<p>How hard would it be for someone to break into Investment Banking, in an associate position, from a top MBA program (like HBS), even though they don't have any prior Investment Banking experience?</p>
<p>I'll be starting school at UC Berkeley in the fall, and I am trying to decide between a Computer Science track, or their business program. If I chose CS, I just want to see if I could always break into IB in the future, with some grain of possibility, by making it to an MBA program after some good CS work experience etc etc.</p>
<p>If you’re goal is banking, you should go to Haas and try to get an Analyst position out of undergrad. Why do the CS thing first?</p>
<p>Well unfortunately, I can’t decide between the goal of something like Google, or something like Goldman Sachs, and I’m as interested in artificial intelligence as I am in high finance… which brings me to my current dilemma. I’m wondering if I could keep both options open, by majoring in CS and trying that route first, and possibly using an MBA to switch over. I also hear that investment banks hire some CS graduates, but that doesn’t seem to be the case at my school.</p>
<p>If you are interested in IB, then you should just do the business track at Berkley and go for IB from there. If, however, you prefer to do something else first and then go for banking after, then you should be able to break in from a top B school - there is a lot of opportunity with both BBs and boutiques from top B schools. </p>
<p>IBanker</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>Would I ever be at a significant disadvantage for IBanking, even if attending HBS MBA program, because of little/no prior experience in finance (though with excellent CS work experience etc etc)?</p>
<p>Excellent, relevant experience will always be helpful, even if not as helpful as prior IB experience - working at Google in a quant role, but then deciding you want more of a client-facing position, would not look bad for you at all, for example. Graduating from a top B school, even without prior IB experience, you will not be at a big disadvantage by any means - additionally, remember that many IBers that go to B school are not planning to get back into IB.</p>
<p>IBanker</p>
<p>If there wouldn’t be any disadvantages for choosing CS and then later changing my mind (by going through an MBA program), then I don’t see any reason not to first do CS… (if I understood correctly).</p>
<p>There is if you want to do IB - why waste time, take the chance (since it is very difficult to get into a top MBA) and money (a lot of money on an MBA), if you only want to use it to get into banking, when you can break into banking after your undergrad by just going down the business track. If, however, you want to pursue CS and MIGHT want to pursue IB in the future, then go for CS and, if you later decide you want to pursue IB, then you can apply for an MBA.</p>
<p>IBanker</p>