My 2c

Hey monkeys,

Longtime lurker on this site and wanted to post some things that I have been thinking about lately.

Background: I am from a growing non-target that sends a couple kids to IB every year. After recruiting, I was fortunate enough to land a SA offer. I’m going to start with how I felt before recruiting, junior year, etc. and how that has evolved now.

My mindset pre-interviews: Maybe this isn’t the best title, but my mindset before actual banking interviews was set. I wanted to get a BB banking job so I could transition into MF PE. From there, all I wanted was to make money. Being a freshman/sophomore at the time, I tried to convince myself this was what I wanted to do (although I really didn’t even know what IB was at that point). This is what I’ve learned/noticed now. Keep in mind, this is just my 2c.

You can do anything with effort and the right mindset. I never thought that I had a shot at IB, being from where I’m from. However, with hard work, you can quickly prepare yourself to compete against the HYP kids of the world and have a great deal of success. Sure, a lot of it is luck and circumstance, which I recognize. Nevertheless, there are things we can control in our lives: our attitude and our work ethic. I think if you keep that in mind, anyone can achieve their goals.

Always try and do the right thing. I know what you might be thinking, “Duh, of course.” For some reason, when I pictured myself as a banker, I ran through all these “What-If” scenarios, and they all seemed to end with me doing what was in my personal interest. I think that’s a flaw that a lot of millennials are susceptible to. Being obsessed with career advancement, personal gain, whatever it may be, is not inherently bad. Just remember to always do the right thing, because your integrity and your trustworthiness will catch up to you.

Do not go to a school because you think it will help your IB/PE chances. This is what really gets me down when I read this site. It’s the “Should I transfer to a semi-target?” “What school will be better for IB chances?” that really bother me. I read this site as a high school senior to try and gain a better understanding of finance concepts, what IB was, things like that. I never once let my career goals determine my college choice. I believe that you should go where you feel the most comfortable and to the school where you, as a person, will grow and become the best version of yourself (in addition to having a kick ass time). I am sure that if I can get into IB from a non-target state school, any of you can too.

Everything works out how it is supposed to. This kind of goes off my last point, but I firmly believe that everything works out how it’s supposed to. I have had plenty of friends that would’ve killed to break into IB, and unfortunately, it didn’t happen. That isn’t the end of the world, although it may seem like it at first. Go get that sales job, or that AM job, whatever, and make the best out of it and kill it.

Don’t get caught up in prestige. I didn’t know where this fell into the equation, so I broke it off by itself. Don’t get caught up in the BS bickering on this forum of GS>MS, GS or bust type BS. Hell, I have seen forums that bag on banks like UBS (UBS is a great bank that employs some of the smartest guys I know). I know what some of you are thinking, “He’s just saying this because he didn’t get a job from XYZ bank.” That is not the case. Would I have loved to work for GS or MS going into junior year? Absolutely. After going through the process, I think it’s much more important to figure out what you want and how you fit with different banks. I think I would’ve had much more networking success if I would’ve done this beforehand. Work for a firm that employs others you enjoy working with, not with people looking to step on your throat. Yes, I understand everyone wants to be the best, and competition is not bad. Just, don’t get caught up in the BS. Use this forum to learn, not brag.

Well, if you’re still reading this, thank you. I know my thoughts may have come across as discombobulated, but I really wanted to share a couple things. I hope to begin to post more and more! Thanks everyone.