What to do if I missed the boat entirely

That Q&A inspired me to make a post,

tl;dr - what steps to take graduating with no job, 1 year of internship in financial services (accounting), wanting to get in investment banking. What jobs are within my realm of possibility

I just graduated from a really shitty non-target school in NJ with a 3.7 gpa in finance, only slightly better than a community college, and leagues behind rutgers. Only like 2 people from my year as far as I know actually have good jobs coming out, one at BB IB, another accounting in Big4 that had an offer from a BB. They were both part of one of those hispanic / minority professional organizations which give specialized training and networking and support to get people into good careers (sadly afaik this doesn't exist for asians)

I switched my major halfway through my college, and when I got interested in IB I was already a junior, and I missed the boat on everything. I have a year of internship experience, but the firm entered a hiring freeze when it came to get a full time offer, which would have only been 45k a year anyway and it was quite a depressing office, a lot of work being shipped overseas to china.

I wasn't too educated about recruitment and I was always terrible at interviews, my internship was the only one I could get, and even discussing with them, I got the job because they only had 6 slots and 6 people applied.

I hope someone has advice on what to do, because I'm kind of slipping into a depression from regret of not going to Rutgers. Career fairs at my school are hot garbage. I don't know what roles to apply for, and what I would even have a realistic shot of landing. It seems like analyst roles only want interns, and internship roles only want sophomores.

I had one corporate banking phone interview which I would have loved to get FT analyst, but I got ghosted on that, not invite to a super day.

Would it be worth it to lie about my graduation and say I am a sophomore to get any roles?

My current plan is to get a semi related job, and then get into an ivy league, to get to a summer associate role.

 
Most Helpful
anonymous187:

"My current plan is to get a semi related job, and then get into an ivy league, to get to a summer associate role."

Thats the right course of action. Although I would probably suggest lowering your sights from the ivy league to a top 50 school, especially if you're struggling to get a quality "semi related job".
anonymous187:
"Would it be worth it to lie about my graduation and say I am a sophomore to get any roles?"
Holy shit no. If you really think you could land an internship, actually extend graduation by a semester w/ a couple electives or by a year w/ a minor.
 

A lot of non-garbage companies werent doing physical resumes when I was going through recruiting too. Albeit the applications were then on a careers portal specific to my university, rather than just the general online application.

Even if they say apply online, you need to build a relationship with those recruiters on campus because otherwise you'll get lost.

If shit gets real bleak for you, get a job with a temp agency. You'll end up doing shit work in corporations finance groups (e.g. AR/AP) that at least will get your foot in the door without the interview process you say you're bad at.

 

CPA. A few years in audit, preferably at a Big 4 firm. Then, push for a valuation or transactions group at one of these firms and begin studying for the GMAT. Apply to T10 business schools with a total of 4-5 years work experience.

All is not lost.

 
 

You could also start networking with smaller, regional boutiques in whatever region you will be working in. They all hire on an ad hoc basis, and you never know when a spot will open up. That might not be the best move if you want to do an MBA, but it could be a good segue into a more reputable firm after a year or two at the regional boutique.

 

Dolores voluptatem quasi sit voluptate. Porro exercitationem neque ullam nesciunt magni qui. A voluptatem in aut quos repudiandae. At libero nostrum impedit expedita. Harum culpa incidunt consequatur nesciunt sint tempora illum dolorem.

Et corporis in natus. Rem quas non odio. Nobis voluptatem adipisci in tempore quo.

Excepturi enim at distinctio. Non minus totam voluptatem aliquid perferendis. Eum et unde dolores perspiciatis ut sequi facilis ipsam.

Career Advancement Opportunities

April 2024 Investment Banking

  • Jefferies & Company 02 99.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 19 98.8%
  • Harris Williams & Co. New 98.3%
  • Lazard Freres 02 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 03 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

April 2024 Investment Banking

  • Harris Williams & Co. 18 99.4%
  • JPMorgan Chase 10 98.8%
  • Lazard Freres 05 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.7%
  • William Blair 03 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

April 2024 Investment Banking

  • Lazard Freres 01 99.4%
  • Jefferies & Company 02 98.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 17 98.3%
  • Moelis & Company 07 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 05 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

April 2024 Investment Banking

  • Director/MD (5) $648
  • Vice President (19) $385
  • Associates (87) $260
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (14) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (33) $170
  • 2nd Year Analyst (66) $168
  • 1st Year Analyst (205) $159
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (146) $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

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...”