Sure, this is a private message that I sent, glad to share (see below). I'd say your experience is certainly relevant, but not distinctly relevant enough that it would've been a sure close-list invite. Though, I can't stress enough that IM recruiting this year is an absolute bloodbath. My experience should not be indicative of anything you'll experience in a bull market. Exactly, re: your point about people wanting to pursue IM. Only one person I know of in the IMG had an incredible background...others worked for fund-of-funds, back office at asset management firms, etc.; experience that was kinda-sorta relevant.
"It's tough to say how comparable our experiences would be, given the economic climate, work experience, firms that choose to recruit on-campus, etc.
In a nutshell, I have 4 years' experience in public accounting/financial consulting, and I wanted to make the transition to IM. I made the mistake of applying to smaller shops (as opposed to the T. Rowes, Fidelities, etc.) because I figured that was a good place to get started. Boy, was I wrong...I had nine of the firms with which I resume-dropped withdraw their internship positions entirely.
As the weeks went on, it became evident that the only people getting close-listed and/or second-rounded were those with extremely relevant experience. In other words, none of the firms were willing to take a chance on training someone new with zero exposure to the industry from the get-go. That said, it was tough for EVERY career changer this year, not just in IM. However, IM was certainly one of the most affected career tracks (along with sales and trading).
So, I hit "panic mode" a bit early and consulted Rhyme on making my "Plan B" corporate finance/general management. I'm guessing you know how awesome Rhyme is on this board, and in person he's no exception. This was A LOT easier to recruit for, since there was less technical knowledge you needed to relay in the interviews (i.e. no stock pitches/industry analyses), and as it stands today I have three offers from two somewhat-respectable firms and one better firm which was a lot of people's "Plan A" to begin with. Guess which one I'm going with?
Anyway, as I mentioned earlier, in no way should my experience be extrapolated into the greater IM-recruiting environment...I cashed in my chips really, really early, and I know there will be plenty of people to successfully land internships via the off-campus search. Also, I have a really hard time believing next year will be as bad as this one. Just a guess.
Anyway, hope this was helpful. Let me know if you would like me to elaborate on anything!"