Impossible to apply to Investment Bank with a 2:2

If you have exceptional circumstances, then by all means apply and put it down on your application form.

what if i dont?

What do you want to apply for? ..IB?

The trouble you might find is that some online application systems automatically reject candidates who don't fulfil the minimum academic requirements. Your three A's is good, but large graduate employers do put a lot of emphasis on the minimum 2.1 entry requirement (even though university grades are debatably a less important means of rating candidates).

Jungle Boogie is right - you need to try and explain why you didn't hit a 2.1. Think about pressures that you had, extracurricular activities that you were involved in - show on your application form that there was a good reason why you didn't get a 2.1.

To bypass automatic rejection, it might be an idea to call HR at the companies you wish to apply for and explain your extenuating circumstances, to see if they might consider your application despite the lower than asked for uni grade.

Good luck..!

If you wanted to work in IB you might be better off submitting your CV to an IB recruitment agency and say you want to work in Sales. The chances you will get to actually do the investment banking graduate scheme are sadly very slim.

Oh i don't mind working in operations or sales I want to get a foot in the ladder, any good links to agencies?

I'm not sure- redsuperted any ideas?

well i'm guessing they'd say that if your extracurricular activities made up for it, then it should be ok?? call HR maybe? and you can apply for back office positions - operations etc and see where it takes you. good luck!

If you think you've got a 'sales' edge, then you'll be OK. Otherwise try and find another way in, or get another qualification, like an accountancy qualification (e.g. ACA or CIMA).

My situation was slightly different from kkhimji2001.

I would also like to apply for position in I-Bank. However, I didn't do well in my A-level examinations as I was nervous at the time of examination. Even though I was well prepared, my brain could not be able to function properly at that time and was completely black out.
However, I had got a 2:1 degree in BBA Quantitative Analysis for Business. After I graduated from my University, I studied for and completed all three levels of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants examinations and was a CPA. In addition, I have completed all three modules of the Institute of Internal Auditors examinations and was a Certified Internal Auditor. Do you think it will be some kind of extenuating factors or I would still be automatically reject by the system?

Looking forward to hearing advices from you. Many many thanks!

You can still get in to IB with a 2.1, even without all your extra qualifications. How long has it beeen since you graduated? Where do you want to work in an I-Bank? What were your ALevels - very bad?

I graduated in 2001 and will be going to London to read a MSc Finance this year.

I would like to go to the corporate finance division of I-Bank. My A-level was really bad. I failed one of the science subjects.

By the way, I have contacted the Career Consultant of my Business School in London and she mentioned that my extra qualifications could not really counted as extenuating circumstances. I am therefore a bit worry. I have started to fill in the online application form for one of the investment banks and it required me to provided my A-level results.

I will apply for the Analyst Program of Legal and Management Controls Division of the I-bank as well.

Yes, they will do. Have you considered applying for back office roles and then trying to move across once you're in a bank? You should also call HR at the banks you want to apply to and ask them about your situation.

what is the easiest division to get into, chanceswise at goldman? Is it operations? Also should I apply for a new analyst position or an off cycle internship?

Depends really on what kind of person you are. If you are a pushy sales type, then sales is probably easiest to get into. Otherwise you could join in the back office somewhere. However, be aware that for the graduate scheme, Goldman Sachs has 200 places and receives 20,000 applications a year. They only hire the best.

Equally, when I applied for Big 4 accounting, (I have straight A's and a first class degree), I was sometimes rejected what appeared to be automatically by the system- maybe the jobs just filled up? Who knows!

is that the same for any bank? easier to get in through back office positions?

I don't think there's much opportunity to go from back office through to front office in most investment banks. In the same way as if you were an accountant they wouldn't suddenly let you move to IT, the same goes for moving from something else e.g. operations into investment banking.

Your best bet is to work in the front office of a smaller investment bank, picking up front office experience, and work your way through that way.

I heard that it is easier to get an internship at a bank as a graduate if you have no experience than going for a grad position where the number of places are less and more competition.

Meanwhile I can apply for a masters and bring it up at the interview as the reason why i am doing an internship. If I impress and get offered a position, I can cancel my masters offer and take up full time employment?

If it is easier to get an internship at an investment bank than a graduate job then it's only slightly easier. However, you would definitely stand a better chance of getting a graduate job at an investment bank with an internship under your belt.

You'd also probably stand a better chance of getting a graduate job with the MA.

Interesting fact: Jerome, the French Rogue Trader (remeber him? - he lost Society Generale 3.7 Billion a while back) originally started out in a back office position before transferring to front office. His CV states that “Middle Office - Referential Team” from 2000 to 2002 before moving to “Trader Assistant” in 2002-2004; from 2004 until the scandal, he was a real trader.

In reference to the points above, it is possible to move from back/middle office to front office, but is the exception rather than the rule. Chris' point suggestion about working in a smaller investment bank and working your way up is probably your best bet.

I have interviewed with the business auditor role of Goldman Sachs Tokyo in September 2007. The HR Officer did mention that one of the auditors of the Management Control and Legal Department went to the Asset Management Department. Therefore, it is possible to make such a move.

Of course you have to stay in the back office for at least 1 or 2 years prior to requesting for an internal transfer.

Interesting. I would add that as well as working in a back office department for a number of years, an employee would have to do exceptionally well during this time and really get noticed by key employees/managers and HR to get the chance to transfer over. I can't see a mediocre employee being offered the chance at a front office role.

Another interesting fact: apparently Nick Leeson also started in a back office position before transfering to front office, and consequently crashing Barings Bank... perhaps there is a reason why investment banks aren't so keen to let back office employees make this transfer after all :p

It is always worth applying - did you do anything at uni like be president of a society which could justify your 2:2??

I have a number of friends who are in professions such as baking, consulting and a couple who are barristers all of whom have 2:2's (my boyfriend is one of them!) most of them drank way too much through uni to ever contemplate going to lectures - however they played a lot of sport or did something else of note which employers love.

Oh also forgot to mention that often they did soft degrees such as geography so with economics from a good uni - give them a call and you should be fine.
Goodluck.

Hey Sallyanne.. do you know how they justified their 2.2's in applications/interviews? I'm guessing they didn't say "I drank wayyyyy too much" to their recruiters..!

Ha ha no I guess that wouldn't go down too well! My boyfriend simply put the fact he was chairman or president (cant remember which) of the rugby club on his applicaiton. He called and spoke to the recruiters before submitting it to check it wouldnt be automatically rejected, and he also had an A for his A level maths which banks and the big four like.

I wouldn't necessarily try and justify a 2;2 as such, but try to up sell the other things that you did at uni which the recruiter will then realise took a lot of time which you could have used for study.

So you advise me to call them before I submit my application, and give my name and justify by 2:2 before submitting it, otherwise it will be rejected straightaway.

Also, would it be tougher for me to get an internship in the IB department compared to say Operations, or are the chances the same?

I would phone them to discuss it. If you have extenuating circumstances you had best make them aware of that first, or at least get their opinion.