Cover Letter Question

SBE — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 10:43:24 -0400

When submitting a cover letter in an online resume drop, do you keep the same heading as you had on your resume? I have always kept the same layout and font from my resume's heading, which includes my name and contact info. However, I asked a couple friends about it and they said they just type up the cover letter and don't have anything before the "Dear Mr. XYZ" part. Am I overdoing it?

Emailing Head of IB

SBE — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 22:37:37 -0400

Just wanted to get some thoughts on this. I was perusing my school's alumni database today and ran across a guy that's Head of IB at a well-known MM bank that I am very interested in working at. I have already had a good conversation with a junior banker at the firm who supposedly is pushing my resume along to the right people, so I'm decently confident I will be able to interview here, but of course you never know what will happen.

So, should I reach out to the Head of IB at this bank to attempt to do an informational interview? The potential upside is that I could impress this guy enough with my drive and ability to get in a good position for an offer. The potential downside is that I annoy this guy and/or sound like a doofus when I talk to him, and kill my chances.

Cobblestone Advisors

SBE — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 19:49:29 -0400

Any thoughts on these guys? Apparently they're an off-shoot of Harris Williams and focus on the lower middle-market area, whatever that means. Does anyone have info on the people and work they do? Are they a big step down from Harris Williams? Any info would be appreciated.

Received a FT Offer......Now What?

SBE — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 14:58:04 -0400

I was surprised last Friday with a FT offer from the MM bank I'm interning at this summer. I wasn't expecting an offer but it was certainly a nice surprise.

My question is now that I have received an offer, what do I do for FT recruiting? I want to play the field a bit, but I also don't want my current bank to find out, and they would find out because it's a smaller shop. If I interview with a bank, are they going to call my bank to ask about me? Will other banks ask me how much money I was offered? Do I have to bring the contract with me to interviews?

Essentially, I want to let other banks know I received a FT offer, but I don't want them to know how much I was offered because I think they'll try and low ball me (my numbers would be below street), and I'm nervous that the bank I interned at will find out I'm looking at other places and pull my offer.

Weak/Strong Balance Sheet

SBE — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 13:49:30 -0400

I hear a lot of talk about how a company has a weak or strong balance sheet, but I'm wondering how you come up with these conclusions. What exactly should one be looking at on a BS to conclude that it is currently weak or strong? What ratios are the best to use? Are you looking at a certain cash percentage? What are the most important line items to assess overall strength?

Healthcare IB

SBE — Thu, 08 May 2008 22:32:33 -0400

Over the past couple months, my interest has grown in potentially working in a healthcare group within IBD. That said, I've also come to the conclusion that I don't know much about the industry or what is truly unique about it. So to make sure it is a group I want to pursue and to help prepare for FT interviews next fall, I was hoping some people on here that have experience in this realm could give me more specifics.

First, are there any aspects of deals in the healthcare sector that are unique in comparison to other sectors? Are the financial statements similar to firms in other industries, e.g. more/less debt, revenues, etc?

I don't come from anything close to a science background, so will this put me at a distinct disadvantage in interviews? Where are the best sources for info on healthcare related deals?

Pushing for FT at banks that dinged you for internship

SBE — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 11:52:36 -0400

I couldn't think of a better title for this thread, hope it makes sense. Basically, is it appropriate to push for a FT offer from a bank that dinged you for an internship the prior year?

FIG Exit Options

SBE — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 16:24:24 -0400

First, before anyone says it, "FIG" is too short to use the search function.

How financial statements are affected after an LBO

SBE — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 18:42:36 -0500

Okay, this is my 2nd accounting question today, but I have a superday next Friday and accounting is my weak point.

Interviewing with the flu

SBE — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 13:16:17 -0500

I have a superday tomorrow for a top MM bank but, as you can probably guess from the subject of this thread, I have the flu. I thought it would be gone by now as I came down with symptoms a week ago, but apparently it hasn't completed its cycle.