The Best Success Stories on WSO

Patrick and I (among others) LOVE hearing your guys' success stories, so we said "hey why not make a post of the top ranked (most silver bananas) stories?!" Well... thanks to my whiz kid content intern @Lucas_M", here they are! Click here to post your own success story, we'd love to hear it! (Make sure to post in the "Success Story" Forum).

1. How I got into Banking
posted by @CompBanker"

Try to get relevant work experience. As a Computer major, I had a number of internship in "computer" roles, but nothing in finance. I found a boutique bank that was willing to take me onboard part time during the semester. Not many people are willing to work during a semester for free. I set up my work hours around my classes and agreed to come in on the weekends as well. All in all my internship eats about 40ish hours a week.

I think this internship was really the thing that made it possible for me to secure interviews. By working the equivalent of a 9 - 5, while simultaneously taking a full course load, I was able to prove to banks that I could handle the hours. Not to mention I proved to myself that I was capable.

- silver bananas: a lot

2. Finally an offer! A story of persistence
posted by @brutalglide"

I continued networking/looking for jobs all while I started to study for my GMAT. After taking my GMAT, I applied for MSF programs which started in fall 2012 (and was accepted into Vandy/Duke/Villanova/WashU) to hedge myself in case I couldn't find a job.

Additionally, I started to stray away from looking for jobs in major cities (ie. SF/Chicago/NYC) and look at second/third tier cities. Also, I started to expand my search as well (not only just IB firms), but anything related (Big 4 TS, valuation, VC, PE, ER, HF, etc.). I found a higher success rate for landing interviews this way and lucked into a VC firm looking to hire an analyst. 4-5 rounds of interviews and a case study later, the VC made me an offer.

- silver bananas: a lot

3. Non-Target, Sub 3.5 GPA. FT BB IBD
posted by @GoW"

I made a decision to go creeper status on LinkedIn. The recruiting season was basically over, so I only contacted boutiques. I ended up getting a SA position at a local boutique and got REALLY solid experience on my resume.

I think the internship I had was integral to my path working out. I finally got an interview with UBS. Nailed the first round. Got invited for a superday. Loved the culture. It was very collegiate. I told my story, answered the questions and got a lot of good feedback and conversation out of the bankers. They offered me a FT IBD analyst position!

- 291 silver bananas

4. Thank You - BROKE IN!
posted by @THE PsYcHoLoGy"

As far as networking goes, the offer I received was with the bank I did the most networking with (big surprise). I organized a business trip with about 20 club members to visit this bank, because the Director did his undergrad stint at my university. After the trip I sent him an email telling my interest, but got no response. 7 months later, I reached out to him again via email asking for an informational interview. He advised me to reach out to the analysts as well.

My interviews went pretty well. At one point it was 3 on 1 with the analysts grilling me on technicals and the Director looking more for fit questions. My last interview was with the MD and he just asked about my story, then we talked about the economy in the U.S. and in Europe, and he asked me to send him my honors thesis. Next day, I got a call for the offer!

- 203 silver bananas

5. Thanks WSO - IB Finally from Non-Target
posted by @bkwr83"

I was the only non-target at my superday and was a little concerned afterward. Either way here I am at a Top Tier MM.

If there is no "on campus recruiting", you will have to apply online to at least 40+ Investment Banks. This is why networking is so important. If you have someone on the inside who can at least get you a phone interview, the rest is on you.

- 202 silver bananas

6. Thank you WSO! Landed the SA offer I wanted due to you.
posted by @Rupert Pupkin"

After talking to Patrick, I thought I would take this chance to thank everyone on this board that has helped me get to where I am today. I feel that I couldn't have done it without the help from the community on here, especially HP12C and monty09. These two guys have gone way above and beyond when it comes to preparing me, connecting me to the individuals that I needed to meet with, and making sure I knew exactly where I wanted to be.

Between the technical guide and the ability to ask a question on here and have it answered by about 45 different people, I was more prepared for my interviews than I ever could have imagined. I hope that I will be able to continue to pass along as much information as was passed down to me on here.

- 201 silver bananas

7. Non-Target with
posted by @Another_Kennedy"

I come from a non-target, have a low GPA because I fucked things up freshman year and did not have the luxury of having a ton of alumni working there nor was I able to do a resume drop. Through old school networking, I was invited to superday and made the most of my only chance to impress the director. A week later, I received an offer for a MM SA position!
- 101 silver bananas

8. What investment banking is in simple words and my story
posted by @Group Therapy"

It was extremely difficult being from a non-target school and interviews for investment banking were basically impossible to get. I took an Asset Management job and continued the grind of networking. Now that I was in a major city networking was easy! I got coffee with everyone I could and grew my network tremendously. Within less than 6 months I was having interviews at investment banks and received an offer.

At times I wanted to quit and give up the dream, but I knew I could do it. If you are still trying, don’t give up, keep trying, you can make it!

- 41 silver bananas

9. 106 Rejections, 1 Success & Unquantifiable Perseverance
posted by @ValueBanker14"

After applying to 30-40 firms and getting rejected everywhere, I decided it was time to round up all my weaknesses and turn them into strengths. I joined WSO, read every thread about breaking in and the expectations of an IBD analyst, kept up with the markets on a daily basis and started teaching myself the basic technicals. While all of this stuff was incredibly useful, the most arduous, painstaking and fruitful part of my process came in the form of networking.

To put everything in perspective, I was a non-target, non-finance major with no finance experience and no contacts in the industry. Over the course of 10 months, I have amassed more than 100 people in the industry whom I'm in regular contact with, secured an offer from a MSF program, secured an offer from 2 small boutiques and now, I'll be working at a well-respected MM firm.

- 36 silver bananas

10. Can a Non Target land a IB SA? With hard work and persistence it definitely is
posted by @upod01"

My luck changed when I attended information for a top middle market firms. I met a trader, talked to him and made sure to follow up with him. I was able to convince him to do a mock interview where he grilled me. I was able to impress him and he told me that “I never do this, but I will recommend you to our recruiter and a friend of mine at a top BB think BAML/GS/JPM”. He informed me that I was behind in the game since he already had people that were reaching out to him since they were freshman/sophomores. Not to mention that my competition were Harvard, Princeton, UPenn , Yale who had 4.0, captain of their rugby teams, interned at a PE shop the year prior.

What I didn't know was that he was previously a head recruiter and former banker for a BB firm. As soon as I got home, I noticed that he had personally recommended me to all the BB, and a few MM firms, got me an interview with the head of CIB at his firm. I was the very first person he interviewed. I made sure to keep in contact with everyone he introduced me to and followed up. I received interview invitations from the top 3 BB firms, got invited to all three superdays , and ended up with one offer!

- 32 silver bananas

11. Sincere thank you to the WSO Community
posted by @henchman"

Single Mom moved from Philippines to America (NYC), had a terrible job by most peoples standard (nanny), though I am incredibly proud of her. I had bad grades in HS and my freshman year at a non-target state school in Upstate New York. Almost didn’t get into the b-school. Turned around sophomore year and graduated this past May as 1 of 16 students in the Finance honors route (3.5+ GPA required). President of the student-run investment group my senior year. Networked hard during summer internship. Graduated with 3 offers. Took offer in BB FO IBD in Los Angeles.
- 31 silver bananas

12. The Non-Target Who Didn't Take No For An Answer
posted by @km190"

I booked a week-long trip to NY on my own dime to meet the new friends I had made. I also booked trips to two other cities, all in hopes of landing an interview at their firms. You see, ladies and gentlemen, the beauty of hard work is that while you are completely zoned in on your mission, those around you begin to notice what you are doing and the work you are putting in to achieve it. Before you know it, university faculty, your friends, and even those at the boutique bank you work at, begin to cheer you on and support you. My contacts began to reach out to me and ask me how I was doing. Incredible feeling to say the least, to know that I wasn’t alone. From several months of work I landed three interviews, two superdays, and, drum roll please……One offer. Not just any offer though, an offer from an Elite Boutique to work in their healthcare division where I would be working directly with healthcare companies that save lives. I was thrilled!

The most important takeaway from all this? I gained the opportunity to make friends with great people in the industry. People I can see myself grabbing a drink with after work in a few years should I be fortunate enough to translate my SA experience to a full-time offer. You see ladies and gentlemen, this is a people industry. People join people, not companies. Keep putting in the work, be persistent, MAKE FRIENDS, and just maybe, something might come your way if you are lucky.

- 31 silver bananas

13. Non-Target Freshman to Hedge Fund Internship
posted by @HedgeFundHopeful94"

In January I pulled up the SEC EDGAR database and called over 250 funds in the NYC area. Practice cold calling, it is invaluable when it comes to finding unpublished opportunities. I got calls back from some of them. Most ignored me. But there was one that looked past the non-target school, looked past my age. I had a few fairly informal phone interviews with them and then was called to go into the city to meet with the CFO and Controller. I met the CFO and he told me right away that I had the position, working in a variety of roles for the summer. I’m pretty sure half of Manhattan saw the smile on my face. Then I met the controller and we discussed some of what I’d be doing and who I’d work with.

So long story short: Work hard, talk to everyone you can, don’t ever let someone say that you won’t get somewhere because of your school, age is really just a number, cold call everyone, you create your own opportunity and luck…well you create that too. Just remember sometimes you have to learn how to swim by jumping headfirst into the deep end.

- 21 silver bananas

14. Non-target --> FT Off-Cycle IBD Analyst
posted by @Creamofthecrop"

I quit selling/drinking so much and finally got the help I needed. Many people began to return to my life during this time as well as those who had abandoned me earlier. I buckled down when I returned to school and never got anything less than a 4.0 the rest of the way. I had no idea how to get into IBD and began reading these very forums to figure out what the hell I needed to do.

I started networking very late and didn't get an analyst role in the summer, but did find a BO/MO role at a BB bank. I was tired from endless interviews, but I ended up with 3 offers from BB/MM IBD groups!

- 17 silver bananas

15. I did it.
posted by @Buddyfox"

A little over 3 years ago I graduated with just under a 3.0 GPA from a non-target. I began working FT in a finance group of a large insurance company in NYC. It wasn't what I wanted to do, but having graduated just after the credit crisis, it was the best I could do.

I did not see results from networking immediately. It took a few months for some people to follow up with me and see how I was doing after we had met for coffee/beer/whatever. I was able to land a few interviews after a few months of having met these 2 dozen or so individuals and trying to stay in touch with them. Finally after several interviews over 6 weeks at this one mid-market bank, I received and accepted the offer. It was exactly what I was looking for, with a group of people that seem awesome, and I couldn’t be more excited about it.

- 17 silver bananas.

Other stories worth noting
From a Paper Mill to Call Centre to Back Office IT to Equity Research
posted by @gman5556"

I kept at it and just landed a job in ER at a boutique in Toronto. applied through my local CFA society, no connections at this shop. I mentioned almost nothing in my application about what I actually did in data management. I just mentioned I worked with senior PMs and traders as well as the reports I wrote for the PMs. This time they wanted some one with a strong background without direct ER experience. I beat out people with top marks at local target schools with MBAs.

The point is you have to know investments, be confident, and pitch profitable ideas. Your school, CFA, and back office job doesn't amount to shit.

How I went from 10 rejections to one dream internship this year.
posted by @Pizz"

Once you get rejected, move on to the next one. Learn from it. What did you do wrong? Was it a technical question that stumped you? Was it the fit questions? Behavioral questions?

PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE. With your roommates, friends, and career center. Whether on the phone, skype, or in person. There is ALWAYS room for improvement. Smile during the interviews. Don't be afraid to talk about you what makes you unique (I won art competitions in the past, which surprised many interviewers).

As for consulting, don't be stupid like me--go and PRACTICE how to answer case study questions with someone. As for finance, make sure to study your technicals (the WSO guide was a god send here!). There are always the same questions (DCFs, valuations, etc.).

 

Always enjoy reading similar stories to the ones posted above! Goes to show that determination, persistence and hard-work can reap in significant rewards. To any other non-targets, network like a pro and YOU could have a decent shot of breaking into the industry!

Bitch please, I love bananas! If you found my advice useful, hit me up with one.
 

Great collection, just what I needed, thank you! Will look forward to reading these in my down time.

Associate at Family Office "Investing is not a game of Possibilities but of Probabilities."
 
Best Response

AndyLouis - thanks for aggregating and posting (I'm #4 above). WSO has been a great resource for me since college.

After breaking into banking and spending three successful years with a top MM firm, I've transitioned to a $1B+ PE fund, and I attribute a lot of that success to WSO. It was a total grind, but worth every moment of it - sent dozens of cold emails and had 20+ informal informational interviews. I used the forums and the PE guide as mission-critical resources in my preparation for these and my full interview rounds with my current firm.

I'd be happy to answer any questions and provide counsel to anyone looking for help, on the IB or PE front.

 

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From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

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