126th. Wait, did you mean 130th best private school in the nation? Seriously, you should focus on an MBA. And, don't go to University of Texas at Craptown for your MBA either. Look at the Wall St. Journal MBA rankings, the US News rankings and the Business Week rankings, find the top, say, 15 from each list (there will be a lot of overlap obviously) and apply to those schools. That's where banks recruit. Right now, any boutique that would hire you wouldn't be worth a crap anyway and you won't learn anything. Finally, regarding the chip on your shoulder about small schools and/or people who work through school. That's just not true. Schools like Washington and Lee, Davidson College, Colgate, etc. are small and they put a lot of people in banking (there are lots of other schools, these are just samples). It's not that the school you went to is small, it's that it's not a well-known school. Also, you can certainly gain traction b/c you worked full-time through school, but that's a way to differentiate b/w two people who got 3.6 gpas, not a way to rationalize less than stellar grades.
 

To the OP: I'll be honest..

You're in extremely bad shape even to get into a boutique investment bank. Not even a boutique, but getting employment anywhere in finance will be troublesome for you.

Lets' put it into prospective:

There are folks from the top 5 undergraduate business programs that find it impossible to break into boutique investment banks with a 3.0 GPA and two- three internships. They can't even land interviews.

You went to a fourth rate school, did very poorly in very easy classes with no intellectual competition. Not only that, but you didn't even bother yourself to try to earn an internship, study the job market, or earn some sort of merit.

I think general employment is a more realistic goal for you...

 

I agree with kiwili24, I know people who attended significantly more selective schools and worked full time through school (or close to full time) to get through school, and have significantly better GPAs than you have.

Also, what do you mean by an internship wasn't required? Most schools don't require internships, if that's what you meant.

Also, the majority of IB interns in NY are not from NY. So you can't use being in San Antonio as an excuse to not intern. Houston banks have internships, and that's only 200 miles away. And you can't use the financial excuse for that one, as the majority of these internships pay fairly well.

 

Sometimes people need to be more aware and know and accept their limits. Whilst I fully respect the enthusiasm and aspiration for better, there's some barriers that can't be broken in life. As to the OP, I sympathize with your situation (about family finance, whatever they are) but you should be glad that you went to college.

There's more to life than getting into IB. A good chess player always knows when to resign. I suggest you consider other paths that may be open to you.

 
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