Discover your dream Career
For Recruiters

What Morgan Stanley and Deutsche Bank’s newly-minted associates suggest about MBA hiring

(Photo credit: RobynAnderson)

If you’re an MBA with aspirations to work in investment banking, expect to go the extra mile. Investment banks are still hiring business school graduates on to their associate programmes – even if the financial sector’s appeal has diminished in recent years – but it’s tough to make the cut.

MBA’s trying to break into investment banking are putting in a lot of effort before graduation, and this doesn’t just mean internships and attending careers fairs or alumni networking events. They’re networking at every opportunity – formal and informal – undertaking short-term project work for banks in order to prove their worth or, a little depressingly, having to take roles in risk management, compliance, technology or finance divisions.

Related articles:

Working for McKinsey, Bain, and Boston Consulting vs. Goldman, JPM and Morgan Stanley

Why 2014 will be a year in which bankers have to work harder than ever

Morgan Stanley and Deutsche Bank’s new associates in London have just been given Financial Conduct Authority authorisation. These are not all new recruits; some have worked at the bank for the past three years and have just made the step up from analyst. However, a handful of people have been plucked straight out of business school. Based on their profiles, we have come up with some common themes on what it takes to get a front-office investment banking job as an MBA.

1. Get an internship at the bank you want to work at

An obvious step to take in your quest for an associate position, but everyone newly hired into Morgan Stanley and Deutsche Bank interned at the banks first.

2. Be an internship junkie

Despite all attending the summer associate programme at their respective banks, new recruits also spent their time gaining as much experience as possible through one or two-week internships whilst studying, polishing their CVs with financial services brand names.

3. Have prior industry experience

This is not the time to be thinking of a career switch. Yes, an MBA could still help move from a back or middle office position into the M&A division, but all of this year’s new associate recruits have worked in the financial sector prior to securing their position.

4. Attend one of three schools

London Business School, INSEAD and Columbia proliferate among the new recruits.

5. Have a talking point

The value of extra-curricular activities in graduate recruitment is consistently emphasised, but you also have to bring the right combination of work experience and interests that will set you apart for associate recruitment. One Morgan Stanley recruit had been a columnist for the Financial Times, another had worked for the United Nations, while one Deutsche hire was previously a captain in the British army and another had founded their own financial technology company.

6.  Bring something new to the table

Prior experience in consulting or industry, alongside the MBA which teaches more generic management and strategy skills, appears to be favoured by investment banks this year. If they’re looking to recruit from outside the organisation, they want skills they don’t already have in-house.

7. Take the CFA

We’ve mentioned previously that some MBAs are feeling compelled to combine it with the CFA to become über-qualified in both management and technical finance skills. Morgan Stanley’s new recruits suggest this is increasingly becoming a prerequisite.

author-card-avatar
AUTHORPaul Clarke
  • bi
    big mama
    17 October 2013

    Paul, why is it depressing having to take a job in risk, compliance, tech or finance? These depts help complete front to back processes so that the front office can crystalize their not so big anymore bonuses and profits for the bank. Yes, I work in a support role and i'd rather be earning front office money but then there are plenty of more secure/interesting jobs in the areas above rather than being a monkey hitting the done (enter button) day in/day out and only being as good as the last sale/trade. Anyone that disagrees is either lying to themselves or has not been in the game for long enough.

Sign up to Morning Coffee!

Coffee mug

The essential daily roundup of news and analysis read by everyone from senior bankers and traders to new recruits.

Boost your career

Find thousands of job opportunities by signing up to eFinancialCareers today.
Latest Jobs
Mondrian Alpha Recruitment Solutions
Assistant Controller (Global Multi-Billion $ Hedge Fund)
Mondrian Alpha Recruitment Solutions
New York, United States
Mondrian Alpha Recruitment Solutions
Operations Manager (#2 to HOO) – Major Hedge Fund - $400-500k total comp package
Mondrian Alpha Recruitment Solutions
New York, United States
State Street Corporation
Software QA Engineer Assistant Vice President - Hybrid
State Street Corporation
Boston, United States
State Street Corporation
Senior Software Engineer II, State Street Global Advisors
State Street Corporation
Boston, United States
State Street Corporation
State Street Global Advisors - IT Applications Architect, VP
State Street Corporation
Boston, United States

Sign up to Morning Coffee!

Coffee mug

The essential daily roundup of news and analysis read by everyone from senior bankers and traders to new recruits.