What are these high paying positions that get mentioned amongst IB and such?
Hey Everyone,

I apologize if this question was asked before, but what are these high salary CRE positions that people said to pursue? I graduated with a B.S. in MIS in August 2021 and recently accepted a position as an IT Associate Business Solutions Analyst. However, it is not something I wanted to pursue.

Ideally, I always wanted to get into a high finance position such as Investment Banking. The salary, exit opportunities, and prestige played a part, but I know CRE is amongst those as well.

How do I get into CRE and what should I be pursuing? UConn offers a major in Real Estate, but not sure whether I’d want to get another bachelors. MBA and other options are under consideration but getting into IB or CRE is a goal!
[{"id": "if0a1r2", "text": "REPE/Development/Acquisitions - or strike it rich as a broker with \u201cunlimited income potential\u201d.", "replies": [{"id": "if0b35g", "text": "How does one get into REPE/Development/Acquisitions? I have a B.S. in MIS which is a completely different field than Real Estate but I already hate it lol.\n\nDo you mind sharing some resources?", "replies": [{"id": "if0sga5", "text": "I have a B.S. in Biomedical Sciences so you can break in with anything. Much like high finance, networking and reaching out is the lion\u2019s share of the work. May want to take A.CRE or similar course to prove you can do the basic RE math but besides that just reach out and talk with everyone in the field.", "replies": [], "depth": 3}], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "if0c14r", "text": "Adventures in CRE or Break into CRE on YouTube", "replies": [{"id": "if0cz5m", "text": "Thank you! I\u2019ll take a look at them tonight.", "replies": [], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "if0e8kg", "text": "I don\u2019t think you need to go back to school. Sounds like a waste of time and money. MIS should be fine. Most of the time you won\u2019t need difficult math. If you go into construction financing then they\u2019ll teach you the right formulas. That being said, I\u2019d probably going to REPE. I\u2019m a commercial appraiser now and make good money, but I know that I\u2019m on the high end of the curve", "replies": [{"id": "if0h31r", "text": "How do you get into REPE? I\u2019m sorry if these are stupid questions, but I don\u2019t know anyone or had proper guidance at the university regarding matters such as these lol. I\u2019m not sure what type of roles to target, especially at the entry-level. \n\nMy current position, IT Associate Business Solutions Analyst, at a F500 energy company will not give me much transferable skills towards CRE and IB lol.", "replies": [{"id": "if0kg1o", "text": "May not be the answer you want, but email firms and show enthusiasm. Be honest with what you know and don\u2019t know and tell them you have the willingness to learn anything. We\u2019ve hired people from different backgrounds. The willingness to work is what matters", "replies": [], "depth": 3}, {"id": "if0lm3u", "text": "Don\u2019t sell yourself short. Analysis is the tip of the spear for literally every single real estate project. You can be in the best market, have a great location, and tell an amazing story. But if the numbers don\u2019t work, the project isn\u2019t feasible.", "replies": [], "depth": 3}, {"id": "if0rknt", "text": "I'm confused. Move to a position that will give you \"transferable skills towards CRE and IB\" because it sounds like you know what they are. There are many private and public positions.", "replies": [{"id": "if0voi3", "text": "Honestly, all the financial analyst roles I applied to were rejected lol. This is the only company that gave me an offer. I tried applying nationwide as well.\n\nEdit: the IT Associate Business Solutions Analyst position would be my \u201cfirst\u201d post-collegiate job related to my major. Otherwise, I\u2019ve been a logistics coordinator for 7 years. I\u2019m not sure what roles to target to break into CRE &amp; IB hence I\u2019m here lol.", "replies": [{"id": "if0xahz", "text": "Gotcha. Then maybe the RE program at UCONN isn't a bad idea as long as you have the means to do so without going into crazy debt. Could you study and work? Also I saw a Underwriter role open at CHFA, could be a way to break in to CRE underwriting?", "replies": [{"id": "if0yh3s", "text": "Do you mind if I PM you?", "replies": [], "depth": 6}], "depth": 5}], "depth": 4}], "depth": 3}], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "if0l9pv", "text": "\n\nThe #1 skill to break into CRE is excel. The CRE nuances can be taught as long as you know how to model. If you don\u2019t have that, there are plenty of free online resources that teach financial modeling.\n\nLook for analyst positions. In interviews discuss your understanding of excel and your eagerness to learn and grow in the industry. 9/10 I\u2019d take someone who has excel knowledge and is willing to put in the time and effort to learn the financial side of real estate over someone with a masters in real estate and no real experience.\n\nThe majority of what you learn in real estate isn\u2019t taught in the classroom. It\u2019s from reps and real world experience. I have a bachelors in finance and real estate and a masters in real estate finance and development. All the things I learned in school were very base level knowledge and just allowed me to \u201ctalk the talk.\u201d \n\nI started as an analyst in brokerage, went to CRE lending, and have been with a principal (developer/acquisitions) for the last 4+ years. Get your foot in the door and work hard. Go to the industry events (NAIOP/ULI/etc.) and make connections. Opportunities will arise.", "replies": [{"id": "if0np98", "text": "Do you mind if I PM you?", "replies": [{"id": "if0zczd", "text": "Go for it", "replies": [], "depth": 3}], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "if115b9", "text": "T15 MBA interning at a large West Coast REPE shop - feel free to PM with any questions!\n\nFrom your career track, might add that banking is highly unlikely without an MBA. If you do go the school route, you\u2019ve gotta decide on banking vs. RE early (banking recruiting starts in Aug-Sept)", "replies": [{"id": "if11lw2", "text": "I\u2019ll PM you tomorrow!", "replies": [], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "if1lp2p", "text": "learn argus, make sure you know excel and try and get an entry level financial analyst position", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "if2x8hz", "text": "REPE/Acquisitions presumably is what you are looking for. \n\nI ventured more to the credit side and capital markets side. For instance, an associate in Synidcate Finance at a top bank will make a good amount with large bonuses. They are in line with IB and often are housed within the IBD. \n\nThis is sort of an avenue that follows IB and CRE in a mix. Explained that all poorly but happy to answer any questions.", "replies": [{"id": "if37ucd", "text": "Hey, thanks for your comment, I\u2019ll PM you later!", "replies": [], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}]