The "Am I good enough for Investment Banking/Consultancy?" Thread

Hi people. I have no knowledge of consultancy and just wanted some feedback, on if my profile could attain a position in management or strategy consultancy. I'm about to finish my degree with a 1st, and I have a masters offer from kings and still awaiting news from Cambridge...although its more likely I'll end up at KCL, so I'll use that as my profile...

BA International Business (on track for a 1st class)
MSc International Management - King's College London

Chances of getting into the top consultancies? (I've heard they only take people from the "top 6") May I add, my choice of destination to work would be Istanbul (if it makes any difference...)

Thanks (please quote me if you reply)

Really can't comment on your chances of getting into Istanbul, I don't even know which consultancies have Istanbul offices. Where are you doing your undergrad?

Undergrad at Brighton (I know its not the most reputable uni..but in Turkey it has a good rep.). Many of the top consultancies all have offices in Istanbul. I've done a high profile internship at the largest firm in Turkey too.

What are my chances in general? I'm aware King's isnt a "top 6" but I know it's reputation in Turkey is world class.

Well in general going for a non-London office is a good approach because London is extremely competitive for all the major consultancies (UK has a high population, lots of people with good degrees, lots of international applicants, only one office). I think you probably know better than anyone here what your chances in Turkey are. Did the firm you interned for not offer you a job?

Well let me start off by introducing myself and my profile.

I have only recently in my last year at university (2010/2011) gotten interested in banking. Always wanted to do something business related so when doing my Accounting and Finance course at UEL (I know, I know, **** uni and all that) I assumed that so long as I do well I'd be able to get into most different fields withing business. Having started the course I slowly started getting more interested in the finance modules and felt the accounting modules were easy and quite repetitive. I came to the conclusion that I didn't want to get into accounting. Had a couple internships at the Islamic Development bank in their internal auditing and treasury departments in 2010 and 2011. Hated the internal auditing internship but loved my time at the treasury department.

Anyways, I know my background at UEL is a major stumbling block. I came to the UK from a war torn country in Africa in 2001 aged 15 with no formal education unable to speak a word of english. I worked hard in my spare time learning english online and from cds so I wasn't able to do well at A levels. Took maths, biology and chemistry and had 2 Cs and a D. Took a couple of years out working in retail before being deciding to go to university as I knew I'd be unable to do well going straight into uni. End of the day, I gained maturity and worked my arse off and came out with a 1st at UEL (yes, it is a poor university but you can only work with what you've got).

Since starting my final year I'd realised exactly what I wanted to do but knew that with my background I'd be unable to even be considered for a FO grad scheme role or even an internship as competition was so high and my background was nowhere near strong enough. Ended up convincing myself to work as hard as I could to get a 1st so that I could get into a top business school to do my MSc (in an attempt to reinvent myself).

Also worth mentioning since starting my undergrad course, I've retaken the biology and maths A level's and got 2 A's. I redid them more to prove to myself that I was able (once I'd gotten to grips with the language and I'd had a formal education) than anything else as back then I was under the impression that your degree was the most important thing for employers and that hardly anyone looks at your A levels past graduation.

Just received an email on Friday confirming that I'd been accepted onto the LSE MSc Accounting and Finance course and wanted to know from those already in the field what my chances of landing a grad scheme role or even an internship on graduation? Would I have a chance or would I still be at near enough to 0?

Serious answer please. I know the uni I went to is **** and all that so no need to inform me of something I already know. Just asking people who've already been through the whole process rather the those still in secondary education or just starting their degrees. Whilst opinions of those people are all valid, I'd rather hear from someone who's already been through it all.

Thanks.

In GCSE, i got 6a*s and 5as. Do i stand a chance? Feel free to neg rep but before you do give me an answer.

Thanks for the reply.

Mind if I pick your brains a bit?

How badly do you think think where I went to uni and my original a level grades will affect any applications? Also will my background and the fact that I've redone two a levels and got A's in both be beneficial or will the look down on the fact that i retook them years later (despite having valid reasons for my grades first time around)? Also seeing as I didn't apply for any internships for this year due to the uncertainty of whether or not I'd be accepted to LSE, would it br better to apply for internships whilst staring my MSc or should I apply for grad positions?

Ok I hear that. Just to be clear I mean grad positions starting autumn 2013 not 2012. Did you mean 2012?

May sound like a really stupid question, but would rather know the answer now than in a few years time when its too late;

How important, if at all, do you think GCSEs are?
Obviously A-Levels and your degree are far far more important, but I just wondered as IB is SO competitive.

I know GCSEs are really very unimportant in the grand scheme of things, but was very disappointed with mine - a source of endless doubt in my ability to perform at A L-Level/get into a good uni, hasn't held me back as yet (despite my teachers advising that it would particularly in applying to uni) and just wanted some opinions as to whether people think it may have any effect on my chances in IB?

I am aspiring towards a career at a bulge bracket IB (M&A division). Please tell me if there is a realistic chance or at least if you would say that my combination of university/grades is good enough to be considered at the London/New York office.

- bilingual (English and German) German Abitur with an 1.3 overall grade (~A in UK/US)
- 2 internships (not in the financial industry so far)
- dual citizenship
- having lived in 4 (European) countries
- studying IBA at RSM - Rotterdam School of Management (Bachelor)
- Dutch GPA ~8.5 (officiall conversion: A - first (UK), A* (USA))

Thank you very much in advance.

UCL Economics and Statistics good enough for IB?

Studying Computer science at Goldsmiths. Looking to do an Msc in politics at a top uni.


What are my chances of going in to a FO role?