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2:2 in first year non target university

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Original post by Breakingbank
Na basically I've sat 5/6 of my exams and all 5 have gone terribly - predicting myself 2:2s at best so now worried a bit on the requirement of a 2:1 for summer internships next year, knowledge and personality, alongside previous work experience means f*** all if I can't get past the online screening requirements


you do realise that if your exams have gone terribly, you will be lucky to pass them, let alone get a good honours degree. This isn't the 70s!??
Original post by Yua
Don't mean to be ignorant, but which universities are target?


Oh dear

Waterfall is as such:

70-80% of front office grad intakes - Oxford, Cambridge, LSE, UCL, Warwick and Imperial

15-20% - Bristol, Bath, Durham, Notts, Cass

8-12% - Manchester, KCL, Exeter, Edinburgh, St Andrews, Loughborough

Then the rest are non-targets (in reality, this is just other good RG unis like York, Birmingham, Southampton, Sheffield etc and the occasional super star from a lower tier uni).


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Reply 22
Original post by Princepieman
Oh dear

Waterfall is as such:

70-80% of front office grad intakes - Oxford, Cambridge, LSE, UCL, Warwick and Imperial

15-20% - Bristol, Bath, Durham, Notts, Cass

8-12% - Manchester, KCL, Exeter, Edinburgh, St Andrews, Loughborough

Then the rest are non-targets (in reality, this is just other good RG unis like York, Birmingham, Southampton, Sheffield etc and the occasional super star from a lower tier uni).


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I don't think I'll be going down this route anyway but that's nice to know
Original post by Yua
I don't think I'll be going down this route anyway but that's nice to know


why ever not?
Reply 24
Original post by gr8wizard10
why ever not?


I don't see why not but it's not on my mind
Original post by Yua
I don't see why not but it's not on my mind


what is on your mind then?
Reply 26
Original post by gr8wizard10
what is on your mind then?

why have you an interest?
Original post by Yua
why have you an interest?


i'm curious, it's as to your total discretion to give as much or as little information as you like.
Original post by Yua
why have you an interest?


I am also interested. Spill it out, maybe you can change my mind, before I enter the shadow realm, aka investment banking
Original post by Yua
why have you an interest?


I don't really care. Don't tell me
Reply 30
If you are from non target you would not even be considered. HR have this automatic system that filters out all applicants that do not meet the min criteria before even a real person looks at them. I know this for sure re HSBC and Merrill and im pretty sure the majority ibs do it. So the only way to get in would be via your network and who you know. If you are superstar and dont know anyone at the bank, you dont have a chance simply because no one will actually take the time to look at your application.

I was in your position ( attended a non target, however i did get a first during my first year). I applied to so many position, tried to mitigate my uni through various extra curriculars. I didnt get a single thing. Then i realised that no one will look at me unless i introduce myself so started networking and got an informal summer internship at a swiss private bank. The work was more admin but i had direct access to portfolio/relationship managers and it looked very good on the cv. So having this, i then was able to secure a year long placement at a stockbroker (i know i wouldn't have been accepted had i not have the internship as they even told me so later on).

With this experience i tried my luck at grad roles (even did the IMC to improve my cv). I passed the online tests for all front office jobs and did not get a single interview!(the online tests were sent automatically if you apply btw).


I had to change strategy and started applying to middle/back office jobs. Here, i was getting noticed and easily secured a middle office grad role at a t1 ib. The idea was to try and move over to trading/structuring (a lot of people say that it is nearly impossible but its easier than you think. I know of many people that have done it, even the bank has a programme for ops people to move over). However i don't like IB life. I am in direct contact with traders and structures and sales etc, and i wouldn't enjoy the work. So i decided that research on the buy side is the real interesting career.
I applied for masters to try an rebrand myself and go for grad roles again and got accepted at ucl (told them my story in the personal statement so they must have liked the determination etc).

So i tried doing it straight from undergrad and failed. I know that there are prob people that succeed from non targets but i would be very impressed if their did not know anyone in the industry.


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Original post by souman
If you are from non target you would not even be considered. HR have this automatic system that filters out all applicants that do not meet the min criteria before even a real person looks at them. I know this for sure re HSBC and Merrill and im pretty sure the majority ibs do it. So the only way to get in would be via your network and who you know. If you are superstar and dont know anyone at the bank, you dont have a chance simply because no one will actually take the time to look at your application.

I was in your position ( attended a non target, however i did get a first during my first year). I applied to so many position, tried to mitigate my uni through various extra curriculars. I didnt get a single thing. Then i realised that no one will look at me unless i introduce myself so started networking and got an informal summer internship at a swiss private bank. The work was more admin but i had direct access to portfolio/relationship managers and it looked very good on the cv. So having this, i then was able to secure a year long placement at a stockbroker (i know i wouldn't have been accepted had i not have the internship as they even told me so later on).

With this experience i tried my luck at grad roles (even did the IMC to improve my cv). I passed the online tests for all front office jobs and did not get a single interview!(the online tests were sent automatically if you apply btw).


I had to change strategy and started applying to middle/back office jobs. Here, i was getting noticed and easily secured a middle office grad role at a t1 ib. The idea was to try and move over to trading/structuring (a lot of people say that it is nearly impossible but its easier than you think. I know of many people that have done it, even the bank has a programme for ops people to move over). However i don't like IB life. I am in direct contact with traders and structures and sales etc, and i wouldn't enjoy the work. So i decided that research on the buy side is the real interesting career.
I applied for masters to try an rebrand myself and go for grad roles again and got accepted at ucl (told them my story in the personal statement so they must have liked the determination etc).

So i tried doing it straight from undergrad and failed. I know that there are prob people that succeed from non targets but i would be very impressed if their did not know anyone in the industry.


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So what exactly did you do to network your way into the informal internship?
Original post by souman
If you are from non target you would not even be considered. HR have this automatic system that filters out all applicants that do not meet the min criteria before even a real person looks at them. I know this for sure re HSBC and Merrill and im pretty sure the majority ibs do it. So the only way to get in would be via your network and who you know. If you are superstar and dont know anyone at the bank, you dont have a chance simply because no one will actually take the time to look at your application.

I was in your position ( attended a non target, however i did get a first during my first year). I applied to so many position, tried to mitigate my uni through various extra curriculars. I didnt get a single thing. Then i realised that no one will look at me unless i introduce myself so started networking and got an informal summer internship at a swiss private bank. The work was more admin but i had direct access to portfolio/relationship managers and it looked very good on the cv. So having this, i then was able to secure a year long placement at a stockbroker (i know i wouldn't have been accepted had i not have the internship as they even told me so later on).

With this experience i tried my luck at grad roles (even did the IMC to improve my cv). I passed the online tests for all front office jobs and did not get a single interview!(the online tests were sent automatically if you apply btw).


I had to change strategy and started applying to middle/back office jobs. Here, i was getting noticed and easily secured a middle office grad role at a t1 ib. The idea was to try and move over to trading/structuring (a lot of people say that it is nearly impossible but its easier than you think. I know of many people that have done it, even the bank has a programme for ops people to move over). However i don't like IB life. I am in direct contact with traders and structures and sales etc, and i wouldn't enjoy the work. So i decided that research on the buy side is the real interesting career.
I applied for masters to try an rebrand myself and go for grad roles again and got accepted at ucl (told them my story in the personal statement so they must have liked the determination etc).

So i tried doing it straight from undergrad and failed. I know that there are prob people that succeed from non targets but i would be very impressed if their did not know anyone in the industry.


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Interesting, but nothing is impossible


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Reply 33
Original post by Terry Tibbs
So what exactly did you do to network your way into the informal internship?


I went to a pub in central London on a Friday afternoon. Im not even kidding, this is how i got the internship.

I tried the usual way with emails and linked in messages but that didnt work.


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Original post by souman
I went to a pub in central London on a Friday afternoon. Im not even kidding, this is how i got the internship.

I tried the usual way with emails and linked in messages but that didnt work.


Original post by Breakingbank
Getting a summer internship in IBD from a non-target with a 2:2 grade in first year - can it be done?


I just graduated with a 2:2 and landed a job in a financial trading company... In a couple years I'm gonna leverage this job into a banking position or something snazzy like that. It helps that I'm really really good in interviews
Original post by JavaScriptMaster
I just graduated with a 2:2 and landed a job in a financial trading company... In a couple years I'm gonna leverage this job into a banking position or something snazzy like that. It helps that I'm really really good in interviews


Congrats man, hope it goes well - were you at a target/semi target/non target may I ask?

Hopefully I will graduate with a 2:1, luckily first year doesn't count, it's just they made the exams ridiculously hard. Things were asked that weren't covered in the lectures or reading list. We've received most module results back so far, in which I'm averaging a 2:2 across them. The average grade across the entire department for those modules is in the high 40s, only know of 1 person who's averaging a 2:1 but they are insanely smart (all A*s at a level and received offers from Warwick but didn't wanna go as they found it a boring uni).

Already hold an IBD summer offer for next year but it's at a universal bank and their investment banking unit isn't that strong. Hope to land somewhere better if I can get an interview with my poor grades.
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by Breakingbank
Congrats man, hope it goes well - were you at a target/semi target/non target may I ask?

Hopefully I will graduate with a 2:1, luckily first year doesn't count, it's just they made the exams ridiculously hard. .


Yea I was on-track for a 2:1 til the exams screwed me over lol, and I think mine was non-target (Sheffield Hallam) because it is ranked in the top 70 Unis hahaha although I got in to the technology department with my Software Engineering degree which might have helped a bit. Obviously the biggest helping factor is a few years experience, once we have that it'll be smooth sailing.
Original post by JavaScriptMaster
Yea I was on-track for a 2:1 til the exams screwed me over lol, and I think mine was non-target (Sheffield Hallam) because it is ranked in the top 70 Unis hahaha although I got in to the technology department with my Software Engineering degree which might have helped a bit. Obviously the biggest helping factor is a few years experience, once we have that it'll be smooth sailing.


Yeah non target, targets are the G5 and semi-targets are the top russell group unis.

Ahh I see. Yeah man, in the long run the experience will be far more important than grades. Doubt banks will care as much about unis/grades once you gain a few years of experience

Sent you a PM
Original post by Breakingbank
Congrats man, hope it goes well - were you at a target/semi target/non target may I ask?

Hopefully I will graduate with a 2:1, luckily first year doesn't count, it's just they made the exams ridiculously hard. Things were asked that weren't covered in the lectures or reading list. We've received most module results back so far, in which I'm averaging a 2:2 across them. The average grade across the entire department for those modules is in the high 40s, only know of 1 person who's averaging a 2:1 but they are insanely smart (all A*s at a level and received offers from Warwick but didn't wanna go as they found it a boring uni).

Already hold an IBD summer offer for next year but it's at a universal bank and their investment banking unit isn't that strong. Hope to land somewhere better if I can get an interview with my poor grades.
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