Ibanking/BB IBD career path???

Career Opportunities & Internships Investment Banking
1

<p>I am a freshman at a mid to low target school and am looking for some advice on where to go from here. Ideally I would like to make it into ibanking (and then quickly out as we all want to do) and don't know how to approach this from an undergrad perspective. </p>

<p>First of all I don't understand how freshman are supposed to network. The recruiters on campus only are interested in talking to juniors and seniors apparently so does this involve cold calling?</p>

<p>Also with this bad economy I would REALLY like to get an internship my freshman summer. I know GPA is very important for this but what else can I do? I would take a boutique but will that look ok for applying for BB internships next year?</p>

<p>Finally I am a finance major but am also thinking of getting a math minor, will this help?</p>

2

<p>To answer your questions:

  1. Talk to actual bankers rather than recruiters. Find alums and email them asking for advice. Proceed from there.
  2. BB pwm is what most freshman do. If boutique IBD is an option, that would be better.
  3. Unless you’re a rockstar minority at a target school or have serious connections, bb IBD as a sophomore is not an option. Any IBD experience will help in getting the important junior year internship.
  4. No idea, sorry. If it doesn’t lower your gpa, a math minor can’t hurt. No idea if it will help. Math isn’t particularly relevant IMO but I guess it is challenging anday help set you apart?</p>
3

<p>So a pwm internship at a BB is reasonable for my freshman/soph summer? Alumni definitely is at the top of my list, not recruiters. Will a internship look ok when applying for ibd internships/jobs later on?</p>

4

<p>Oh and I can basically forget about getting paid as a freshman at a BB right?</p>

5

<p>There’s a very very low possibility of getting paid - I’d just settle for an unpaid internship at a local firm or BB PWM in the local area. </p>

<p>I know Merrill has a lot of PWM divisions all over the place.</p>

6

<p>But will taking a non BB internship (assuming I get offers from them) ruin my chances later on of working for one or getting internships at one (BB firm)?</p>

7

<p>You have to take what you can get - any internship is better than none.</p>

8

<p>No it won’t. Just do something.</p>

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