I go to a top 10 liberal arts school and majoring in economics and minoring in math. I really want to go into IB but I’m struggling not because of how competitive things are but also because banks don’t really come to my school to recruit, especially not for IB roles. I know even though my school is considered an elite liberal arts school and the econ department is really good, it’s definitely not a top target and I’m worried it’s impossible for me to get a good internship. Plus my school is so liberal and quirky that maybe they cringe when they see the name of my school lol. It’s almost looked down upon at my school if you want to go into finance because it’s a sellout job and you’re just feeding into capitalism, worsening the wealth gap blah blah blah. Any advice for a liberal arts undergrad?
Hi @ddecker. This is actually a really good question. Yes, it is true that banks may not spend as much time recruiting from LACs and they’re often not included in the list of top target schools. However, there are still lots of BB and EB that like people with good grades and experience, from LACs that have a strong stem/econ curriculum. If they don’t come to your school to recruit, you need to network as much as you can. Assuming you’re at a slight disadvantage as those from target schools, it’ll take a bit of extra effort reaching out to more people, especially alumni, and exploring different options. It’s definitely doable so don’t be too worried!
It’s almost looked down upon at my school if you want to go into finance because it’s a sellout job and you’re just feeding into capitalism, worsening the wealth gap
Fellow LAC student here and I can attest to this. People won’t even like to admit that they want to go into a career that pays well