Thoughts on Investment Banking

[skeetshooter]

Has anyone here ever been an investment banker? I am looking into this, and although I'm not sure if I will be able to crack in, what other similar careers should I look at as backups, or is this IB just such a bad life that I shouldn't even bother altogether, I enjoy having a good time, and playing my party poker. Thoughts? The bank accounts that come with I-Banking are enticing to any college student.

[midas]

Yes on question 1.

Think of an entry level job in IB like being in a resident program after med school. Tons of work, no sleep and a six figure minimum on your resume after 2 or 3 years.

If you tell me your school, major and GPA - I'll give you the odds of getting a job at an IB [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img].

[skeetshooter]

Well, a major reason I didn't do premed is the fact that a normal life doesn't come about for a while, so it's probably not really a great direction for me. What other financial jobs would be good to look into that would let me into the "real world" instead of "work all day world" and still offer a path to eventually the nice massive paying bank positions. I am a math major at Davidson.

[RunDownHouse]

[ QUOTE ]
What other financial jobs would be good to look into that would let me into the "real world" instead of "work all day world" and still offer a path to eventually the nice massive paying bank positions.

[/ QUOTE ]
What would lead to the rewards without the hard work?

Try the lottery.

[JoeC]

UNC/3.48/Economics-Business Administration

I'm just a freshman and my GPA can still change though... so please answer the question for about a 3.7 as well.

[admo415]

If you are really interested in it, contact your career services and ask them if any Banks recruit on campus. It is easier if they do, but no impossible to get a job if they do not. My friend went to USC and got a job at McKinsey even though they dont recruit there. She was the only one to get a job, although her GPA was crazy, so that probably helped. I am coming from an Ivy League prospective here, Princeton, and I got a couple of offers and finally took one with a 3.5 overall GPA and a departmental of like 3.8, just to through out some numbers.

I know some people that got a job with less and some that didn't with more, depending upon different circumstances and stuff like that.

Also, try to get a good summer internship the year before, as that always is a good way to differentiate yourself from your peers.

[JoeC]

Solid advice, thanks a lot Admo. I think I'm going to shoot for about a 3.75 overall and hopefully about a 3.85 departmental. It's tough...but I do have a lot of time to get it up there.

[admo415]

Thanks, best of luck.

[J_V]

If you want an Ibanking job bad enough, you'll get it. I have friends w/ 3.0 GPA's that are working for bear stearns, UBS, Morgan Stanley. But you have to network hard.

[Pawtucket Pat]

I just graduated from Davidson with econ, I sent you a pm.

-HB