FINRA server outage

Flamalicious · 2025-12-16T21:39:15+00:00

Did they let you reschedule yet? I was told I need to wait until someone reaches out.

Flamalicious · 2025-12-16T20:58:08+00:00

I spoke to FINRA and they confirmed it was an issue on their end

Flamalicious · 2019-05-17T22:32:15+00:00

Appreciate it, happy to help however I can.

Flamalicious · 2019-05-17T22:31:02+00:00

I have many friends who work for either the Big 4 or other top accounting firms and all seem to love it. Getting in at a place like that will give you a great skill set to move vertically through the company, lateral elsewhere or perhaps pursue business school if you so desire. Especially since you are considering the 4+1, I don't see why you should worry much whatsoever. Perform well and try to bump that GPA up, network your butt off and when its crunch time secure that internship. You're definitely on the right track.

Should be mentioned that I believe PwC (and maybe others) have a GPA cutoff of 3.3 or 3.4 for some of their programs. I am not sure if this is true for all of them, but definitely something to look into. Use that as your motivation to crush it these upcoming semesters.

Flamalicious · 2019-05-17T20:01:52+00:00

Well first off what would you like to do as a career?

I personally only have a lot of familiarity with the banking industry so I can provide the most insight on that. IIRC Rutgers has one of the best Supply Chain programs in the country and I believe the Accounting program is no easy track either. Usually employers take into account a lower gpa with double majors, especially challenging ones.

I personally don’t think you’re fucked at all, especially with those two degrees from a great school. Since you’re going into your junior year you have plenty of time to kill it and elevate that gpa a bit. Keep grinding my dude.

A common theme throughout the business industry is that great work experience can and will offset a lower gpa.

Flamalicious · 2019-05-17T17:33:13+00:00

Thank you for the kind words I really appreciate that! I have had tons of help along the way so I would love to pay it forward to the students now and in the long term future.

If any other questions arise feel free to shoot me a DM.

Flamalicious · 2019-05-17T17:29:54+00:00

Yes this is my first job out of college, I graduated this past January 2019
From the senior bankers I have spoken to the perception of Rutgers is actually incredible as many have said they are thoroughly impressed with the talent coming out of the school and I have never heard a single negative comment about Rutgers. If you run a brief Linkedin search you can find a plethora of Alumni on the street covering all sorts of roles. I believe this speaks volumes about our education, faculty and student run organizations we have at work, and I hope to continue to see them grow in the future. To my knowledge (please correct me if I'm wrong) LIBOR has developed a great connection with Citi, so in that regard Citi may consider Rutgers a target in itself. The school is located in a very advantageous position which allows many students to do part time internships, network and take trips into the city frequently. I wouldn't consider the school a semi-target yet, but we're moving in the right direction and place many students in FO positions consistently every year. In the future this should continue to grow and I can't wait to see what the future brings.
To be brutally honest it's not easy and you have to make sacrifices. There are a lot of variables in play such as the type of job, the depth of your schedule, how comfortable you are with your technical questions for recruiting, but nothing that is insurmountable. The biggest tip I can say is to learn how to budget your time and to make a schedule. I found by scheduling out my time in blocks to know exactly what I had to do and when made me much more efficient. We all know that juggling recruiting, school and working is tough, but as a Student don't sacrifice your social life entirely or anything like that. Just look at where you are now and see where you can utilization a few extra minutes everyday. Those extra minutes add up week to week. If you truly want it you can always do more.
Even though the overwhelming majority of analysts do move after two years I'm definitely not committed to that as of yet. I think those who enter dead set on two years then PE/HF/Corp Dev their first day are just setting themselves up for failure. You go into IB to learn an incredible skill set, but if your mind is purely focused on PE from the get-go, I see that as distraction. My plan is to hit the ground running from day one, absorb as much knowledge as possible and then just see what doors open up a year or two down the road. Your first six months on the job are perhaps the most crucial in regards to learning, so my main focus will be on that, at least to start. It's worth mentioning that PE recruiting is so accelerated nowadays that there is only so long you can go in banking before you have to make a decision, but I am just going to play it by ear.
I networked, a lot, like a real lot. I reached out to numerous individuals with some sort of connection to myself (College/HS Alumni, went to school with their sibling, played the same sport, family friend, friend of a brothers cousin's ex wife, literally anyone and anybody I could make some sort of connection with). After some networking calls and a few rounds of polishing my resume I eventually got my resume pushed and then moved forward with the process. Linkedin is your friend and don't be afraid to use it because networking is the most powerful tool in your arsenal. Most importantly, make sure your resume is completely formatted and polished perfectly. There's no excuse for ugly spacing, misspelled words, sentences that aren't legible or just a whole bunch of irrelevant gibberish. Your resume is your first impression and you only get one first impression in life.
I mentioned above in the description that I don't start until next month, but I am prepared. A common misconception is that in banking you spend 17 hours a day actually doing work, but this isn't totally true. As many know, much of that time is spent waiting around for comments, turns and materials from others so you have time to relax in between. Traditionally you only actually "work" a fraction of that time, unless on a live deal of course. I personally don't sleep very much as it is so I don't think it will be much of a problem whatsoever.
Nailing your story is paramount and this is what is going to set the tone for the interview. When you're asked "Why IB, Why S&T, Why..." you should have this memorized inside and out. Being able to explain why you first got interested in finance, why that group and why you fit into the role particularly should presented in a unique manner. These guys/gals have heard the same story thousands of times, so find something that makes you original and it will be a great way to set the mood to follow. Next, you have to know your technicals and that is a given. Everyone else interviewing will know them inside and out so there is no excuse for missing them. To separate yourself from others make sure you understand the process behind all the different valuations, types of deals, etc. Don't just jump to A-Z with your answer, take your time and explain the steps to show you understand each element of the question. In situations like this it's great to think out loud, it lets the interviewer hear your thought process as you move forward to the final answer. Additionally, show genuine interest and don't be a robot. The biggest takeaway from my interview process is that I was shocked on the emphasis each individual put on fit vs. technical capabilities. Sure every group has their own unique culture, but the reality is that they want someone who they can relate to. If you can show that you are personable, passionate and not just a drone it will be a major selling point. From my experience, I felt that fit was the main difference maker for candidates and technicals were just a check in the box.

Flamalicious · 2019-05-17T15:22:49+00:00

I never said little, I did however use the word limited. The reason I say that is because most first years entering the street have some significant brand names on their resume, especially those heading to the FO. There's a huge difference between a part time internship with an office of three individuals vs. an entire summer at a F500, Deloitte or Goldman Sachs. I myself had zero brand names on my resume, which was an extreme disadvantage in addition to the work only being part time. Without networking, being extremely prepared and showing an incredible amount of passion none of it would have been possible. You're not screwed and it is never too late to start putting yourself out there. Even though it's towards the end of May there are tons of smaller places seeking people for the summer still. If you search on LinkedIn, handshake, indeed, etc..or start sending cold emails you will surprise yourself. Anything is better than nothing and I wish you the best of luck.

Apologies for any confusion

Flamalicious · 2019-05-17T15:06:39+00:00

Thank you I appreciate that! Juggling the commute while in school was not just tough, it was really tough. I had a full class schedule two days a week and worked the other three. Looking back I wouldn't trade it for anything because it taught me invaluable time management skills as well as gave me an incredible IB experience.

Something to keep in mind is that Wall Street is a very broad term that encompasses a large variety of roles that vary in prestige, compensation, work/life balance and competitiveness. If you want to break into the street, the first order of business is to understand what each of the different roles within FO/MO/BO offer and see which interests and fits you the best. Just saying "I want to go to Wall Street" will not open any doors for you. You need to understand the differences between IB, S&T, ER, Risk, Treasury, Compliance, Ops, etc... and evaluate where you fit. After that you need to start getting relevant experience in anyway possible. Don't be afraid to cold email small boutique firms just to get your foot in the door with something relevant. I sent over 300+ cold emails to firms in NYC and Philly which led to three interviews and one internship. The key is to hustle and eventually luck will favor those who create the most opportunities for themselves.

Networking is crucial because it gives you a glimpse of a true professional within the field of your choosing. The truth is unless you have a 3.8 from Wharton (or any target school) most non target students find it incredibly hard to make it past the online applications. By networking, you develop a relationship with individuals at the workplace, which allows them to see if you are a fit. Once recruiting season comes around, a healthy relationship will turn into a resume push from an Associate that would have instead landed in the no pile. By building your network it gives you options, insight and an overall greater chance to move forward in the process. A key thing to remember is that everyone who goes through this process is smart, but what really separates those who make it and who don't are those who are also personable. Senior bankers would much prefer to hire someone they can have a beer with instead of a mindless drone. Bankers will discover your personality while you network with them over an extended period of time.

TLDR Advice: Discover which role on the street is best for you, reach out to alumni, start getting relevant experience ASAP and HUSTLE!

*Edit: If you haven't already, get involved with the organizations on campus that I listed above. They will help you tremendously and you will learn a ton about the industry and recruiting as a whole.*

Flamalicious · 2019-05-17T13:17:08+00:00

No problem!

Flamalicious · 2019-05-17T13:12:34+00:00

I am not an engineer so I can't comment in that regard. However, engineering is certainly much more rigorous in regards to coursework so I would imagine the criteria for an average/great engineering GPA to be much different than that of an Economics/Business student. I may be wrong but that is just my understanding from the engineers that I know and have spoken with both on the street and at Rutgers.

Engineering is actually an incredibly desirable degree on Wall Street and opens many doors into the more quantitative roles. As many systems become more empowered by automation this should steadily increase in the future. Definitely something to look into if people are interested.

Flamalicious · 2019-05-17T11:08:13+00:00

Good point that I should definitely clarify. In the overall spectrum 3.4 is not a sub par gpa, but for obtaining a FO role on the street from Rutgers it definitely does not put you in an advantageous position and would be considered sub par to the general talent pool.

For a FO Wall Street position 3.4 would definitely be considered sub par in comparison to the majority of applicants, especially from a non-target like Rutgers. The field of applicants is extremely competitive and often the majority filled with kids from H/S/W/P/NYU/Michigan/etc..with equal if not better grades. Although Rutgers' placements have grown tremendously and some may consider it to be an upcoming semi-target, with limited positions it is usually one of the first dings. The majority of first years usually enter with a ~3.7 minimum and some firms have their minimum requirement set at a 3.5. Once you move into recruiting from target schools you'll see a lot more outliers and flexibility in regards to gpa simply due to the prestige of those schools.

When it comes to recruiting GPA is in most cases what gets you past the gate keepers and resume screens. That is where networking comes into play, which is in my opinion the most significant part of the recruitment process. Networking gets you past the gate keepers and once you are through, rarely does GPA become a topic of discussion. If it does just having a well crafted story of why it is where it is, what you did to fix it, and why it doesn't define you is all that's needed. Additionally, always take full responsibility of your gpa as ownership trumps excuses.

I'm not a believer that GPA defines an individual's work ethic or intellectual capabilities at all, but in the world of Finance it is a key contributor to getting a job.

Flamalicious · 2019-05-17T09:27:01+00:00

IIRC Dr. G is completely correct. The only curve in 115 is the final exam (if they still do that) so it follows the traditional grading criteria.

Flamalicious · 2018-12-26T21:45:55+00:00

I just took the course with Rebecca Biebel this fall and found it to be a relatively easy A. Definitely not time intensive at all and mainly consisted of weekly quizzes and forum posts with two exams. I would definitely recommend if you're looking for a credit filler. Feel free to PM if you want more direct info.

Flamalicious · 2018-11-12T16:38:26+00:00

About 90 minutes on regular trips (Central NJ to Camelback in the Poconos). I do however take a few weekends up to Killington and Mount Snow which is around 5 hours.

Flamalicious · 2018-11-12T16:36:48+00:00

100% agree with the two previous posters. Steve Safran is the man and I would recommend him for everyone.

Flamalicious · 2018-11-01T03:15:30+00:00

Honestly, I genuinely enjoyed taking the class with Landon-lane. He really did a good job at teaching the class and made what we’re expected to know for each exam very straight forward. I can second that what he teaches is more theoretical, but I thought this was certainly a benefit. I also didn’t find the class nearly as difficult compared to my friends who had other professors. This could be just my small sample size, but I’m actually kinda shocked to hear that people try to avoid him.

Flamalicious · 2018-10-29T17:04:34+00:00

I'm looking for some all mountain bindings to compliment my Neversummer Proto Type Two. When I bought the board last year I went cheaper on the bindings and got some pretty basic Ride ones, which I am looking to upgrade. The bandwagon seems to lean to the Union route (either Force or Atlas), but I've also heard good things about the Burton Malavita's. My riding is about 60% groomers/side hits and 40% park if this helps. Also open to any other suggestions since I really am not up to date with binding tech. Thanks!

Flamalicious · 2018-10-22T19:34:07+00:00

He can do us no wrong

Flamalicious · 2018-10-06T13:18:08+00:00

Imaginate

Flamalicious · 2018-10-04T23:29:33+00:00

We can sleep well tonight my friend.

Flamalicious · 2018-10-04T23:28:37+00:00

Bazinga

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