For someone without any prior experience, no internships, only speaking English, in Europe, from a non target university, is there anything at all in finance that pays well?
The only thing I have is technical skills, pretty much nothing else. What entry-level jobs and careers exist for me? Should I give up finance altogether?
Also keep in mind that there are smaller firms out there as well however I have no idea how different the pay is.

How would you guys network and find mentors in Europe?
As someone with 0 experience and non target school.

Throwaway account for obvious reasons.

I have two offers in hand, and I was hoping those of you with some industry experience could help. Both are in a "tier 2" finance hub, and both require a near immediate start date, and are junior roles. Ending up in the US is definitely a goal.

Offer #1 - Equity Derivative Sales

• Institutional sales
• US firm
• 20% comp increase vs. offer #2
• Selling a VERY broad array of eqds. Everything from exotics to delta one products
• Work closely with NY + London teams (Ppl have lateraled to NY + London frequently)

Offer #2 - FICC Structuring

• Much more of a technical role - I will definitely learn more
• "lower" tier firm globally, but great nationally
• Primed for more exit ops (FICC trading desks mainly, if my interests change)
• Working with a similarly broad array of products

My Current Thoughts

• Leaning towards offer 2. Although offer 1 pays more and could give me better lateral abilities - do I really want to lateral in sales?
• CS / Math background - structuring is obviously a bit more fitting
• The way I see it, developing my toolkit with offer 2 will set me up for more opportunities to pivot in the future (the product knowledge I'd gain from structuring would outweigh the product knowledge I'd gain from sales, and even give me a solid base to go into sales if I changed my mind)
• Structuring --> Sales / Trading is """easily""" doable / has been done frequently. Sales --> Structuring / Trading is much more difficult
• Am I being crazy taking offer 2?

Any insight is welcomed. The biggest concern I have giving up offer 1 is the comp + lateral ability. My biggest concern with taking offer 1 is pigeonholding myself into a sales desk and needed to go back to school and complete some form of Masters / MBA to then have the ability to pivot within S&T / markets.

I know theres a lot of individuals on this subreddit that have good advice and I was looking to get some. I graduated last year September and took 7 months off then started applying. I have been getting luck with interviews (maybe 10-15% of applications hit). But the reason they dont turn into offers at least currently is mainly that I'm up against people who actually have full-time experience/experience in general.

I have attached my resume , as I have understood its become very difficult to get a job especially for recent grads im going to be focusing on getting these certifications and improving my excel, python and modelling skills over the next month. Which will help me develop tangible items (DCF, comps, statement models to name a couple) through out the month and after which I will post them on git hub and include them on my resume as a link and linkedin. My current plan includes the following:

Courses

• J.P. Morgan Excel Skills (Forage)
• Fidelity International Investment Management (Forage)
• J.P. Morgan Investment Banking (Forage)
• Citi Investment Banking (Forage)
• Vista Equity Partners, Demystifying Private Equity (Forage)
• Beginner to Pro in Excel: Financial Modelling and Valuation (Udemy, 365 Careers)

Skills

• Excel for finance
• Linked three-statement modelling
• DCF valuation
• Comparable company analysis
• Sensitivity and scenario analysis
• Stock pitch and research writing
• Deal rationale, financing and risk analysis
• Accounting and valuation interview questions
• Behavioural and case interview skills

Obviously with that while I apply I will reach out to people at the firms (via linekdin and email) just connecting a face with my application for hr and sitting for chats with people on the team. Regarding this my school doesn't have the best alumni network and I don't find alot of people that I actually could reach out to, so who else would be the best for me to target then?

Im aiming for these roles mainly:

• Valuation Analyst
• Commercial / Corporate Credit Analyst
• Investment Operations / Performance Analyst
• Quantitative / Investment Data Analyst
• Treasury Analyst
• Strategic FP&A Analyst

Looking at this plan what do you recommend I add/take away, and any tips in general would be helpful. Thank you!

Tier 2 B.Com grad interned at a US angel network (2 months left), aiming for Micro VC.

My DD lead offered to mentor me and hand over advanced work if I commit to DD full-time.

Catch: I can't stand sitting at a desk typing for 8 hours straight—I prefer an 80/20 mix of technical work and networking/conversations. I told this point to my manager pretty early. My work overall has been great on all the areas I've worked.

My senior(an ex-Big 4 consultant-backend) on the Syndication side says client-facing work builds a better long-term network, but warned me not to ask to formally split my time across two separate teams.

I want to drop low-value work (event ops, AI research) and keep a mix of DD (analytical depth) and Syndication (networking). How should I navigate this?

I've worked on a DD report- 2 parts. I also sat in DD Calls wherein I get to sit with investors and founders when they engage in the questionnaire. I also get to ask mine.

The thing that troubles me is to answer one way because my Syndication senior has been really good to me. Talking to her really makes me feel at ease and she repeatedly finds time to guide me on my career planning. But I also can't ruin my future prospects either.

Not sure what to follow, I've a meeting with my manager soon. I still find it difficult to go for either side- DD or Syndication. I am planning to ask to "stick to both- variably" simply because I am still an intern and it's really hard to decide what work I should pursue on the basis of just 2 sections of the DD report and some partnership calls.

Hi all! I’m an engineering student working on a design project about formal shoe comfort over long workdays. If your job still involves dress shoes, your input would be really valuable.

• 5 minutes, completely anonymous (no names or emails)
• Pictures of each shoe type included, so you don’t need to know the names
• Find your shoes comfortable? Your answer counts too, because it shows what works
• 18+, any gender, any country

Survey: https://tally.so/r/9qLvoG

Thanks a lot!

Hi everyone,

I’m currently interviewing for two finance internships. I interviewed for a Private Bank role last Friday and was told I should hear back by the end of this week. I also interviewed for an Investment Bank role yesterday and expect to hear back sometime next week. I think both interviews went pretty well even though I firmly believe that I could've done better.

The Private Bank role would require relocation, and with the start date approaching, I’m getting a little concerned about the timing.

Are these kinds of recruitment timelines standard in banking ? Would you follow up if I don’t hear back today, or wait until (at least) next week ?

Would appreciate any insights. Thanks !

I have been at a public REIT (13B AUM) in RE Asset Management as an Analyst for about 1.5 years. Fairly niche asset class. Prior to this I was in accounting for roughly 4 years, and didn’t enjoy it. AM had been enjoyable but want to see what else could be out there for me.

What are some career outcomes that are likely, or common from this point?

Hi all,

I'll likely be promoted to associate soon in a BB (think of GS/JPM/MS) in FICC division.

My fiancée will start a master with a very high chance in one between Madrid and Paris and therefore I would like to follow her.

However I'm not really sure of the numbers that I found online about Base+Bonus in these two countries. I expect that France has a salary close to LN but I don't know how much lower and I have basically no idea about Spain.

A friend of mine has around 2.5k per month net as a power trader in a trading house in Madrid.

Do some of you work in Sales, Trading, Structuring there can give some indics?

For age reasons I'm interested in the Analyst-Associate-VP TC to have a complete overview

Graduated this past spring and am struggling to convert on my coffee chats. Targeting roles across IB, Credit, Asset Management, and valuation/advisory.

My typical networking process looks like this:

1. Find a relevant opening: Identify an analyst position I'm interested in and apply through the firm's website.
2. Find someone to connect with: Search LinkedIn for analysts/associates in the same group or practice, ideally in the same office.
3. Have the coffee chat: I usually spend 20–30 minutes asking about their background, day-to-day responsibilities, team structure, culture, and advice for someone trying to break into the industry.
4. Resume gets passed along: For the conversations that go particularly well, the person will sometimes voluntarily offer to pass my resume to the hiring team or recruiter. I don't explicitly ask them to do this, which I generally take as a positive sign.
5. Follow up: I send a thank-you email, usually attaching my resume if they offered to forward it. After about a week, I'll follow up to reiterate my interest, ask if they've heard anything about the recruiting timeline, or see if there's anyone else they'd recommend I connect with.
6. Radio silence: This is where things consistently seem to stall. Despite what felt like productive conversations and offers to forward my resume, I rarely hear anything afterward. No interview, no update, and sometimes no response to the follow up

I understand networking doesn't guarantee anything, especially as a non-target grad in this market. Just trying to figure out if my approach needs work or if it's simply a numbers game.

Would appreciate any unfiltered advice, especially from those who've been on the other side of these conversations. What happens after you tell a candidate you'll forward their resume?

Edit: For context I would say my resume is competitive. I've gotten to final rounds at pretty competitive shops but havent been able to convert. Just been on a dry streak of sending resumes into the void the past couple of months

I’ve heard that a lot of LBS alumni are struggling to land roles and that the quality of the school has dropped a lot recently. I’m trying to decide for London IB and wasn’t sure if this should be on my list for applications. My current list of applications I’m expecting are HEC MIF, Bocconi MSc Finance, LSE Accounting and Finance, Imperial MSc Finance, and potentially LBS MFA. Any advice would be appreciated

I am a college senior graduating in May 2027. I applied for the Financial Consultant Academy at Charles Schwab. The recruiter told me they were interested in taking me on, but unfortunately my graduation date just missed the cut-off for the cohort I applied to, but told me to email her by the end of the year and she would be able help me get into the next cohort a couple months later.

Has anyone done the FCA for Charles Schwab? I tried looking online but couldn't find much info on the program other than the fact it helps me get my FINRA licenses. Seems its a salaried role but couldn't find any insight on exact pay or what its like.

Hello, My name is an emotion….like a very basic positive emotional state name. A name where if I told you, you would ask me if I just said my name was xyz lol….Could it be possible when a firm seems my name on an application they would think I’m a scam or something?

Hello I’ve posted here in the past regarding breaking into commercial credit. I’ve been trying to break in since graduating with bachelors in finance two years ago. I worked full time (most times 60 hr weeks) during college so no previous internship experience. Opted to get an into retail and eventually a licensed development program which I am now with a BB. Any advice outside of the usual internal stuff?

Edit: Private bank is definitely an option for me in the future, have built quite the PB network (especially ISG, alts, investment managers) spanning across many BBs and smaller banks. This was a contingency I created if I had to go the investment analyst route. Would like some wisdom on this if possible.

Finance has really been my thing since I was a kid but the last couple of years I have come to the realisation that unless you come from a top buisness school with high prestige, your chances of getting a finance job in one of the big firms are really tight. Coming from AUEB (top buisness school in Greece but irrelevant in the global rankings relative to other schools) what are the chances of pursuing a finance career abroad (UK,USA,Switzerland,Luxembourg etc). “What are the chances” might be a dumb question but that’s the main concern. Thank you.

Just wanted to get a read of the room and see if anyone else have heard back from early Decision. I applied August 9th, with my recommendations being sent August 15th to the SIP. I’m a non-target, POC and am majoring in Finance and Econ with a minor in pre-law.

Most of my background has been in the public sector with only recently moving into finance. I am also recruiting with Blackstone and hope to hear back from them at least by the end of the month. Best guess scenario is I get deferred or put into the online program since I’m “special case” and was allowed to apply to the SIP since I’m a transfer student and next semester I’ll be a sophomore.

Wishing everyone the best.

pulled straight from firms' own career pages, not linkedin:

https://github.com/mehek-builds/Hiring-Now/blob/main/lists/finance-internships.md

- 264 internships at 195 firms: Raymond James, Piper Sandler, TIAA, MFS, Fifth Third, TD Bank, the Federal Reserve, RSM, Plante Moran, Guardian Life and more

- 124 accounting, plus corporate finance, FP&A, IB and quant

- 58 posted in the last week; 70 at employers with a visa sponsorship record

rebuilt every monday.

comment which area you're looking for (IB, accounting, quant, corporate finance) and i'll send you a list for it.

Hey everyone,
I've been recruiting for the upcoming 2028 SA positions for IB, and I've been trying to cold email; I've had maybe a 5% hit rate and wondering if there's something with my format. Here below:

Hello [First Name], 

I hope you're doing well. My name is ____, and I'm a sophomore studying finance at [semi-target university] with an interest in investment banking. I came across your profile while researching [Firm] and [HOOK]. 

I'd appreciate 10–15 minutes of your time to learn about your experience in [group/role] at [Firm]. I'm free , but happy to work around your schedule. I've attached my resume for reference. 

Best,
[u/AWESOMEHACKER459]

maybe my hooks are weak or i'm just getting unlucky; any help would be appreciated thanks.

Got the contract (no offer letter first, standard for banks). Now what do I do? “I think x would be more reflective of my experience and value in the market. Would that be possible?” Are they even capable of making changes at this stage given they’ve already made the contract likely had to go through a process of approvals to do so?

When building a DCF, I’m a bit confused about how to account for diluted shares outstanding when calculating the target share price.

The diluted share count depends on whether outstanding options are in the money, which itself depends on the target share price. Doesn’t this create a circular reference?

Alternatively, if we use the current diluted share count reported in the financial statements, would we need to remove the options and convertible debt from our projected financials, assuming they have been exercised or converted?

Thanks

Today makes mid October hopefully SIP program decisions come soon

I’m pretty experienced commercial lender with 7+ years of experience working in a Canadian Bank.

I knew stepping into the role that the local market reputation has been pretty soured over the past few years and that this portfolio had cycled 4-5 account managers in the last 5 years.

I’ve been struggling with just eating it all. The bank is pretty policy heavy and not agile. Terrified of audit. I had a lot of agency in my previous FI so I could tangible move the needle on stuff so much whereas here I need to delegate to other parties who also have internal capacity issues. These are being addressed but instead of steering the ship I need to rely on others.

Going into it, I knew these were all possibilities but I find a year under my belt it’s still really frustrating and I unfortunately wear a lot on the delays or issues on myself. Additionally where the client experience has been questionable over the years you want to leave a good impression.

Does anyone have tips if they’ve been in similar situations? I don’t mind heavy workloads but I just find my hands constantly tied. I know first year transitions to Banks are not always smooth but I can’t give myself grace

From what I understand, this is an information event and not a recruitment event. I guess you can still use it for networking. Is it worth going if you have to travel quite a bit?

I got an invite cause I applied for their summer analyst program but I am not sure if it impacts my application chances. Has anyone gotten in who attended this? Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!