NEED HELP - Lost about my career path and life

**A little background on myself: **Graduated with a bachelors in Finance in December of 2017. Had no banking internships throughout my undergrad years as my school wasn't a target IB school (Even though I had a 3.86 GPA). After graduating I managed to land myself a spring internship at a boutique through networking efforts, however, that ended a month ago and I have been looking for jobs this past month and not having any luck whatsoever - even with non-banking roles such as a valuation analyst. I really wanted to do IB but it doesn't seem feasible at this time - the competition is just way too high and I don't want to sit around with a huge gap on my resume and time is ticking.

I need advice on what to do with my current free time and what type of roles to look for as IB is very competitive and the future doesn't look so bright. I have been feeling extremely down and discouraged as every single entry-level role I have looked at requires 3-5 years of experience and CFA and this and that. It just seems like I've been hitting roadblocks back to back and it's really starting to take a toll on me. It seems like nothing will ever get better and I honestly don't know what to do. Any advice would be super helpful.

 

Take some online courses (e.g. financial modeling) to show you are doing something with your time. The feeling sucks, but all is not lost. Reach out to people from your internship if they could recommend another position. Do sports to stay positive and have the energy to write positive applications and network well.

In honesty, the "easier" route will be networking and maybe specialty job postings, as the recruiting cycle is very structured for entry-level positions. However, you networked your way in once, so you can do it again. Also, consider further internships as they will buy you time, give you additional insights, be easier to get in to, and potentially offer a full-time role.

 

Keep up the networking and applications. It may seem pointless when you've done dozens of applications but there are hundreds of firms there including no-name boutiques where you can start getting some experience. Improving a current language or learning a new one may help so you can apply to other markets and gains some experience there. How are you put on that front?

 

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