Do you have to go to the top 20 universities to be a investment banker?

Never say never. Exceptional candidates will often be succesful but you'll really have to stand out and prepare for a bunch of rejections.

So from your point of view, a graduate from lets say University of Essex can land an internship?

Even with solid work experience and ECs, I somehow find it difficult to believe.

It would be very difficult. Exceptional ECs (e.g. international standard athlete, founded own company /charity etc.) will help. I'm not talking being President of the Investment Society. The hardest part will be getting your CV into the interview pile. Networking through alumni networks, family, friends, LinkedIn and the like will help. The best thing is an MSc at a target Uni, of course.

That's pretty sweet.

If I could retire at 28 I'd spend my entire life doing degree after degree after degree.

History, Economics, Law, Biology, Medicine.

Sadly I'll be lucky to be on more than £30k at 28!

Im guessing a graduate from a 1994 group university has no chance of landing a FO job then?

You got to be Fg kidding.

Russell - Liverpool, Sheffield, Cardiff, Newcastle, Manchester, Queen's Belfast are FO IB material ??

They are regarded rinky dink Northern Unis by IBs.

Not that I really care but I have worked in IB before and that's just the attitude.

Guys, bear in mind people that get into the top 6, and want to go into IB, don't think you are guarenteed place! people who are truly motivated and show real flaire can also obtain FO jobs I know a person who got a BA economics degree at manchester - no contacts - straight to a FO trader role at goldman sachs then moved to jp morgan to head up thier prop desks, 7 years later and he was retired at the age of 28!

I don't know about the others but someone at Manchester with brilliant W/E and EC could get a FO position at a BB, no?

You will be fine! I did Law at KCL, and am now doing a Masters at Bristol. Despite my maths being sketchy at best, I have 2 paid internships at large IBs this summer: I even sat a maths exam at one and still got offered a place . With a Maths degree at KCL, you will have no problems in securing interviews. JP Morgan Cazenove set out their target Universites on their careers site, and include Bournemouth! You will be fine, I hope this helps!

wow, I'm doing BA econ at manchester - but then I don't really have a burning desire for IB. But atleast this shows that my degree does have good prospects.

Bournemouth is definitely not a target uni for JPM Cazenove, ie. JPM IBD. Maybe Bournemouth was listed a "target uni" on the JPM site somewhere but that's almost definitely to do with the fact that JPM have a big Back office in Bournemouth, so it makes sense they would recruit grads from the local unis.



firstly CityTrader has barely reached puberty, I wouldnt listen to much of anything he says. secondly, even if true, his story is completely anecdotal so jumping to the conclusion you have is a bit fooldhardy.

Banking is still somewhat of an old boy's club. Historically most bankers have come from Oxbridge, so it's no surprise that even today most grad & interns come from Oxbridge. But then again, like any employer IBs want the best people for the job and those people usually are at the best universities, hence why they mostly limit their recutriting to a core group of universiites.

Lots of people from non-target unis do break in, but in a typical intern class it will be 1 or 2 from each non-target uni, as opposed to 10-15 from each of the target unis. Target university or not, the ways to improve your chances of breaking in are

1) getting as much relevant work experience as possible
2) having a wide range of interesting ECs that demonstrate key competencies the banks are looking for
3) having stellar academics.

I'm not surprised at the amount of hardwork it takes to stand a chance of even being considered. Also it definitely is a shame that a lot of it still remains an old boys club.

The old school tie went of the city in the 80's! it is not like this at all anyome, if you tick all the boxes that Zweihander mentioned above, you have a shot at IB

TBH people get hyped up about the raking of the uni ect.. but at the end of the day it comes down to attitude and competency of the person

People do get hyped up. Nonetheless, your University is the first thing that a recruiter sees and not your personality, abilities etc. You could be the nicest guy ever but if you're at a second tier University you'll have fewer opportunities to present yourself.

Even on internships the first question bankers have asked me is "what university do you go to?" sometimes even before asking my name, and obviously they've warmed to those from their uni faster than others.

I have checked again Bournemouth IS a target Uni at JP Morgan Cazenove, if it were not it would not be on their site, fact!

link?

wow, I'm doing BA econ at manchester - but then I don't really have a burning desire for IB. But atleast this shows that my degree does have good prospects.

I don't know about the others but someone at Manchester with brilliant W/E and EC could get a FO position at a BB, no?