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I am 28 and hoping that someone gives me a bone. I did 8 years military, so I am hoping since I am actually "just another junior" noone will care.
I don't think it's ever "too late" if you're in your under 30, if it's what you want to do and feel like you need to do to get to where you want to be later in your career. Just wondering how common (or uncommon) it is in the industry.
25 does not seem old to me at old. I think you're fine.
I'll turn 23 right after my analyst stint starts and there are people in my program who have done a masters program and will be 24 so no.
Fine. We had a guy who was a Marine for ~5 years after high school who was 27/28 in our analyst class. He looked a little out of place because he looked notably older, but he also had two prosthetic legs and a Bronze Star, so no one really ever said shit to him about it.
Damn son. Gives some perspective.
Well I don't have a Bronze Star or 5 years of Marine toughness under my belt, but it's good to hear positive feedback.
Wasn't trying to belittle your case, just making an observation. In short, 25 is not too old at all. It may be a little on the older end of the average start age, but it wont move the needle on anything. It's ILLEGAL (whether hiring managers adhere to or not is unclear) to deny someone employment based on their age, and even if it wasn't your eventual employeer won't find out your actual age until after they've extended an offer and are running a background check.
Age is only a protected class over 40, so it is not illegal.
I'm in a similar situation, I'll turn 25 later this month, have two years in S&T and am looking to move to the buy side of things. Best case scenario I pass CFA Lvl 2 in a month, take level 3 next June and somewhere in between make the transition.
But I had the same question, curious if my age would handicap me when the time came.
What the hell are you talking about? I see no parallel between your two situations except you are about to be the same age.
You act like we're going to pass.
Analyst at a top O&G bank in town is 27. Has a masters, not sure why it took that long though.
No!
Going to be very difficult to break in as an analyst. Why not consider an MBA or apply to associate roles? Can you leverage any previous experience?
And how old is too old for post-MBA associate?
Depends on the group, but 30+. Usually they are in 26-30 range, but I've seen some go up towards 33/34.
Working now as an analyst, about the same age as you. They made me a mid-second year due to a previous year in IB and a year in corp dev. Late nights aren't quite as easy as they were at 22...
It's not too old but getting there.
What is it about the age that makes it tough? I could pass for 22 in the looks dept, so I wouldn't look like the wierd old man. If education is on the same track as a 22 yr old ug why would being 28-29 be an issue? Wouldn't t previous work experience only make you a better analyst?
Not too old at all. I started in the UK where I had friends starting their analyst years at 25/26. No one cares from my experience as long as you put in your work.
Can't comment about the US, but in the UK and Europe as a whole it's not uncommon to start your stint with 24/25 after your master's degree.
Yeah, I had a look at the experience of the IBD FT analysts starting in my bank in London this summer. They are definitely the oldest division.
1 guy has 2 years Big 4 audit experience + post-experience MFin...so he's probably 26? Another has an MSc Fin directly after graduating + 4 IB internships (2 of which were long-term) + MBA in the States...so he has to be 27/28?
Most of the others have a masters. 25 would be about the average id say.
Definitely not too old for the european labour market as far as I know. The US might be a bit different though.
It's not that you'd be too old, but rather it would be quite difficult to break in as an analyst at a BB, boutique or even a MM IB. The best chance is truly at a smaller boutique. They aren't supposed to discriminate against age, but they certainly do to some level.
That being said, 25 isn't like 28. But, it's still tougher to pull all-nighters than when you are 22/23.
I still do not get what the issue is with age. Granted 40 is a lot different than 23, but what textbook do banks refer to when they say ooohhh wait a minute this guy cant pull an all nighter, he just turned 28. I know every situation is different and I am only using military because that is my background, but I have pulled many 16 hours days and seen men much older than 28 pull even more insane hours than the 23 yr olds. To me it just seems people are indeed discriminating based on age, with the assumption that a 28 yr old either can not handle the rigors of the job, or has failed at his previous profession, which is why he is now attempting to break into a new one. However, I am aware bankers are smart guys, so if they seem to think 28 is too old, than I guess there is historical evidence that 28 yr olds are not worth the offer.
It certainly isn't fair and is discriminatory, but I'm guessing it has been tried and maybe they were burned to begin with.
As I said before, why not try to go in at an associate level? It will clearly be more difficult at BBs, but with the proper work ethic and experience (even if that is only military), you should get a shot I would imagine. Associates still learn plenty and aren't expected to lead deals or anything to start.
Another factor is probably the life stage. Right out of undergrad someone is willing to be 100% committed to their job. As life progresses, you get other things that get in the way of 100 hour weeks (gf/fiance/wife, kids, house, other responsibilities).
That's just my thoughts on why it is how it is.
never too old to make it happen!
25 now, starting as a 1st year in a few weeks. I don't feel old.
you are more than ok, no doubt.
In word, no.
For one, the topic of age rarely comes up in conversation. And if you're a recent graduate, people would never know even after looking at your resume because you're not required to list your birthday. I personally can't tell that many 25 year olds from 22 year olds.
I worked with a guy that got a late start to things and if anything, his age only worked for him. He had a better idea of what he wanted out of life, and he actually came across as more confident because he realized that he didn't need to view the younger guys as his peers. His peer group, was instead all of the other 25-26 year olds in the country, who were mostly unemployed, in debt, and with dim prospects. So, he wasn't worried.
You're fine. Spend less time worrying about this and more time enjoying the rest of your 20's.
did you do a msf or a macc for grad school?...
no not too old go for it.
My 2 cents…and first post ever.
It can be done, but discrimination is very real and you should be cognizant of it and confront it BEFORE it rears its head.
My story: 5 years in the military (Marines) and finishing up my undergrad. I'm 27 years old and landed an equity research gig at a BB for the summer.
The age factor comes into play for two reasons: 1) Can he take orders from superiors that are the same age/younger than him? Will a superior feel weird giving work to/correcting him? It's easy to tell a 21 year old with no other obligations to stick around late doing busy work, it's another thing to do that to someone that is married, for example (as I am). 2) Can he get along with other analysts? Will he be ostracized or ostracize himself?
In one of my interviews, the interviewer actually asked me about the second point, "do you foresee any problems working with people that are 5 years your junior"?
In my case there are also stigmas regarding vets in general. Besides the "is he going to have a PTSD freakout" concern, there is the Full Metal Jacket stereotype where civilians think military guys are too aggressive and need someone screaming at them to get things done. That's for a whole different thread...
The point is walk into an interview ready to dispel both of these points. I like the idea of being proactive by acknowledging the elephant in the room and highlighting the positive aspects (maturity, experience, etc.) before they can think of the negatives. The golden ticket with any interview is connecting with the interviewer, and to be honest I actually found it easier to interview with people closer to my age because I could tell they were happy to talk to someone that they have some things in common with. I would give them a subliminal wink and nod, if you will.
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