Non-Target to BB SA Offers

Hi all,

I am currently a junior at a non-target state school. These past weeks, after countless Superdays at a number of firms across the board, I did end up getting three SA offers at BB's. I always had this belief that this was a near-impossible feat, 1. coming from a family that doesn't even work in business/finance (they all work in higher education), 2. nor coming from a Target. I just wanted to share my advice to any non-targets on how I stood out in such a competitive field. First, GPA. My GPA is nothing special. I have maybe a 3.4...perhaps aim higher than me. I am currently a finance double major, with my second major in a foreign language. What I believe helped me stand out was heavy involvement on campus. I am a varsity student athlete at my school, D-2, nothing special. However, having that on my resume always (I believe) made me a standout candidate, and was always a great conversation starter. Get involved in clubs (ex: my school has a investing club where I have a senior position). I am also part of a social fraternity, where I am treasurer. As miniscule as this may seem, it does lead to conversation regarding your resume. The other big factor? Networking. I had my first internship my freshman year. I knew I wanted to work in IB from the start. I got my first internship because I shamelessly called my family's financial advisor and asked if they were looking to take on an intern. Not even IB, just working under a financial advisor in a small two man office. I was the first intern they ever had, yet as a freshman, it gave me a head start. The last week of my internship, I looked through the directory of the skyscraper I was working at. I noticed that a BB had a PWM office a few floors up. Shamelessly, yet again, I went up and introduced myself to the secretary of the branch. One thing led to another, and eventually I had interviews with HR and such. Now, for sophomore year, I interned with a BB in PWM. The most important skill you can learn is how to talk to people. Learn how to be that exuberant people person. Think Jimmy McGill. Sure, your competition may go to an Ivy, for instance, but just being a likable person can take you far. However, once that internship was over, I ended up going through my university's LinkedIn. I connected with over 100 alumni, including a message of how I want to work in IB and how I wanted to chat. I made an Excel sheet of everyone I touched base with, where they worked, their position, and what further connections they gave me. 1 out of over 100 connections eventually helped a ton. He got me in contact with the right people, and this fall I have been interning at a boutique M&A firm. All three of these internships, my campus involvement, and genuinely learning how to sell my story, I believe, got me to these BB Superdays. Every BB Superday I had resulted in an offer. Learn to connect with the interviewer, basically learn how to be a great salesman. Oh, and don't screw up the technicals. Never miss an opportunity to network. Just a year ago, I was scrambling just to find my next experience to build my resume to get noticed by a BB, though I also learned something everyone early in undergrad should take note of: IB recruiting is a marathon, not a sprint. Being at a non-target, undeniably, puts you at a disadvantage. However, if I can do it, any non-target can do it. No matter how many hours you may spend hoping another LinkedIn connection can point you in the right direction, or you get a call back from a MM IB, outworking your competition is what will get you far. 

All I can hope for now is a successful summer and securing FT. Best of luck to everybody!