#BreakingIntoIBPE #FinanceCareers #InvestmentBanking #PrivateEquity
Can you break into IB / PE? Yes, but… 🤔
Let’s be real – your chances are slim, with odds as high as 1 in 250 at some firms. But hey, nothing’s impossible, right? Here’s what you need to do to up your game:
🌟 Start early – top grades in college are a must, so bring your A-game from day one.
🌟 Network like a pro – connect with the right people in the industry to open doors.
🌟 Get relevant internships – even before your sophomore year if possible.
🌟 Aim for a competitive school – typically a target for top firms.
But here’s the kicker – it all starts in high school. To set yourself up for success in IB/PE, you need to:
🚀 Excel in high school with top grades and extracurriculars.
🚀 Some areas require you to be a top student in middle school too, with no Bs!
Don’t wait until college to start preparing – by then, it might be too late. Remember, the competition is tough, with just 1 in 250 odds. So, ask yourself, are you truly a top candidate?
But hey, here’s a possible solution – start early, stay dedicated, and strive for excellence at every step. Who knows, you might just be the next big thing in Finance! 💼🚀
This post should be pinned, would save so so much I want to break in IB with shit experience post (no idea what is IB and just want money with no effort)
I get your meaning but IB/PE aren’t top of finance, in fact there is no top of finance. If there is a “top of finance”, that would be Jerome Powell.
If “beating a dead horse” was a post
this guy must be a consultant cause he needed a whole paragraph to say u basically need to come from a rich family
Honestly you can! Combined with the above, I think most importantly what you need is luck 😂 a friend of mine graduated with non finance degree, (not even first class honors) and her first job out was a BD in an education sector. She got into Morgan Stanley as an Investor in the buy side 🙂
Question though: what if let’s say you are in corp finance, and you just found out about IB later than everyone else, sadly after college because you just flat out weren’t aware of it. Would an MBA pivot still suffice? Or it’s almost not even worth it considering the amount of debt I’d have to take on to get into a top 25 MBA?
I’m in FP&A, and despite no internships or anything I managed to break into that with 0 experience after a couple years working in a non related field with after college. So I’m curious what my options are as I slowly creep into my 30s.
Rn the way it’s looking it’s:
– Stay on FP&A track (work up to possibly CFO?)
– MBA at top 25 school then pivot to IB as an associate. Or maybe use the MBA to push up into Director+ roles in Corp finance.
– Start a business.
That’s where I’m with things. Ultimately the goal would be to have a very large income (300k plus base) + flexibility of time so a business would be the way to go but that’s by far the most uncertain route to receiving a large income. Definitely things to think about.
I’ll admit my background did not give me any advantages at all. No one knew about this route of finance and I damn sure wasn’t set for it. To get to this point it’s been all me.
Sometimes point 2 its enough tho
A strong connection to get a full time position > everything else
Thats how breaks most people without target school, low grades, non-related degree, etc.
Theres one point you skip over completely. I.e. if you have the RIGHT connections, everything else but technicals are irrelevant.
Alternatively just be a decent person and do some networking. I had none of these and ended up with 2 BB offers and an Eb offer back in 2010
Okay, but what if I just really believe in myself? They’ll make space for me, right?
Background:
* 3.3 from Cal Poly Humboldt (baseball player)
* I listen to the Blackrock CEO’s podcasts
* 2 YOE in A/P for a market-leading roofing supplier
* Unwilling to settle for Director-level role in CorpDev
/s
What if someone gets OK-ish grades at a target school for undergrad? Can they turn it around by getting great grades at another target school with a masters and then landing internships?
I wasn’t very good in HS, went to a non-target for college. Key was networking
Laughing at the idea that you need to be a top student in high school and middle school. We’re talking about IB here, not Rentech. You can be mediocre/bad in both and still have a great shot at breaking in.