……….

Interesting background/behavioral responses + Social skills (super important) in interviews: executive presence, not taking yourself too seriously while being professional, being enjoyable to be around/have a conversation with

This + 100% accurate technicals is how to secure the offer

bump

Be a normal human that can talk to people - unlike many of these "high quality" candidates from targets...

Current A1 and we just wrapped up our summer analyst process this week, so I can now speak from the other side. For context, our process is completely banker-led and we coordinated with our HR on who we wanted to give Superdays to as well as final offers, so I have high clarity into what goes into the decisions at each stage. 

The poster above is completely correct in that most resumes and internships are table stakes. They help you get your "foot-in-the-door" but will never sink you or carry you once you're deep in a process.

Coffee Chats: Unless you're at a bulge bracket in NYC that gives initial generalist offers where junior recommendations may not carry as much weight, informal chats matter a lot so it is very important to be locked in from the get-go. I was surprised at how judgmental A2s and Associates were even back in August / September where someone could be quickly eliminated from contention after an awkward or unprepared conversation. From here, if you impress, analysts will be super helpful and introduce you to others in the office and generally keep you apprised of the process. For us, these were a major screener (essentially a Round 1) and we did not invite anyone to our Superday that didn't speak to at least ~3-4 people.

Final Rounds: This is what I found the most eye-opening on the other side. It is shocking how someone can presently very confidently over the phone but completely crack under the in-person interview pressure and essentially eliminate themselves.

Some pitfalls I witnessed: lack of technical preparation, shaky why investment banking answer, using too much Gen-Z slang / being too casual with seniors, talking too fast and being awkward.

You can impress the MDs with your story, but if you rank in the bottom of technical ability, you simply won't get the role. This process is extremely competitive at all stages and you must be firing on all cylinders, technical and behavioral, to win.

Lastly, connections do matter. Having a senior in the industry (especially on the buyside / corp dev) who can make a recommendation to an MD that is involved in recruiting carries major weight and can be the deciding factor on the margins. It may not seem fair on the outside, but it's unfortunately part of the game and ultimately makes sense once you work in this role for a few months and understand how seniors cover clients and generate fees (and ultimately their paycheck).

Polish + social awareness/ability to talk to adults

This might sound like a joke but im being so genuine, how attractive you are and how charismatic you are is like half of the battle when looking past baseline technicals. When it comes to a superday you can expect half of the candidates if not more to be perfect with their resume and technicals. The only differentiator is how well can you speak, how good do you look (in a suit, are you fit, take care of yourself, etc), and can they stand to be around you for 100 hours a week.

Going into my super day I had the mindset that acing the technicals was the standard or baseline. The real edge is gained in the intangibles and your ability to be charismatic and I stand by this. I tried my hardest to just "look" like a banker and act like one. Be confident, clean cut, and speak well. Might be sorta pseudoscience but it worked for me.

Develop and sustain relationships long before asking for anything. Even if you fail, providing periodic (meaningful) updates or follow-up coffee chats is perfectly fine.. though this naturally depends on your rapport with the person.

Today’s 'check-the-box' or 'transactional' mentality won't cut it nowadays, especially in our robotically scripted and impatient world. People want to talk to someone interesting and worth their time, even if that means venturing into conversations beyond the scope of the interaction.

At that stage, resumes stop mattering. Everyone looks the same on paper. Offers go to people who separate during interviews.

Here is what usually makes the difference:

• Communication under pressure. You explain your thinking clearly, without rambling. Interviewers care how you think, not only the answer.
• Judgment. You know when to ask clarifying questions, when to stop talking, and when to move on. This shows maturity.
• Likeability. Teams hire people they want to sit next to at 2 a.m. Being calm, curious, and respectful matters more than people admit.
• Consistency. You show up prepared every time. No weak interviews. One bad round can end it.
• Signal of long term interest. You know the firm, the role, and why you fit. Not generic answers.

What you can do now:

• Practice explaining simple ideas out loud. Clear thinking wins.
• Do mock interviews with people who already got offers.
• Get feedback on how you come across, not only on technical mistakes.
• Stop trying to sound smart. Aim to sound clear.

At the offer stage, recruiting is less about intelligence and more about trust.

Having a rich dad helps (very rare)

Luck

Assuming your background is on par with your peers, social skills, social skills, and social skills. Can you have a conversation with someone and clearly communicate that you know your stuff without sounding pretentious? If yes than great stuff. If you can also carry a conversation beyond the technicals, even better.

The best thing you can do to separate yourself is get good at finding out what you have in common with someone, beyond school. That’s what really sets a candidate apart from the rest and ultimately shows that you have skills for the future to bring in business by having that ability - best of luck!

del

don't be chopped and be a chiller/able to talk to adults. feel like that's a lost skill within itself, but don't treat whoever you are talking to like a god or put them on a pedestal. I got multiple R1s at banks where I had 1 really good call a week before R1s released because I was able to shoot the shit with someone about ball/whatever interests they had. don't be fucking boring, when someone asks how you're doing you can't just say "good", talk about something interesting that's going on in your life. Include niche, interesting things about you in your TMAY. Be fun to talk to, not a typical finance bot. I'd talk to seniors about how I went wine tasting for my gf's 21st birthday and we would talk about favorite wines n shit. not that hard just don't be unprofessional

Not everyone knows the technicals. Some people know them, but just mess them up in the interview. Some people are so nervous, they don’t speak well. Plenty of high GPA, good resume candidates from Ivy League schools get tossed in interviews because they don’t come off as the right fit. 

You’d be surprised a difference in what a good personality has, and arguably more important than 100% technicals. If you show good personality, willing to learn, adapt etc, that’s what really looking for, the technicals can be learnt at work. The typical question is if stuck at an airport for 2 hours with you? How they be like yeah can chill be in your presence, or would they be, that’s not something want to experience again.

just be good at the game.

if you're at a target you'll end up somewhere. 1. just be personable. 2. play the numbers game and apply everywhere.