Babson, The Dark Knight Rises, and Lazard
This post was written by Jacob Vick ’15, CCD Peer Career Ambassador.
Investment banking is, by far, one of the most competitive industries to break into as an undergraduate student; even when your school is a target for some of the top firms. Just recently, Fortune Magazine featured a story in which Goldman Sachs was quoted saying less than 3% of applicants are accepted for their analyst and associate position applications. Investment Banking is a field where over 30 Babson students could apply for one internship position, and not a single student makes it through; but that doesn’t mean we give up.
On March 5th, Babson Alumnus Rodman Rodriquez came to Babson to share his experience breaking into the prestigious investment bank firm Lazard. Here are some key takeaways from that presentation:
It’s never too late to make a plan.
There is no denying that there are many of us out there who are missing some piece of the perfect ‘investment banking applicant’ picture. Whether that’s a sub-par GPA, little to zero finance work experience, or just an absence of leadership examples, Mr. Rodriguez demonstrated that no matter how far you have trailed off the path, you always have an opportunity to buckle down. After graduating with a poor GPA (he refused to share it with us) and trudging along in what appeared to be an empty career path, Mr. Rodriguez made a 5 year plan and saw it through.
Wake up, it won’t be easy.
While some Babson students have been able to break into some of the most prestigious firms on The Street, we’re not a target school. So what does that mean for us? Frankly, it means get ready to fight for it. The odds are not on your side, so it will be nothing short of a scene straight out of The Dark Knight Rises, you have to want it more than many others can even understand.
Don’t Ignore the Non-Traditional.
Everyone is well aware by now that networking plays a huge role in finding your next internship or full-time job, but what some fail to grasp is that networking is an all-encompassing process. Your goal is to make meaningful connections regardless of the setting, and he or she may just be sitting next to you on your next flight.