“I found my mentoring session with André very helpful, particularly because I came into it with very little understanding of commercial banking. My background is in life sciences and healthcare, and most of my career exploration so far has focused on consulting. Although I had become interested in commercial banking, I had not previously explored the area in any depth. I therefore needed a clear starting point and an honest conversation about what I should understand before deciding whether to pursue it.
André helped me establish that starting point. The session gave me a clearer way to think about commercial banking, how it differs from consulting, and what I still need to learn. Before the conversation, I was looking at opportunities and wondering whether I should begin applying alongside consulting applications. Afterwards, I understood that I needed to take a step back and make a more informed decision about whether the work genuinely interests me.
One of the most valuable aspects of the session was how it helped me recognise the gaps in my current understanding. I knew that I was new to banking, but I did not necessarily know which questions I needed to answer for myself. André’s guidance helped me think more clearly about where I am now, what I am missing, and what I should begin doing next. Having that direction was useful because it made the process feel more manageable. Rather than treating banking as a broad and unfamiliar industry, I now have a clearer starting point for learning about it.
A particularly helpful message was that I should first develop a better understanding of commercial banking and assess whether I actually like the work. I took away a sensible sequence: understand the area, decide whether it appeals to me, and then, if it does, commit to learning and preparing for applications. If I discover that the work does not suit my interests, I should be willing to recognise that and focus my efforts elsewhere. That advice sounds straightforward, but it was an important perspective for me at this stage.
The conversation made me realise that I should not rush into applying for commercial banking roles simply because I have found programmes that look interesting. Before the session, I was at risk of moving too quickly from curiosity to applications without having a strong enough understanding of the career itself. André helped me see the value of being more deliberate. I would rather make a considered application based on a genuine interest in the work than spend time applying to positions I cannot yet explain my motivation for pursuing.
Another important takeaway was recognising how substantial the differences between banking and consulting can be. Because consulting has been my main focus, it had become my reference point when thinking about other careers. The session helped me realise that I cannot assume banking will involve similar work, suit the same preferences, or require exactly the same preparation. I need to understand banking on its own terms rather than view it mainly as another option alongside consulting.
I also appreciated that the session was useful even though I did not finish it with a final career decision. At this exploratory stage, greater clarity about what I do not yet know is meaningful progress. I now feel better equipped to evaluate my interest, identify what I need to learn, and decide whether commercial banking deserves a more focused place in my career plans.
Overall, André was very helpful, and the session met an important need for me as someone starting with limited knowledge of the field. Its greatest value was giving me direction and encouraging a more thoughtful approach to my next steps. I left with a clearer understanding of my knowledge gaps, a more realistic perspective on the difference between banking and consulting, and a better sense of how to move forward before committing to applications.”
Even if you don't want to case prep/meet virtually, please feel free to DM me with any questions you may have! I want to be helpful to this community in any way I can :)
I will try my very best to get back to everyone as promptly as possible!
Thanks so much! Just PM'd you!
Bump
Congrats on the offer!
If anyone wants to practice casing, I’d love to do so. Just PM me
Likewise, I got an MBB offer recently and happy to help case if someone needs help. This is a great idea @legendspirit, thanks for doing this!
Hi,
It’s very nice of you doing this, thank you!
I’m just starting to learn about consulting and cases, and I’m still trying to get the hang of it through YouTube and reading books like Case in Point.
What I’m concerned about is having a good business intuition. I come from a technical background, and I believe I’m lacking in that part. How can I improve this quickly? Will it just get better while solving cases or is there anything else I can do?
Thanks again!
Take this with grain of salt, as I am recruiting right now and have upcoming MBB interviews but have not done them yet. I would say for me what helped to get general business knowledge is to read/skim through industry reports that MBB puts out. They have industry repots for every industry (consumer retail, technology, etc) and reading through these trends was beneficial for me to learn how they conduct their analysis, learn business jargon, and to get general industry knowledge
Thank you for your reply! I will make sure to start reading the MBB reports that you mentioned. Best of luck for your upcoming interviews!
Hey there! Thanks for reaching out. The first response here is great ^ ; definitely go over the industry reports that MBB publicizes. I did this for at least thirty minutes a day for two weeks leading up to my interviews. I wouldn't rely too much on the practice cases to build your business intuition, as you're limiting yourself from all of the great resources out there. I recommend you sign up for daily newsletters (I personally really enjoy Morning Brew, Wall Street Journal The Markets, and Financial Times Unhedged). I also utilized Podcasts (McK has a great channel with relevant content) since they're very convenient and easily accessible. There are also great Youtube channels that post interesting topics that could help you in cases (I very much appreciate Modern MBA's content). The most important part of building business sense is to make sure you understand what you're intaking. If you come across a specific terminology or argument on any of these sources, regardless of how much you understand it, take a few minutes to Google it further and build that intuition organically. Genuine interest is what will solidify your business sense. There is no shortcut to this.
If you don't have time for any of this and just need the quickest, most effortless option, I recommend you read the Wall Street Journal every morning. Don't focus so much on "hitting the mark" and trying to learn everything in a short period of time. Again, try to find genuine interest in what you're learning, and I promise you will have better business intuition before you realize it.
Best of luck :)
Thank you very much for all the tips! They are very helpful. I will make sure to check all the sources that you mentioned soon.
I want to ask though, which source did you find most helpful and spent most time reading/watching/listening to? Or was it an even mix of all of them?
Best of luck to you as well!
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One thing I would caveat to the above is if you have limited time don’t spend like 3 hours a day reading reports and news and only an hour doing case prep or behavioral interview prep.
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