Hey all, currently going through group placement for my SA in IB (Summer 2023).
How many people should we aim to talk to within each group? For some reason when I send out emails to people in the groups I am interested in, I hardly get any responses. Is this normal?
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Yes very normal
Yes, normal to not get responses. People are busy plus for the popular groups the placement decisions were made before the official process started.
Thanks. However, the official process (placement day) hasn't started yet so I'm reaching out before that
Just curious, what if someone who is ranked at the top for a popular group chooses not to go to that group and rank another group at the top instead?
Depending on group popularity, 4-5 is a solid number (more is always good tho)
popular groups, talk to as many as possible lol
In my group it’s generally expected that you speak with the very large majority of analysts who will push you along to the staffer if you’re good.
Also, for all the incoming interns I’ve spoken with… Some advice: PLEASE STOP BEING SO BORING. I’m losing my mind with these awkward ass conversations and am pulling hairs.
Grow a pair and lead the conversation, be yourself! I can tell in the first 3 minutes if I’m gonna enjoy the conversation.
Seriously, here’s the recipe for success:
Intro
Literally just say something about the weather, I always did this and it made a common touchpoint right away.
“Hey xxx, it’s yyy. How are you?”
“Just another busy day, yourself?”
“It’s 70 degrees here in LA, was actually out hiking this weekend so I’ve been great. You do anything fun over the weekend (if it’s mon/tues) / you have any fun plans this weekend?”
Banter for a few minutes unless you can tell they’re not vibing, then -
“Hey look, I know you’re busy - I really appreciate you taking the time to speak with me. If it’s helpful, I’d love to give you some background on myself and would appreciate hearing how you ended up in xxx group at yyy bank”
By this point, you should already be 5+ minutes in.
Next:
10-15 minutes
1) my background
2) how I got to my group / why I chose it
3) group specific questions (what kind of deals do you work on, culture, relationships with seniors, etc.)
10-15 minutes
1) Are you close with other analysts / do you guys hangout outside of work
2) Tie that into asking what I do for fun / keep myself busy outside of work
3) Random questions - favorite part about nyc, what surprised you about the job, what’s your favorite part, what advice do you have
Lastly, maybe it’s just me but I hate when people ask over the phone if I can refer them to someone. Just follow up in a thank you email and tell me who you’ve spoken with in the group and ask if there’s anyone else I recommend you connect with.
Thanks so much man. Really helpful response.
Could you elaborate on why it's important to speak to the staffer? Isn't the group selection moreso a collective decision made by the analysts?
For my bank (barclays), the staffer also has input. The analysts have more of a say but staffer can effectively veto someone.
this was exactly word to word my approach for group placement LMAO. i guess it's just how natural convos go so makes sense lol
it works guys I got top group
Agree ^ talk about personal interests / hobbies
Bump
Bump
I would add that it is very advantageous to have a point person that pulls for you and gives you feedback on how you're doing
also, to answer your question, I spoke with 20+ people from the group considering it was a very competitive group. maybe going overboard but just making a point of how much time you should invest if you want top group
I spoke with every first and second year analyst (~20) + staffer in my group during placement
What do you talk about with the 20 people? Surely after you’ve spoken with maybe 2-3 ppl from the group you get a good idea of what they do and whatnot. Just personal chats? Or re-ask the same questions as before?
Chiming in, what's acceptable/usual in BB group placement networking in London. I imagine practices might perhaps be radically different in UK
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