Hey everyone, I’m about to start my third year at a state school that doesn’t really have strong connections to Wall Street. I’ve always been interested in investment banking but I made a mistake last summer. Instead of getting a finance internship, I decided to work on starting my own property investment venture. It seemed like a good idea at the time but things didn’t go as planned and now I’m back to square one. I’m really worried that not having any finance experience from my sophomore year is going to hurt me when I apply for summer analyst positions. Do I still have a shot at landing an IB internship for next summer? What can I do to make up for lost time and improve my profile? Any tips on reaching out to alumni or making my application stronger would be awesome.
honestly, your property investment thing probably sounds way more interesting than another boring finance internship. banks eat up that entrepreneurial stuff on resumes, even when it crashes and burns. you’re behind, sure, but tons of people break into finance from non-targets without the typical experience. network like crazy this fall - cold email every alum you can dig up on linkedin. spin that venture as “real estate market experience” or something. if all else fails, there’s consulting, or you could shoot for junior summer internships.
Your startup actually shows initiative and risk-taking that most traditional candidates don’t have. Investment banks are starting to value diverse experiences that prove you can solve problems and understand business.
Here’s what you need to do: Build technical skills fast through online courses - financial modeling, valuation, and basic accounting. Grab any relevant certifications or audit finance classes at your school.
For networking, don’t waste time on senior professionals who get flooded with requests. Target recent grads from your school who made the jump to finance - they’ll actually respond and give you real advice.
Look beyond the obvious choices. Boutique investment banks and middle-market firms have more flexible recruiting and often like non-traditional backgrounds. Regional offices of big firms are way less rigid too.
Have backup plans: corporate development roles or finance rotational programs at large companies. These can be stepping stones to IB later.
You’re not out of the game! I was in the same spot junior year - worked at my family’s restaurant while everyone else chased finance internships. Spring recruiting saved me since most people only focus on fall. Start prepping technicals NOW - that’s where non-finance backgrounds get crushed. I practiced modeling cases every morning before class. Don’t skip informational interviews either. They’re way less intimidating than networking events and people actually remember you. Your property venture shows real guts, which beats another boring PWM internship.
Breaking into IB from non-targets without traditional experience is totally doable - about 30% of analyst classes come from non-target schools. Your property venture shows deal sourcing, financial analysis, and risk assessment skills that banks want. Don’t see it as a setback - frame it right in your story. Get into campus finance organizations now. Join investment clubs, case competitions, or start one if there aren’t any. Banks recruit directly through these at state schools. Hit up regional boutiques and middle-market firms first. They’ve got more flexible recruiting timelines and actually like non-traditional backgrounds. Your entrepreneurial experience plus solid technical prep could set you apart from all the cookie-cutter candidates with identical PWM internships.
dude just trying to start something shows way more balls than most finance kids have. yeah you’re behind on traditional stuff but banks love that hustle mentality. focus hard on fall recruiting and learn excel/modeling basics on youtube. also check if your school has finance profs who used to work on wall street - they usually know people who can help