Recent MBA Graduate Desperate for Advice

**Background: **24, recent 4+1 MBA graduate from a non-target. B.S. Finance & MBA w/ finance concentration (3.4 GPA). Internships/semi-relevant experience: Corporate finance internship (very well known company) & retail banking employment, amongst a few other irrelevant jobs. I was unable to ever pursue the internships I would have desired in great part due to a lack of financial assistance so I have taken the best I could in each situation. Have a lot of academic-related exposure using Excel & Bloomberg, as I should. Interested in equity research/asset management/portfolio analysis/etc.

It appears I am "stuck between a rock and a hard place" in my current unemployment/career search. While I do not have a specific career path that I absolutely need, I am very well aware that Corporate Finance is not for me. I have struggled immensely to as much as hear back regarding most applications/resume submissions - something I have to believe is in part due to not living in the areas which I am applying to.

In short, I am looking for any and all advice on breaking into equity research/asset management/portfolio analysis/etc including but not limited to ways I may not be correctly presenting myself, further steps I can take, and so on.

If I can clarify anything in order to give a more clear depiction of myself and situation, please do not hesitate to ask. Thank you.

10 Comments
 
Most Helpful

you're being too picky particulalry for somebody with your credentials.

instituitional asset management roles are very difficult to get partially because there is extremely low turnover. when a role does open up its gonna go to the guy who has previous AM experience looking to relocate or lateral, or the sell-side research analyst or trader.

im not saying give up, but broaden your horizons. i worked in AM for a bit before moving to corp dev...

 

No quick fix. Try for CFA. Have you considered business valuation as a profession? It's much kinder to your type of background and COULD be used as a stepping stone.

“Elections are a futures market for stolen property”
 

Planning on doing CFA level 1 regardless in June 2019. In your experience, how much could or would passing the first test help?

 

Dolores molestias totam accusamus cum dolore. Amet dicta et eligendi quibusdam fuga tempora quos.

Excepturi quam unde doloribus ratione non. Quasi et ut sequi illum repellat cum. Incidunt odio cumque reiciendis corrupti adipisci delectus illo. Animi maxime dignissimos voluptas et enim. Totam perspiciatis eum aut cupiditate autem. Ipsam veritatis mollitia ducimus. Illo fugit aliquam asperiores nihil odit omnis exercitationem.

Doloribus quasi sequi beatae voluptates amet vero. Voluptas tempore iste in doloremque. Et autem nemo pariatur nihil harum commodi eos et.

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.3%
  • BMO Capital Markets 13 97.7%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.7%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (15) $434
  • Associates (46) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (80) $150
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (73) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
10
Linda Abraham's picture
Linda Abraham
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”