<p>I go to a small LAC with a very good reputation and a rigorous cirriculum and my goal after college is to work on Wall Street. Since I go to a small LAC that has a lot of alumni that are probably loaded, I feel as if my school has good internship opportunities and good hookups for jobs.</p>
<p>I really don't know for sure though, I need to talk to my advisor about it and I wouldn't have time for an internship until the summer before my senior year.</p>
<p>My gpa isn't going to be the best when I graduate, it will probably be a 3.2-3.4 at best because I wasn't interested in what I was majoring in originally (bio/premed) and that's why I'm switching to math. I've taken 4-5 math courses already, so the switch wasn't a problem. I have very good relations with the math department, especially the head of it.</p>
<p>What kind of ECs should I focus on since my resume is kind of looking empty? Also, what are the chances of landing a good internship the summer before my senior year? My plan was to also get another internship after I graduate to have more experience.</p>
<p>Then eventually get a job on Wall Street. Are my career prospects likely? I know I need to work hard right now to work on my resume and fix my gpa as well. I'm actually interested in the stuff I'm learning, so I don't see my grades being a problem.</p>
<p>How hard is it going to be for me to get an internship if I talk to my advisor and the math department and have them try and hook me up? I don't see how else I'm supposed to get experience for jobs that say "3-5 years of experience required". </p>
<p>My friends keep telling me how internships are close to impossible to come across. Almost as hard as getting into a funded Masters program or a funded PhD program. </p>
<p>I need to get a job after college and pay off my debts before I even consider grad school. I want to establish a career and I feel like if a bunch of greedy pigs that have low IQs can work for wall street, so can I. I know I'm smart and I need this money to pay off my debts and help out my financially unstable family.</p>
<p>RKS - have you contacted the career center at your school? The best chance of getting a good internship is through networking and the career center should be able to connect you with alumni in the field and provide data about where past students have interned.
The linkedin website can also help identify school alumni employed on wall street. Through the career center at your school, you could request an informational interview w an alumni - that is, not to ask for internship/job directly but ask if you could discuss your career plan and get advice.This might lead to more contacts. The career center will likely offer the option of mock interviews, an opportunity to improve your interview skills. Join clubs/volunteer. </p>
<pre><code>Be careful of your views/comments of the folks you want to work with/for. Negative comments/attitude can sink your chances.
</code></pre>
<p>My S. graduated from a small lac with a double major in applied math and economics and it was tough finding an internship. He had a few interviews through the career center that did not pan out, but finally landed a decent internship through networking friends/family.</p>
<p>Your S had a double major in Applied Math and Econ and still had a tough time finding an internship???</p>
<p>What was his gpa? If it was 3.5+, I’m worried about my future job prospects because my gpa won’t be the best after I graduate. If he had a tough time finding an internship with a Double major AND a good gpa, then I think I’m in for a lot of trouble with just a major/minor and a mediocre gpa.</p>
<p>Anymore advice would be highly appreciated.</p>
<p>I’m not sure what your true objectives behind this post are, but here’s what I got from it. </p>
<p>You started off going for the med school route but couldn’t cut it.
You appear to have no interest in finance.
To top it all off, you think people on wall street are a bunch of greedy pigs with low IQs.</p>
<p>Despite all of this, you want to work on wall street because it pays well?</p>
<p>I think it might be about time to start rethinking your future plans…</p>
<p>No actually I like finance but my school doesn’t offer a finance major. Math is the next closest thing.
I want to work for wall street for altruistic reasons such as helping my family out. I’m not trying to be a millionaire. 60 or 70k would be plenty for me.</p>
<p>Also watch the documentary Inside Job. It really opens your eyes about wall street.</p>
<p>What about math makes it the next closest thing to finance?
Wouldn’t an econ major be more similar?</p>
<p>Have you considered software engineering type positions? They can pay well above 70k starting out, often in areas with much lower costs of living than nyc. </p>
<p>Which area of finance are you hoping to go into (trading, risk management, treasury, investment banking, …?)
What about that particular area is appealing to you?
What type of firm are you looking for (a large bank? boutique, finance division with a company in a different industry?)</p>
<p>Lastly, do you have any reservations about working for people who you truly feel are bad people?</p>
<p>You asked about GPA - GPA was well north of 3.5.</p>
<p>However, if you have a high GPA in your major, you can figure out your GPA for math only and put that in the cover level. Again, the career center at your college will be able to help you.</p>
<p>Of course a high GPA help- but in the words of a recent US president, " I was a C student at Yale."</p>
<p>Economics only has a few courses that are useful in business. You can teach an economics major finance and business, but you cant teach him/her how to think. </p>
<p>This is why an applied math major supplemented with econ courses is more useful than the other way around from what ive heard from numerous people on CC.</p>
<p>I would consider software engineering but is a CS minor enough?</p>
<p>I was interested in investment banking with a large bank.</p>
<p>And I might have overexagerated about the Wall Street people, but I do have a strong opinion about them after watching Inside Job. But I’m not out to attack people or tell them how they should live their lives, Im just trying to worry about myself and establish a career.</p>
<p>Probably not, but you could always major in computer science instead.
It’s probably easier than a math major. </p>
<p>If you are interested in math or other quantitative subjects, why are you considering investment banking rather than risk, trading or something else more quantitative.</p>
<p>Also, is your liberal arts college Williams/Amherst/Pamona quality or is it more of a Wesleyan/Vassar type school? This will make a huge difference in terms of how difficult it is to get onto wall street.</p>
<p>It’s too late for me to change to computer science. I was originally a biology major and math was the only major that allowed me to graduate on time and one the few majors I actually was interested in.</p>
<p>I would consider risk and trading. Anything to get me into the business world.</p>
<p>My school is more like a Wesleyan/Vassar type school.</p>