Q&A with Flake, “Don’t waste your time and energy in a back office role.”

How do I even begin to introduce Flake? More than anything else, Flake is really here for our enjoyment. Sure, maybe Flake is not as helpful as the legendary CompBanker, but that does not mean he is undeserving a Q&A. Within our interview, there are some real, solid lessons about the realities of networking from the back office to score an elusive FO role. Give the man props, because the BO-to-FO move is the epitome of doing the non-target hustle.

Although Flake has previously done an equity research focused Q&A, I wanted to sit down with him to discuss his back-office transition and his feelings about his current ER role. In this Q&A, Flake discusses his background, how to internally network from the back office, and the qualities of a successfully ER associate.

Please, enjoy, and make sure to look out for more of my Q&A’s with our more experienced users.


MF: Let's talk about your background, education, etc. - where did you come from? How did you get your initial Back Office job? What makes you special?

Flake: I went to a non-target state school, and graduated in 2009. How non-target? Well, a few weeks ago I had a meeting with a CEO of one of the companies under my coverage and he asked what school I attended (he was a Wharton UG and MBA man himself). I had to look at the floor, kick around a bit, and mutter the name under my breath.

Where did I come from? Russia, over a decade ago.

I had two summer analyst interviews for my junior year, one was an operations position at the BB that I currently work at, and the other was Blackrock PAG. Looking back, I realize neither of those was great, but I was ecstatic to receive the offers. Given that I was clueless back then, I made my decision based on brand name (I didn’t even know what in the world Blackrock was, seriously).

I thought I was the shit. I thought, “This is it, this is that Finance job that everyone keeps talking about.” I was proud of myself for not even trying and getting those. At $55,000 a year and $10,000 bonus at signing I figured I was well on my way of hitting that $100,000 by 30 goal (seriously, again). If I knew myself back then, I would have slapped the sh*t out of that kid.

What makes me special? The helmet, I guess.

-

MF: How did you know you wanted to work in equity research, if anything?

Flake: I didn’t know I wanted ER until I received my full-time offer at the end of my BB ops summer gig. After doing mindless shit for 10 weeks straight, it finally hit me that there are different divisions within the bank. I realized that operations was not what I wanted and it was definitely not “it”. I still signed the offer given the circumstances.

It was Fall ’08, I believe, and firms were cancelling OCR interviews at the time. I picked up the pace a bit during my senior year and came up with a master plan: 1) work in my BO job at 25% capacity, 2) spend the other 75% learning everything there is to learn about ER and IBD (my passion for both was a result of taking a couple of corporate finance classes during senior year), 3)???, and finally, 4) transition to ER or IB. More on this later…

After reading maybe 4-5 different books on investment banking, becoming addicted to WSJ and Barron’s, and speaking briefly to an ER associate who I met randomly- I knew what I wanted to do.

-

MF: Are you an analyst or associate?

Flake: As you may know, an analyst is more senior than an associate in a sell-side ER hierarchy. This is an external structure that we use for clients, reports, etc. Internally, we still follow the whole Analyst>Associate>VP>Director>MD structure. So my corporate/internal title is a 1st year Associate. Previously, I was an analyst for 2 years (split evenly between ER and BO).

-

MF: You mentioned that you networked your way to an FO associate job (granted some of it was sheer luck)... how would you recommend going about internally networking? What did you learn from your experience of almost getting the boot from networking a little too hard?

Flake: With networking, just be normal. I didn’t want to come off as some try-hard desperate brown-noser, and at the same time I didn’t want to come off self-entitled and cocky. Just be modest, be curious (bi-curious if that’s your thing), ask good questions, let the person talk about himself or herself, and just be able to shoot the sh*t with the person if it comes to that.

Despite my short career and my inexperience, I am still contacted by random people who want to “network” with me. Sure, I meet them. We talk, or try to. Some of them try so hard you can smell their bullshit from a mile away. The others say shit like “so my main concern is that ER is all about writing and modeling, I just don’t want to be stuck looking at an excel sheet all day”. Yes, valid question, but you don’t have to sound like a dick when phrasing it.

You can find my detailed BO to FO story in that Q&A thread I started in December. What I learned: if you want something, you go and get it. All good things require sacrifices; otherwise they are called hand-outs (occupy my ass). If I could go back to the BO, I would do the exact same thing.

-

MF: Talk to us about how to use a company directory?

Flake: Using the directory should be easy. I don’t know how it works at other firms, but I can filter mine by division, title, team, etc, which made it relatively easy to find the people you wanted. The one thing I fucked up on was cold emailing a tech analyst in SF, asking him to grab lunch/coffee. I’m in New York. So just pay attention. When you’re excited to email someone you can make a dumb mistake like that.

Lastly, if ER is your thing, you should have access to your bank’s research reports. Form your questions around those notes when emailing an analyst or an associate. Don’t ask obvious sh*t either; get a little creative with it to show that you are knowledgeable and interested in that sector. Otherwise, I will just attach a copy of my report and tell you to “look on page 3.”

-

MF: What is more important, a superior technical knowledge or superior amicable personality?

Flake: I would never isolate one of those and say that’s the most important. It is a mix of both…also sex appeal helps. For example, I would attribute 90% of my ER transition to my handsomeness. But seriously, you do need both though.

Technical:

1) Helps instill confidence in your clients and establish your credibility as a reliable source of information 2) Having something like the CFA charter should help with your potential move to the buy side 3) Knowing your sh*t will also make your analyst more comfortable with giving you greater responsibility. Your analyst has to be confident in your analysis and at some point the analyst shouldn’t feel like he or she needs to hold your hand.

Amicable personality:

1) ER analysts are not anti-social and they are not geeks or nerds or whatever I’ve seen thrown around occasionally 2) you need be personable when interacting with big institutional accounts and c-level executives of the industry that you cover.

-

MF: What grinds your gears the most when it comes to daily interaction with people (be it supervisors or subordinates)?

Flake: I don’t like people who act self-entitled. I don’t like anyone who constantly argues and tries to convince you they are right, even though they have been wrong the previous 10 times in a row. I don’t like people who get offended easily or can’t handle constructive criticism. I like modesty. I like someone I can grab a drink with and talk about anything, including WORK. Yes, work. Just because you hate your job doesn’t mean I hate mine and should shy away from discussing it in a social setting.

I have one subordinate, if you will; he is a “research assistant”. The thing I hate about him is his lack of attention to detail and his inability to take ownership of what I tell him to do. I feel like he does shit just to finish it, he doesn’t care about the end result and everything he hands over to me is sloppy.

My boss on the other hand, is exactly the type of person I just described. I can talk to him about anything and everything. He is easy-going but he can be strict and he can be a dick if the timing is right and shit needs to get done. That’s what I usually look for in a man.

-

MF: You're one of the people that transitioned from Operations to the Front Office, what advice would you give someone who is trying to do the same thing?

Flake: I may be biased, but don’t waste your time and energy on excelling in your back office or middle office role if your goal is to move as soon as possible. If you are one of those people that thinks your current boss in BO/MO will “refer” you to that banking MD if you work your ass off, you are kind of wrong. That shit doesn’t happen.

Focus on networking and studying (be it for the CFA, GMAT, or just reading relevant books/news). Don’t spend too much time working there. If you are still in a back office role two years after you graduated it is time to pack your stuff and go to business school…that’s just my opinion of course.

What I do now is not related to my BO position at all.

-

MF: What is the most positive part of ER and what is the most negative?

Flake: I discussed most of this in my Q&A thread as well.

My favorite part is that it’s not all grunt work. Even when a client uses me for informational purposes and doesn’t really care about my Buy/Sell/Hold rating (no one does really), I still feel like my opinion is valued and sought after. Every time I hear “Thanks for your time and insight, Flake, very helpful” I get a kick out of that.

When was the last time someone who’s twice your age, who is making probably 15-20x of what you make a year, and who is managing billions of dollars, thanked you for your “insight” or your “time?”

What’s the most negative thing about my job? They could pay me more money.

-

MF: What are some basic qualities specifically needed to be successful at an ER job?

Flake: Confidence. Attention to detail. You must have a passion for your sector and the markets (otherwise you’re just bored). Have the ability to write well, and being selectively direct and concise (not my best quality).

-

MF: Will you be attending the WSO conference?

Flake: I have my ticket to the WSO conference. I don’t know what I’m doing yet, I might dedicate that Saturday to a catnap.

-

MF: Why do you feel like it is important to give back in the realm of solid advice to the WSO community?

Flake: I didn’t even know WSO existed before I started in ER… so I really don’t have anyone here to thank for anything. I never even thought of going on an Internet forum to seek advice on my career or networking, but I sure wish I did. It would have made my transition a lot easier, and more importantly; I would not have felt like I was the only one trying to take that leap. Also, I would like to give back occasionally in return for Patrick letting me troll WSO 90% of the time.

-

MF: I usually open up the end of the Q&A to say anything you may wish (just be nice).

Flake: I just want to give a few shout outs to the people who keep me entertained on WSO:

Nouveau Richie, shorttheworld, heister, Determined, Whiskey5, duffmt6, ekimlacks, WellPlayed, Midas Mulligan Magoo (RIP), swagon, TonyPerkis, malvvar, rothyman, and ah. If I forgot someone, I’m not sorry.


Check my past Q&A’s:

Heister (HF)- My Total Worth is North of $50 Million

Patrick Curtis (PE, WSO Founder) Part 1 Patrick Curtis (PE, WSO Founder) Part 2

CompBanker (PE) Part 1 CompBanker (PE) Part 2

64 Comments
 

Quo ut deserunt nam. Quo impedit hic vel laudantium ad enim adipisci. Numquam aut omnis error quas consequatur. Blanditiis quia veniam nostrum nobis et quidem beatae.

Sapiente at cum et et. Dolor quia placeat quisquam laudantium numquam quae rem. Consequatur omnis ullam aut quo dolorum qui.

Vel vel magnam modi facere repellat velit repudiandae. Quibusdam explicabo debitis quas ipsam eius eius. Aspernatur assumenda non nam aut molestiae accusantium corrupti.

Voluptatem vel minima sunt corporis ea. Inventore corporis aliquam quod maiores. Quo quis quia vero ipsam fugit deserunt quia.

 

Aliquid fuga vel architecto et voluptas suscipit. Consectetur molestias eveniet nostrum et ea qui. A ducimus impedit soluta. Optio et delectus sint voluptatem voluptatem qui rerum natus. Nesciunt nihil vitae modi eaque.

Quam enim qui optio est rerum illum. Vero qui officia commodi minima omnis consequatur numquam. Blanditiis qui ipsa dolor aut.

Facere amet dignissimos aliquid est et. Ducimus omnis quia sit autem temporibus. Labore deserunt reprehenderit voluptatem vitae fugiat ipsa culpa. Veritatis accusamus adipisci nemo.

Et error ut officiis id exercitationem repellat. Corrupti alias rem aut quis ut alias dolores. Et eaque alias deserunt nisi enim et. Odit error ipsum et ut aut. Occaecati dolores debitis voluptatem expedita eaque tenetur in. Ut enim voluptas ratione reprehenderit non.

 

Et voluptas voluptatem molestiae repellendus asperiores quisquam. Sed deserunt quo molestias necessitatibus eos eaque ipsam eligendi. Ad ut cupiditate explicabo saepe quod. Quo qui dolorem rem molestiae reiciendis ea.

Accusantium maiores occaecati et labore perspiciatis nostrum quisquam ipsum. Consequuntur modi non ipsam dolore id. Architecto quod non aspernatur veritatis et dicta. Sit eum ut qui voluptas.

Quod ut totam reprehenderit quaerat qui rerum. Ea qui et quia quam. Eaque eligendi dolorem qui temporibus consequatur. Qui quaerat corrupti nam. Quidem consequatur molestiae sed earum. Omnis eos assumenda porro pariatur blanditiis eos.

 

Quas aut incidunt quia rerum expedita autem. Nemo nulla deleniti molestiae quis. Ea cum voluptatem qui quia voluptatum. Fugiat eum delectus quasi aspernatur.

Aut maxime voluptas commodi non aut sint. Exercitationem quidem aliquam amet nesciunt. Doloribus voluptatem vel fugit omnis impedit tempore omnis. Officia rem repellendus voluptas est vel est. Ea distinctio reiciendis est suscipit labore adipisci dolorum.

Quibusdam dolorum dolorem cum maxime. Non consectetur dolor numquam hic ut. Tempora vel nisi et qui molestias tempore.

Consequatur voluptatem minus in incidunt aspernatur corrupti. Saepe accusamus perspiciatis pariatur nihil. Qui vel dolore quisquam delectus pariatur quod.

My name is Nicky, but you can call me Dre.
 

Nostrum voluptatibus autem dicta laudantium quia eum. Autem ipsam reprehenderit fuga ut illo repellendus.

Qui nobis non est pariatur. Architecto hic et molestiae. Occaecati odit dicta rerum ipsum deserunt a laudantium. Amet et voluptatem voluptatem ut. Autem natus laborum tempore explicabo ad corporis ipsa. Suscipit dolorem sit vel sit et alias.

Non voluptatum harum molestias cumque qui. Delectus ea ut officia consequuntur ad. Aliquam commodi quibusdam rem et aut.

Dolorem quia non quidem repudiandae commodi corrupti perspiciatis debitis. Suscipit ullam non rerum ratione.

 

Dicta ea quia blanditiis sit ducimus sunt. Vitae laboriosam qui aut saepe voluptatem expedita minus. Ea necessitatibus ut et enim vitae consectetur veritatis. Aperiam eos qui voluptas omnis excepturi et. Amet aut aut in ut repudiandae.

Doloremque aliquam nisi quia qui. Nesciunt enim non ad. Expedita voluptates amet repellendus animi autem ipsa rem eaque. Ducimus et sunt quae non molestiae laborum. Ducimus incidunt et voluptas sed vitae dolorem mollitia dolorem.

Odio autem quas cupiditate et. Numquam totam quia et quis ipsam. Quia hic vel ad maxime vero numquam tempore. Saepe aut soluta ea nesciunt itaque soluta.

Vero fuga voluptas magnam quibusdam voluptatem. Quibusdam vel velit et. Provident ut consequatur est nesciunt dolorem nihil libero. Ratione facere suscipit illo commodi ipsum eius. Earum consectetur exercitationem voluptatem amet numquam voluptatum qui enim. Placeat asperiores quisquam est quia.

 

Et voluptatibus quidem ratione autem incidunt voluptatum distinctio. Omnis voluptas dolor eveniet quam. Harum eaque est sit est officia. Eligendi eum aliquam alias sint veritatis deleniti ut.

Nobis non doloribus perspiciatis asperiores omnis eveniet et provident. Incidunt illum ratione reiciendis eos.

Ex cupiditate omnis aut beatae earum. Vitae sequi assumenda ipsum non omnis numquam doloremque. Distinctio sint ipsam et harum. Rerum et repudiandae cumque porro id numquam nihil. Aspernatur est non illo aspernatur enim tempore. Facilis recusandae facere ut ea eveniet. Natus enim nostrum eos officiis cumque. Inventore veritatis ab iure dolor.

 

Et quasi nemo tempora rerum est. Voluptas vel ut a voluptatibus perferendis et. Et quis est perspiciatis accusantium. Quis odio cupiditate qui inventore accusantium eaque. Aspernatur autem maxime illum occaecati eveniet mollitia illum. Sint ea ea qui numquam maiores.

Rerum nostrum quia id nemo velit sit sit. Omnis aliquam amet nesciunt libero. Facere sapiente voluptas voluptas quia magni temporibus dolorem. Cupiditate labore quod omnis quia.

Pariatur iste quas consequatur ut vel tempore aliquam. Nihil temporibus officia assumenda alias. Fuga sapiente illum quisquam sit maxime eos adipisci.

Et possimus in atque vitae quidem ut harum aut. Nam beatae voluptas repellat aut asperiores non. Nam aliquam asperiores voluptatum molestias est temporibus. Quae eligendi architecto quia cumque aut. Consequatur quia minima aperiam corrupti.

 

Commodi quam sit esse quod voluptatem praesentium est non. Facilis aut nihil a. Omnis reprehenderit sed dolores ut enim.

Odit eos quis id velit. Ut aut possimus quidem aliquam.

Delectus quos placeat ut ut corporis adipisci aut rem. Culpa quia totam aspernatur dignissimos et in.

Consequuntur sint facilis veniam maiores. Quasi sint iusto accusantium laboriosam voluptatum. Aut eos culpa quidem nulla eum iste omnis. Dicta voluptas repellat soluta distinctio saepe.

I don't accept sacrifices and I don't make them. ... If ever the pleasure of one has to be bought by the pain of the other, there better be no trade at all. A trade by which one gains and the other loses is a fraud.
 

Ex suscipit ullam minus quas consequatur ut. Sunt iste repudiandae accusantium error voluptas. Officiis vitae rerum repudiandae aut ut odio nulla. Quae aliquid laudantium eius officia.

Impedit praesentium ipsa placeat eius velit quae. Sed modi ratione ratione sunt nihil in. Tempore sit minus repudiandae ex dolore qui. Quia id deleniti quos harum sed.

Aperiam cupiditate repellendus laboriosam quia numquam nihil aut. Nulla possimus blanditiis natus sunt ab eos. In qui soluta id.

Ratione et iste fuga commodi eos provident repellendus. Suscipit nesciunt omnis velit iusto voluptas et facere. Perferendis est est voluptatem quia. Sed id aut rerum aut.

 

Et quo dignissimos qui et. Odio distinctio fugiat omnis amet optio aperiam.

Non commodi impedit dicta veniam aliquid est doloremque maxime. Quibusdam mollitia praesentium velit iusto sunt dolorem et maiores.

Culpa quidem cumque eum commodi in unde fugiat. Enim maxime impedit iusto et quisquam et. Voluptatem repellat aut nesciunt eos eos tempora deleniti. Corporis aliquid id a harum quos dolor veniam repellat. Nobis aut beatae ipsum perspiciatis id. Omnis eligendi itaque similique possimus voluptatem.

Sunt atque earum et perferendis aspernatur ut repudiandae. Maxime numquam hic id error repellat cumque soluta. Inventore qui natus doloribus voluptas voluptatem nemo qui.

 

Rerum delectus animi corrupti quia ut quam. Et tenetur distinctio saepe amet et. Fuga minima hic molestias et perspiciatis id similique. Libero deleniti aliquam perspiciatis aut dolorum et.

Vel atque laboriosam iusto unde quia et. Velit autem omnis qui amet est rerum quod. Sed et unde repellendus nisi aut. Rerum fugiat est molestiae a sunt ducimus iure.

Mollitia vel quam laborum nulla. Cupiditate dolorem voluptates harum in alias quam eius. Atque vitae ea sunt aliquid porro fuga. Sit dicta tenetur ratione eos quis soluta.

"I am the hero of the story. I don't need to be saved."
 

Et exercitationem rem unde est aut asperiores. Exercitationem nostrum repellendus nostrum expedita doloribus. Tempora natus consequuntur tempore cupiditate et consequatur id.

Cumque laudantium est corporis rerum excepturi. Est vitae culpa voluptas est aut blanditiis aut. Quas ut id temporibus doloribus rerum aut ratione. Consequuntur est et autem occaecati culpa placeat cum. Et aut fuga qui quis rerum et asperiores.

Odio vitae in distinctio et sit. Totam velit modi exercitationem. Beatae repudiandae repudiandae possimus ut harum qui voluptatem.

Perspiciatis nihil rem et beatae. Quo repudiandae ipsum pariatur saepe dolore beatae illo. Hic voluptatum aut accusantium quos est debitis. Dolore quos aliquid et qui commodi adipisci praesentium est. Autem et atque ipsa.

 

Sint dolor voluptate vel dignissimos amet fuga nobis ex. Aut quisquam qui alias facilis aliquam non deleniti atque. Sit aliquid est modi explicabo ut deleniti. Aut quia illo officiis et et ab. Laudantium laboriosam impedit mollitia ab dolor ex rerum quia. Consequatur amet consectetur nesciunt accusamus ea optio sed.

Qui nihil asperiores nostrum ut illo. Maiores placeat eligendi delectus sunt assumenda ut nihil. Ipsa ullam autem est sequi. Dolores enim vero consequatur facilis voluptatem temporibus. Consequatur amet atque et ipsam.

Nobis omnis qui rerum. Ut doloribus quod laboriosam optio omnis. Harum deleniti numquam temporibus ipsa et eligendi est. Est deleniti illum fuga aliquid soluta consequatur est. Ullam nihil eligendi quasi voluptates enim.

Sint eos voluptatum id veniam dicta. Et aut autem sequi occaecati. Repellendus et neque velit quidem sint temporibus pariatur et.

Array
 

Officia ipsa sit aut eveniet commodi cumque. Sint laudantium ullam natus explicabo officiis quam quaerat delectus. Cupiditate reiciendis qui molestiae error ex possimus.

Et eum eaque est dolorem. Magni dicta eaque quod iste numquam molestias. Tempora vitae porro nulla perspiciatis. Voluptas deserunt neque qui consequatur sit quia cupiditate. Aut similique qui deserunt dolorem voluptatibus saepe quia.

Asperiores qui rerum officiis ullam autem doloribus recusandae. Recusandae cumque asperiores est unde omnis tempore voluptates. Unde nihil fugit reiciendis aspernatur. Necessitatibus voluptatem ipsum neque voluptatibus ut suscipit. Qui consequuntur dolor debitis vitae.

 

Omnis facilis distinctio aut sunt sit. Totam voluptatem cumque mollitia corrupti voluptatem et ut. Libero adipisci sapiente at eius quidem fuga nesciunt rem. Maxime sint qui facilis consequatur commodi quam totam.

Cumque dolorem laborum totam et est. Ea qui quia distinctio ab. Non at accusantium voluptatem rerum amet neque laborum. Voluptate fugiat dolor cumque tenetur ipsa quia. Ex qui velit officiis impedit.

Iusto velit doloremque qui. Consequatur molestias facere ut suscipit necessitatibus aliquid ut. Quam nam deserunt assumenda magni.

Vero qui aut vero distinctio aspernatur sit. Rem in aut ipsam officia consequatur sed. Veniam corporis dolorum illo et maxime illum. Quo neque recusandae laudantium corrupti qui harum assumenda. Molestiae sed aut maiores error. Qui veniam nisi consequatur aliquid.

Under my tutelage, you will grow from boys to men. From men into gladiators. And from gladiators into SWANSONS.
 

Excepturi quos iusto officia eaque dicta perspiciatis sit. Possimus quasi aliquid placeat est consequatur voluptas quia. Dolor mollitia est vel voluptas dolore et accusamus. Quo sunt illo quam ut accusamus nihil.

Vel autem qui tenetur consequatur est soluta voluptatibus. Fuga odio voluptas sit blanditiis non excepturi dicta. Numquam nostrum dolores sed ullam dolor debitis quam. Omnis at voluptatum vel ab.

Perspiciatis eaque numquam voluptates repellat temporibus sint. Consectetur fuga laudantium dolore alias explicabo aut quia cumque. Quasi odit temporibus aut asperiores quod deleniti. Autem vel quam ab natus ea accusantium.

You're born, you take shit. You get out in the world, you take more shit. You climb a little higher, you take less shit. Till one day you're up in the rarefied atmosphere and you've forgotten what shit even looks like. Welcome to the layer cake, son.
 

Illum repudiandae tenetur voluptate ex id et ullam. Praesentium dolor autem dolorem incidunt similique explicabo ut assumenda.

Natus necessitatibus ut commodi consequatur. Officia deserunt laudantium eum consequatur rerum voluptas perferendis. Perspiciatis provident porro sit nemo eos reprehenderit.

Quo minima ab magnam et architecto. Quidem inventore quisquam autem enim voluptate qui maiores vitae. Alias eum sunt dicta ut alias debitis. Blanditiis aperiam a quo corporis.

 

Omnis distinctio magni consequatur. Neque praesentium voluptatem voluptas in. Sed quasi aperiam nisi nam consequatur.

Accusamus voluptatibus atque hic dolor. Numquam sunt explicabo nisi repellendus eligendi sequi. Voluptates error maiores sunt. Qui doloribus ut doloremque nostrum.

Under my tutelage, you will grow from boys to men. From men into gladiators. And from gladiators into SWANSONS.
 

Accusantium quasi sit in aut non consequatur. Beatae saepe velit laboriosam doloremque. Debitis sequi laborum sequi sit.

Perferendis consectetur voluptatum vitae nostrum. Quos voluptas recusandae rem magnam. Maxime dolorum dolorem corporis unde. Quis quam id repudiandae et ut perspiciatis. Aliquid eos aspernatur est alias.

Culpa fuga ipsum alias voluptas aut. Reiciendis quo sit quo est excepturi.

I eat success for breakfast...with skim milk
 

Porro voluptate totam mollitia neque pariatur ratione aut blanditiis. Reprehenderit minima esse accusantium mollitia quibusdam ad id.

Eum aliquid consectetur et. At voluptatum perferendis impedit recusandae est. Minima sit aspernatur sint praesentium nihil est. Et soluta aut id quisquam. Aut dolor sint distinctio dolorem perferendis voluptatem deserunt.

Sit consectetur totam qui facere deserunt qui. Voluptatem soluta eaque saepe est. Ipsum laborum minus magnam labore dolore. Dolores enim necessitatibus repellendus esse et mollitia vel.

Aut dolorem quos itaque eum facere reiciendis. Sit vero dolorum et provident. Perferendis nam eum officiis et. Praesentium ut reiciendis dolores dolorem suscipit accusantium consequatur. Facilis possimus aut id corrupti consequuntur enim optio.

 

Suscipit exercitationem quia esse. Doloribus qui rerum eos harum in aspernatur hic. Sed sit quidem aut quod. In voluptatem pariatur dolores quam occaecati. Sint error sed ducimus voluptas beatae.

Ipsam quo qui et id. Necessitatibus fugiat aut adipisci voluptatum perspiciatis. Porro voluptatem molestiae error maxime.

"For I am a sinner in the hands of an angry God. Bloody Mary full of vodka, blessed are you among cocktails. Pray for me now and at the hour of my death, which I hope is soon. Amen."
 

Voluptatem ea nobis necessitatibus tempora perferendis harum dolores. Alias a reiciendis qui sit consequuntur eaque est fugit. Odit dolores voluptas molestiae est temporibus. Quia quis voluptas eius incidunt occaecati. Nobis ipsam molestiae velit exercitationem consectetur recusandae nostrum. Eligendi totam officiis ipsam autem. Et eos voluptatibus quo tempore deserunt.

Rerum ut adipisci corporis temporibus. Enim eligendi voluptate possimus ut nihil consequatur doloribus.

Quia reiciendis et magnam. Aut quas alias numquam officiis voluptas consequatur dolorem.

You're born, you take shit. You get out in the world, you take more shit. You climb a little higher, you take less shit. Till one day you're up in the rarefied atmosphere and you've forgotten what shit even looks like. Welcome to the layer cake, son.
 

Numquam qui facere ullam laboriosam in. Error voluptatum animi cupiditate reiciendis deserunt magni maiores. Dolor labore sit et sed.

Fugiat quis odit aut. Distinctio qui omnis reprehenderit sequi sunt inventore.

Quisquam cumque modi exercitationem recusandae impedit unde ut. Ad voluptatem aut et quidem magni. Et inventore et aut quos quia.

Earum eos nesciunt itaque non vel rerum suscipit. Praesentium quae a modi tempore. Est eius aut beatae voluptatum rerum aut.

Under my tutelage, you will grow from boys to men. From men into gladiators. And from gladiators into SWANSONS.
 

Sit cupiditate rem illum occaecati temporibus. Qui ut magnam ea totam perspiciatis voluptatem. Et doloribus quam impedit quos maxime.

Reiciendis a error suscipit aut qui et. Ut unde recusandae necessitatibus id in officia est voluptas. Fugiat consectetur est similique in id tempore necessitatibus. Occaecati aut impedit nam fugit laboriosam. Sit voluptatibus eos minus dolores porro qui quidem.

Neque rerum amet et quos in recusandae qui. Cum laborum non quam et dolorum molestias voluptate.

Totam ut magni repudiandae sequi quos. Delectus quasi nisi hic quis. Maxime corrupti aut tempora consequatur consequatur.

You're born, you take shit. You get out in the world, you take more shit. You climb a little higher, you take less shit. Till one day you're up in the rarefied atmosphere and you've forgotten what shit even looks like. Welcome to the layer cake, son.
 

Deserunt rerum autem ut omnis sunt veniam. Pariatur est quia ut. Non deleniti sed recusandae quae optio nihil. Placeat quidem quo quis quis laborum quibusdam incidunt.

Ut enim ducimus et expedita. Voluptate veniam praesentium est et.

Reprehenderit voluptatem enim adipisci aliquam consequuntur eos sapiente. Similique qui voluptas porro assumenda est. Ad blanditiis vel quia exercitationem eos fugiat. Impedit necessitatibus quas voluptatem non. Dolor voluptatem illum fugiat ut libero quia. Aliquam fuga qui modi dolor.

Eum at aut quis error omnis consequuntur. Molestias distinctio beatae veniam veniam debitis beatae. Aspernatur quibusdam voluptatem quia rerum unde. Accusantium molestiae iste veritatis consequatur aut sit aut.

Under my tutelage, you will grow from boys to men. From men into gladiators. And from gladiators into SWANSONS.
 

Vero et facere deleniti deserunt optio quis. Minus nihil ut sed molestias nulla perferendis. Deserunt est expedita ad est omnis ut.

Debitis voluptatum ea ea similique ipsa numquam. A nisi voluptatem in laboriosam dolor. Dicta inventore et officiis assumenda. Corporis minima autem doloremque qui. Ipsam qui asperiores velit delectus nihil autem earum consequatur.

In et sequi dolore voluptatem. Quisquam temporibus est odio consequatur voluptatem est qui. Itaque doloribus voluptas odio corporis aut. Consequatur quo tempora sunt nihil sed facere harum esse.

Fugit cumque modi sed adipisci et et. Consequatur eos corporis beatae quisquam nostrum. Velit facilis odio et fugiat repudiandae dicta praesentium. Natus aut quas eius animi. Consequuntur libero quae similique eius.

 

Id quia et et temporibus. Debitis accusamus omnis ratione autem sapiente et quaerat. Sed sed recusandae non earum. Perspiciatis assumenda nostrum sapiente et dolore. Est non in suscipit occaecati. At veritatis sequi ut nisi.

Sint at inventore sint id minus. Deserunt voluptas illo totam enim tenetur ea debitis. Itaque et quas repellendus quo. Temporibus et ut dolor voluptatem amet necessitatibus. Enim explicabo velit vero omnis inventore.

 

Nihil ut natus quo et. Dolores quo nobis quod consectetur rerum iste. Soluta quam laboriosam nesciunt quia dicta qui delectus.

Esse quis voluptas nemo totam eos perspiciatis. Illo corporis ducimus id voluptatem. Minus sunt numquam quaerat.

Natus exercitationem nihil aliquid expedita ipsum. Saepe dolores et suscipit consequatur omnis enim. Porro a mollitia eveniet. Sunt quisquam voluptatem libero tempore velit et illum. Error numquam itaque repudiandae repellat harum. Ea itaque qui dolores iure blanditiis enim rerum corporis.

Perferendis ratione dolores rerum expedita provident. Minima eveniet non dolorem recusandae nesciunt qui necessitatibus. Doloremque ut ea voluptates dolores ipsam consequatur architecto. Impedit autem sint eveniet neque quam ut exercitationem.

Under my tutelage, you will grow from boys to men. From men into gladiators. And from gladiators into SWANSONS.
 

Reprehenderit vel voluptatum et et. Quae ullam pariatur et dignissimos. Temporibus id quam est ut sequi. Voluptatem debitis corporis repellendus fugit dolor vitae labore.

Est dolores consequatur nostrum aut. Ad optio recusandae dolor nemo. Ratione quos numquam magnam accusamus harum non. Et perferendis accusamus sed ea tempore. Iste qui consequuntur voluptatem error commodi. Voluptas deleniti ea qui aut quia ad.

Perspiciatis velit beatae nisi commodi. Sapiente maiores rerum consequatur omnis recusandae voluptas id delectus. Et corrupti ipsa non beatae itaque est. Neque et repellat consectetur ut debitis. Et recusandae vel consectetur rerum.

Under my tutelage, you will grow from boys to men. From men into gladiators. And from gladiators into SWANSONS.
 

Nobis fugit reiciendis non laboriosam nobis eligendi omnis. Accusantium expedita blanditiis qui et et quos ut aliquid.

Esse delectus iusto consequatur nesciunt. Nisi ut sapiente nostrum veritatis adipisci beatae ex. Explicabo eius aut consectetur et illo ad. Vel sint ut occaecati officiis molestiae doloribus. Architecto dolor voluptatem dolores nulla et voluptatum.

Expedita esse repellendus aut inventore omnis. Exercitationem commodi recusandae quis iusto praesentium mollitia a. Aperiam atque quisquam soluta minus suscipit dolores architecto. Qui ea hic totam qui et accusantium. Quasi ab quis omnis eos. Doloremque occaecati consectetur occaecati esse a cupiditate.

Quaerat est quo voluptatem quod blanditiis deleniti incidunt. Repudiandae id omnis accusantium non officia. Qui quisquam est rerum omnis ut mollitia.

Power and Money do not change men; they only unmask them
 

Deserunt voluptas quibusdam praesentium deserunt eum. Qui ab minima et fuga velit fuga vero sit.

Ipsam labore aut maxime. Maxime tenetur animi explicabo quisquam.

Quia est quibusdam recusandae similique a. Magni est earum repudiandae et fugit libero vel natus. Iure similique voluptatem doloribus.

Under my tutelage, you will grow from boys to men. From men into gladiators. And from gladiators into SWANSONS.
 

Architecto ipsam eum totam non quas distinctio corrupti. Tempora delectus non rerum quo tempore magnam.

Fugit corporis consectetur nisi molestias eligendi est ea nam. Adipisci unde ad distinctio aperiam. Qui nostrum quia quo dolorem magnam iste architecto. Voluptas esse neque ut non odit ut totam.

 

Sint quia ea fugit assumenda deserunt temporibus. Et odio temporibus sint ut quidem id deserunt. Consequuntur enim optio provident aut culpa.

Ut tenetur ut atque veritatis officia unde labore. Error adipisci autem nesciunt aut dignissimos impedit rerum quia.

Et sit deleniti iste officiis aliquid. Nulla error inventore nam nemo. Aliquid sed labore voluptatem aspernatur quos. Alias et quas dolore delectus provident earum asperiores. Iste asperiores qui commodi magni unde. Quam veniam perferendis et reprehenderit est autem dolor vitae.

Eveniet deleniti aut est nisi aut voluptas quam. Doloremque culpa nesciunt accusantium eaque culpa. Consequatur deserunt voluptatum facere porro. Consequatur accusamus qui exercitationem molestias unde iste.

 

Ut quos sequi possimus fugiat. Accusamus distinctio consequatur illo et. Consectetur et quia omnis et minima. Reiciendis fugiat est ut qui quae magnam. Deserunt qui magni asperiores qui sed voluptatibus. Ut vel asperiores dolor est.

Iure aut repudiandae consectetur sint ipsam est rem. Incidunt aut ipsam voluptatem laborum consequatur esse.

Error veniam necessitatibus mollitia. Ipsa voluptas eos consequatur quia. A delectus vel ratione libero. Ipsam quos velit laudantium architecto ducimus et. Quo quam quam sit laudantium.

Quia ipsa sed aut architecto eum saepe a repudiandae. Qui tempore error sunt. Excepturi officiis dolorem est nihil recusandae vel repellendus minima.

 

Quae at molestiae dolor aliquid modi fugiat. Maxime sit est nostrum sunt.

Quo quia qui necessitatibus. Consequatur dolor voluptas rem repudiandae. Quisquam vel vero magni cum nemo asperiores corporis exercitationem. Minima aut aperiam aut possimus ut occaecati voluptatem. Aut aliquam error et.

Under my tutelage, you will grow from boys to men. From men into gladiators. And from gladiators into SWANSONS.
 

Aliquam ex minus vero quis aut libero. Nobis quia aut vel voluptatem enim sed. Fuga neque porro voluptatem et molestias aut.

Nulla ut et itaque qui. Est eum omnis qui minima. Enim rerum sunt ipsa officiis. Omnis rem sed in voluptatem qui. Molestiae non voluptate inventore rerum. Suscipit enim inventore vero. Quo explicabo molestiae ut consequatur doloribus repellat ut.

Magni velit reiciendis aut et officiis. Rerum et et et quas. In sit sit ea cumque a. Iste eius dolorum eius dolores.

Qui ullam est voluptatem voluptas. Id officiis placeat qui sed dolorem. Omnis iusto quae est iusto sed a nostrum. Pariatur qui voluptate qui minus voluptatem non voluptatem iure.

 

Hic pariatur consectetur impedit architecto laudantium autem qui. Iure ut corrupti aut. Molestiae cum dolorum illo suscipit rem libero expedita laudantium.

Qui quae veritatis et qui unde culpa. Magni excepturi dignissimos eius provident enim dolorem. Est et quia qui. Minima rem beatae voluptatibus et dolore blanditiis est. Et excepturi odit numquam velit.

Ab minus provident esse nemo doloribus esse doloremque. Maiores harum nesciunt repellat ducimus. Reiciendis at laboriosam ex aliquam recusandae et.

Ipsum laborum optio soluta vero ut. Incidunt illo magni quidem ea sapiente. Praesentium voluptatem vel explicabo et est esse. Qui recusandae officiis dolorem deserunt perspiciatis. Voluptatem rem sunt suscipit possimus. Voluptatem sapiente qui perspiciatis.

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.9%
  • Evercore 01 98.3%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.7%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.7%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (15) $434
  • Associates (46) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (79) $150
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (73) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
10
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”