“I recently had a LinkedIn audit call with Arnau as part of my WSO Academy program, and it was one of the most practical and useful sessions I've had so far. I came in thinking my profile was in decent shape. I left with a clear picture of how recruiters and bankers actually see it, and a concrete list of changes that will make it work much harder for me.
Some background: I'm moving from corporate finance into investment banking, corporate banking, and private equity. I have an MBA in Corporate Finance, a PMP, and several years of finance and project management experience. Making that kind of move depends heavily on how you present your story, and LinkedIn is often the first place a recruiter or analyst sees it. That's why this session mattered so much to me.
From the first few minutes, Arnau was well prepared, direct, and focused on what actually moves the needle. He didn't just give generic tips like "add a professional photo." He went through my profile section by section and explained why each piece matters to someone in finance who's quickly scanning candidates. His feedback was honest without being discouraging, which I really appreciated. He pointed out where my profile was underselling my experience and where it wasn't clearly showing that I'm aiming for banking and PE.
What stood out most was how he helped me think about positioning. My background covers corporate finance, project management, hospitality, and real estate, and it can be hard to make that read as one clear story. Arnau helped me connect those experiences to the skills banks look for: financial analysis, modeling, managing budgets and capital, and working with senior stakeholders. He showed me how small changes to my headline, About section, and experience bullets can make that story obvious within seconds.
The session was also very actionable. I didn't leave with vague ideas. I left with a short list of specific edits I can make right away. That matters a lot when you're job hunting and every week counts. He also shared advice on using LinkedIn more actively, such as engaging with the right people and content, so the profile supports my networking instead of just sitting there.
I also want to recognize the overall WSO Academy experience. Between the modeling bootcamp, the company research work, the mentorship, and sessions like this one, the program has given me structure and support during a career transition that can otherwise feel isolating. This call was a good example of what makes WSO different: the people coaching you understand the industry you're trying to break into and give feedback that reflects how hiring really works.
If you're a WSO member and haven't booked a LinkedIn audit yet, I'd strongly recommend it. It's a short time commitment, and the return is significant. Your LinkedIn profile is often your first impression, and having an experienced set of eyes on it is worth it.
Thank you, Arnau, for your time, honesty, and practical guidance. I'm excited to put the changes in place and keep building toward my goal of breaking into investment banking.”
congrats
70 + 12.5 who does more than 70 for base?
70 + 10
Boy, have NYC salaries stagnated.
Do numbers differ between NYC and other cities?
Just curious, is negotiating a FT offer seen as taboo on Wall Street? My numbers are at the low-end of these.
http://dealbreaker.com/2013/08/signing-bonus-watch-13-centerview-partne…
i know a kid who lost his offer trying to negotiate. i wouldn't push it. you're at a bb are your offer is not on par with street?
and no. regional is not diff
About the same, from other analysts I spoke with...
i've yet to hear of a BB giving more than $70k and $10k signing...
Does anyone know how different the pay is between a boutique and a BB? Does the pay differ between different cities?
top boutiques pay more than BBs (wells)
I have friends at moelis LA that got $80-$65k (depending on bucket) bonus as a 1st year analyst
that has NOT happened at a BB in years, and prob wont for a while if ever. same can be said about lazard, centerview, evercore, PWP, qatalyst, greenhill etc. for the most part, all 'elite' boutiques pay above street for signing (sometimes double BB signing- centerview $20k signing, greenhill $10k cash $10k stock vested over 2 years) base (greenhill $75k 1st year base, centerview $80k first year base) and bonus.
granted, you work more on average at an elite boutique as there is more work/person but its a trade off
There is more than one BB that pays >$10k signing.
Will base pay increase to 75k soon?
...
@dreamer1992
I'm psychic, GS TMT SF and CS TMT NYC right?
In all seriousness, I believe Evercore pays 75-80K, not sure about signing but may be a bit higher. I believe BBs are standardized, some pay a bit more though not sure which ones.
...
The "more than 10K" is incentive pay to sign early and I believe it is group specific . My group pays ~3k, friend's group pays 5k, some groups pay nothing. it's for interns who are coming back FT
Correct. Boutiques do pay higher as well.
*mean to say wells fargo might pay close to top bouqites, they hit $65k top bucket this year in LA office.
Want to shed some light on things discussed in this thread.
GS: mildly infamous for the 'GS discount' (they know they can pay less and people will accept offers because of the name brand). Case in point: summers don't get overtime, analyst signing bonus is $10k, and year-end bonuses are often lower than other BBs (i.e. BAML was paying top first-years $70k this year; GS certainly wasn't there).
Centerview: $50k signing bonuses for summer analysts accepting offers this year. First-years just hitting the desk are livid that they only got $20k to sign a year ago.
Elite boutiques: tend to pay slightly higher than street. For base salary, Greenhill, Centerview, Evercore, and Qatalyst are all known to offer more than street. Bonuses are higher as well, i.e. Moelis' and Centerview's confirmed numbers this year.
When you hear of signing bonuses being larger than $10k at a bulge bracket, it's typically one/a combination of any of the following: signing incentive (speed, i.e. sign within a week and get $5k more), relocation being lumped in and termed 'signing,' one group or regional office offering more than is standard for that bank.
Hope this helps. YMMV.
Aliquid dolorem deleniti enim dicta. Aut aut qui modi. Non et ipsum ut officiis. Mollitia expedita impedit voluptatem magni.
Cum sint deleniti aut aut inventore soluta ea. Ea est odio voluptatem pariatur consequatur consequatur ratione est. Nesciunt vel assumenda nemo aperiam. Debitis odit ut doloremque animi et odio quia.
Sed sunt aspernatur voluptatem labore veritatis velit aut. Rerum quas hic quia similique maiores earum accusamus. Voluptas voluptas atque aut. Aut est corporis laborum architecto qui consectetur.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...
Magni eos quis eum quasi temporibus. Vel eos sit ratione eligendi vero et. Consequatur maxime iure libero enim ducimus quo. Consequatur numquam velit iure quasi ducimus iure pariatur. Occaecati dolorem voluptatem sunt ab est veniam. Tempore voluptate numquam neque expedita.
Ullam ex vitae sed qui suscipit ducimus. Voluptas aspernatur corporis enim et ea dolorum non est. Sunt et autem dolorem quaerat veniam id. Illum voluptates autem doloremque ut sit voluptatem. Reprehenderit voluptatem mollitia optio eaque ut dolor. Dicta ut magni suscipit non voluptas ut enim.
Necessitatibus aut quo aut praesentium. Sint voluptas quos rem at omnis et. Unde cupiditate suscipit praesentium corporis distinctio. Iste explicabo sed sequi maiores voluptas quo. Doloremque corrupti eum in ipsam.
Est autem id ab eaque debitis. Et quaerat similique impedit dignissimos iste aut iusto.