Totally Shut Out of 1st Round Interviews

Any clues on why this would be?
I got plenty of interviews junior year and for FT recruiting in the fall (i'm class of '07)

I then decided to get a MS degree in finance and graduate in dec. 07. I applied for trading internships and haven't gotten a single interview, even for goldman (which literally takes almost everyone for 1st round).

I checked my resume for typos and can't find anything. Is there anyone out there working at a bank that can give my resume a quick read to see what the issue is? If I don't get any interviews I'm going to promptly drop out of the MS program, since it obviously is not helping me.

 
  1. Are you getting shut out during phone screens or not getting calls altogether?

  2. It depends on where you interned and what you did,

  3. Lastly, I think you should call some of the companies. In any case, it's perfectly okay to ask what they were looking for specifically in candidates, and maybe some areas you may be lacking which excluded you from the selection process.

"Cut the burger into thirds, place it on the fries, roll one up homey..." - Epic Meal Time
 

Now that you are doing a masters, banks might consider you over-qualified for analyst positions. Have you tried applying for associate postings? I know that banks can sometimes be very strict in their recruiting guidelines (i.e. undergraduates for analyst).

I would suggest e-mailing the contacts you made through previous recruiting seasons and network your way onto a desk.

 
jtmarlin:
Now that you are doing a masters, banks might consider you over-qualified for analyst positions. Have you tried applying for associate postings? I know that banks can sometimes be very strict in their recruiting guidelines (i.e. undergraduates for analyst).

I would suggest e-mailing the contacts you made through previous recruiting seasons and network your way onto a desk.

Will continue to pursue the networking route, that seems like the best way to go at this point.

 
Best Response

In my opinion, networking is much more effective in S&T than in banking. Banking recruiting is like a big machine and they have a good estimate of their turnover (how many, when, etc). People leave trading desks all the time--totally unpredictable. You might just strike it lucky.

Also, it sounds like you want to do this for the long-term and don't have the 2-yrs-and-I'm-outta-here mindset so common in banking. Don't limit yourself to the US and worry so much about where you start out. I know for a fact that, in Canada, the programs are much less structured than over here and they might be open to customized internships. Remember, if you're good, you're good. You can always move around and will probably do so a number of times in your career. Just network like crazy. If your credentials are true, then you are bound to impress someone.

 

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