Getting a shot at a coveted investment banking or finance job is a cutthroat, and sometimes controversial, business in China. Career consulting firms have mushroomed in recent years, enlisting what they say are thousands of finance professionals to help open doors to students who can afford it. Firms are charging $12,000 or more to help students land internships and eventually jobs at Wall Street powerhouses such as Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Citigroup Inc.
“It opens wide the question of fairness,” he said. “If you pay to have someone else to write your cover letter, or get a first round interview, is it fair to those job seekers who don’t have or can’t afford such packages?”