From Nuclear Submarines to Investment Banking: How to Make the Leap from the Military to Finance

Can you get into finance coming from a military background?

Just how many bankers each year break in from the Army, Navy, and Air Force?

I get a lot of questions on these topics, but up until now haven’t had solid answers beyond “yes” and “quite a few.”

But that changes today with an interview from a reader who broke into investment banking from a military background – keep reading to find out how he did it and how you can do the same.

Plus, advice on part-time vs. full-time MBA programs and starting in a location that isn’t New York.

Breaking Into Private Equity from Business Development, Getting Into Finance from the Military, and More Random Questions… Answered

One question I’ve been seeing a lot lately is how to move into finance if you’re not just out of undergraduate or business school – if you’ve been working for some time and have built up a track record and network.

It’s very difficult to make that type of move these days, simply due to the number of unemployed ex-bankers/consultants/other financiers you’re competing with – but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible.

You just have to target the right types of firms and use the right strategy, as we’ll see below.

Moving Into Private Equity / Investment Banking from Business Development

Reader Q&A: Financial Modeling, Breaking In No Matter What, Venture Capital and Crazy People (No Relation)

This week, we cover financial modeling, what to do if you’re still looking for internships or jobs at this late stage, how to decide on offers if you actually have them, a bunch of questions on venture capital (and private equity), and then the usual roundup of nonsensical questions (always my favorite part).

1. Do you have an opinion on which financial modeling product is best?

Yeah, I don’t like any of them. In the past I used to give a vague answer here, but now I’ve looked at them in detail and talked to customers who have used them, and I’ve come to the conclusion that nothing out there is that great.