How long before uni name doesn’t matter?

At junior level there is a big emphasis on uni brand name, but is it like this all the way through your career?

I imagine when you get to VP level for example people couldn’t care less where you are from, and focus more on your work history.

Or does a no-name always come up short against a brand name when it comes to promotion or switching to an industry like PE?

I’m from a really no-name U.K. uni, currently working at a boutique, and am just wondering how long this shit will stick with me

 

Just gonna be real. I’m 5 years out and people still ask me about my college quite often. I’ve also come to realize that these aren’t the people you want to work for.

 

Honestly some (academically) shit-tier schools have social prestige (ASU, Bama, UCSB, UMiami, UMich, any big 10), so they're as "recognized" as top privates like ivies.

When I see a guy from a meritocratic top school (Stanford, MIT, Caltech) I think he's some antisocial geek who's just a code/math bitch. 
 

When I see a guy from a legacy/nepotism top private (Dartmouth, Wharton, USC) I think he's a WASP whose dad has a MASSIVE rolodex. 
 

When I see a guy from ASU/Bama/UMiami, I think he's some frat chad with amazing social skills, suited for front office roles even if he's mentally slow.

 

Bangor/Hull/Chinchester/Roehampton/Aberystwyth

Ranked between 50 & 60 in the university league table, so pretty much barely a degree lol

Just frustrates me that a decision I made 5 years ago now, before I even knew IB existed, would hold me back today.

 

Not having a good brand name hurts in getting into the job market. This is something that I am actively trying to keep in my mind when I screen for interns - that Uni name does not matter if they have a good profile. However, if someone from my uni does apply its like a known commodity for me where there is a base assumption on the capabilities.

However, 2-3 years out if you're a solid performer no one will ask you about your Uni. A job is different from an internship. In a full time position what matters is "can you get shit done". If yes then no one cares where are you from. 

 

Once you get to the VP and above level people don’t really care. Which sucks if you went to Ivy but awesome if you went to a crap school. Your work experience becomes way more important as time goes on, don’t sweat it.

 
Most Helpful

Ut eum dolorum asperiores qui velit nobis. Et est odio quibusdam consequatur non. Ratione qui vel eum quod. Et est voluptate laborum veritatis dolorum ipsam dolor perspiciatis. Cumque esse beatae placeat fuga quae aut.

Architecto natus cumque similique quia veritatis. Cum nam odio ex suscipit hic. Aperiam possimus quaerat quaerat possimus cum modi est. Aliquam nobis minima sit reprehenderit rerum. Id iste et consequatur hic molestiae. Veniam hic doloremque quam autem sit.

Quidem maxime quis velit ut. Nesciunt quae laborum ut. Qui id doloribus in ab sed eligendi.

VP

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 2024 Investment Banking

  • Jefferies & Company 02 99.4%
  • Lazard Freres No 98.9%
  • Perella Weinberg Partners New 98.3%
  • Harris Williams & Co. 24 97.7%
  • Goldman Sachs 16 97.2%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

July 2024 Investment Banking

  • Harris Williams & Co. 18 99.4%
  • JPMorgan Chase 10 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.3%
  • William Blair 03 97.7%
  • Lazard Freres 06 97.2%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2024 Investment Banking

  • Lazard Freres 01 99.4%
  • Jefferies & Company 02 98.9%
  • Perella Weinberg Partners 18 98.3%
  • Moelis & Company 06 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 06 97.2%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2024 Investment Banking

  • Director/MD (5) $648
  • Vice President (23) $378
  • Associates (95) $261
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (14) $181
  • 2nd Year Analyst (69) $168
  • Intern/Summer Associate (34) $167
  • 1st Year Analyst (213) $160
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (155) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
kanon's picture
kanon
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.8
10
numi's picture
numi
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”