Broke into M&A IB at (EVR/PJT/CVP) in NYC as an international non-tranditional, and non-target student (6 banking interviews received)
Ex-M&A investment banker at a (EVR/PJT/CVP) caliber firm in New York. A few years ago recruiting as an international student, I was a freshman at a non-target with zero contacts in the industry and no clue what IB even was. I ended up with interviews at Evercore, PJT, Morgan Stanley, Moelis, Centerview, and RBC. Here's what actually worked:
Freshman year summer: Read everything. Finance books, investing books, IB guides. Started networking with upperclassmen and alumni. Came into freshman year already ahead.
Freshman year: This is the most underrated year for IB recruiting. Join investment clubs, do stock pitch competitions, LBO comps, and M&A case comps. I worked in a debt role my freshman summer purely through cold outreach. With recruiting getting earlier every year, freshman year is make-or-break.
Sophomore Year: Game time buddy!!! I started at the top of the funnel, reaching out to many people across various avenues of IB: M&A, RX, capital markets, etc., just to learn about the space. The key is to personalise every email (it takes a lot more time, but it really works; I had a 50% hit rate with email reach outs). The big mistake many students make is that they come in thinking they know it all and only target 1-3 firms. Recruiting is very unpredictable, and the more interviews you have, the more leverage you have. I basically locked myself in my room and prepped all semester. Frankly, when it came to interview time, I felt very confident - I had basically read and mastered every single IB guide, video, and question I could find on the internet and did over 100 mock interviews (you don't really know what you don't know until you get grilled - my first mock interview was beyond terrible, so getting in reps is very important). I knew I wanted to go for an EB, so I spent most of my time there and scheduled interviews around this. I walked into that superday and got my offer 1 hour after it. Was the best feeling ever. 18 months of straight grind finally paid off!
If you're a freshman or incoming freshman reading this: start now. Timelines keep getting earlier. The door isn't shut if you're further along. I've seen and helped plenty of people lateral from non-finance roles.
Happy to answer any questions in the comments, or feel free to DM.
Do you want us to swallow, too?
Apparently so
Breaking into M&A IB at a top-tier firm like Evercore, PJT, or Centerview as an international, non-traditional, and non-target student is an impressive feat. Based on the most helpful WSO content, here are some key takeaways and strategies that worked for this journey:
Key Strategies for Success
Start Early and Build Knowledge:
Networking is Everything:
Cold Outreach and Persistence:
Preparation is Key:
Leverage Multiple Interviews:
Adaptability and Resilience:
Advice for Freshmen and Sophomores
Final Thoughts
This journey highlights the importance of grit, preparation, and strategic networking. Whether you're a freshman just starting or someone looking to lateral into IB, the key is to stay proactive, adaptable, and relentless in your pursuit. If you have specific questions about networking, interview prep, or breaking into IB, feel free to ask!
Sources: https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forum/job-search/my-2-cents-on-sa-recruiting-from-a-non-target-background?customgpt=1, Recruiting is straightforward?, Non-Target to MM IB: My Advice, Q&A: Big 4 >> Valuation >> IB FO, Networking 101 – 8 tips from a “non-target” school student
What does (EVR/PJT/CVP) calibre firms even mean? There aren’t any other firms of that calibre
Great experience. Really appreciate the amount of effort that you put in.
My question is - Have you ever felt the touch of a woman?
Man who wins lottery instructs others on his path to buying the lottery ticket
I'm heading to college this fall at a West Coast Target. How many people do you recommend I reach out to that are alumni or current students from there.
I sent 124 emails out with 50% response rate. Just got to super personalize it.
How much can you personalize without seeming like a creep? I try to include hobbies, clubs, or an internship that is similar to something they've done, but anything more than that seems like too much. My response rate has been really low though.
I tried to be super creative with it. One thing that would do, especially if they are a senior banker, because I spend a lot of my time targeting more senior people, is I will try to find if they spoke at an event, a conference, or a panel, and then I will drop in a quote from that and try to reference that so that's the one thing that I did. I also tried to see if they were a college athlete and try to talk about a game that, let's say, the basketball team has or something like that I could reference and show that, hey, I also played the same sports or did the same thing. There are just different ways to be as creative as possible, but the main thing here is around your use of your subject line.
Would you like not one, but two cookies?
Can you please help me break into IB? Willing to pay $200/hr for your expertise.
Sure, I do some coaching as well, and have placed 40+ people so far. If you open up your inbox, can DM.
Can I dm as well? Incoming freshman at a mid target
L plug. Use IBVine people.
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