“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.”
There is a huge network of former military on the street. It will be looked upon favorably especially if you are an officer.
Dude, do yourself a favor... don't just join b/c you want to build a resume.
As far as your MOS goes, you will have zero transferable technical skills, so a dude that works a 'B/S job in industry' will be light years ahead of you. Transferable skills will be on the soft side: leadership, management, endurance, etc.
As an aside, being in the military won't get you far on just having an opportunity to say you were military. FYI there are tons of veterans with incredible experience (combat experience) out there now b/c of Iraq & Afghanistan, these guys have seen and done shit. Not as much cache as there once was regarding just being in the military, especially since you're going Navy (lame) and in a non-combat arms MOS (lamer)
Edit: Navy is fine, just giving you a hard time.
+1. Joining the military (especially Active Duty) just to build a resume is one of the worst career choices you can make.
Regardless, whatever the OP does he should try to make the most out of it. He may not have a "sexy" job in the military, but if he can perform well and articulate his life experiences in an impressive manner, it helps.
sounds like you have all the right motives for joining the military.
naval academy -> officer in the military -> b-school -> associate >>>>>>>>>>> enlisted->u-grad->analyst.
I've met a LOT of former Officers on the Street who went to a top b-school after their stint in the military. It's far less frequent to see an enlisted guy who manages to break into a target u-grad follow up by breaking in as an analyst. Take it from a guy who was an enlisted man in the Marines and now at a target that it's an uphill battle for us. I graduated high school with a very good SAT and had very good credentials - I got into a target west coast college out of high school, but chose the Military for whatever weird ass reason I look back on and regret/am proud of, and came out and transferred to one of the ivies shortly after. (I should've gone to the Academy and become an Officer now that I think about it)
Either way, it's definitely possible, and if you work hard you can definitely do it as military experience is looked upon favorably when networking and at the associate level. When I participated in recruiting this recent season, even though I secured an excellent offer, it was difficult because the resumes were scanned by previous 1st year analysts who are alums of the school you attend. When they see military plastered on your resume you come off as one of those 'old' college students and it goes down the gutter. I had to network to get first rounds at BB's/elite boutiques, but some of the MM firms and lower-end boutiques were very welcoming of me without having to network at all. Other then that, I look very young so in the interviews I was able to relate to the younger analysts, but at the same time my maturity shined when I interviewed with management; it was getting into the interview room that was particularly difficult.
Oh, and one very weird trend I noticed was how many S&T first rounds I got. My resume doesn't scream that I'm a quant-guy but I was invited to almost all the S&T SA positions I applied for, and my interviewers always commented on my military background.
I think this is a good point. I just left the Army as an NCO and will be going to a top 25 MBA program this fall. I feel the biggest reason I was not invited to the final round of interviews for the GS Veterans program and other internships was letting it slip I was enlisted. Lesson learned; say junior member on planning team, not only enlisted member. Just like going to a non-target, enlisted guys need to work a little harder to land a spot.
Most of my roles in the Army were traditionally Officer roles so my resume reads well. It has more to do with your military career, less to do with rank at the end of the day. I worked in the intelligence field on some really cool projects. Roles in these projects definitely outweigh my deployment while in an Infantry Battalion.
Unfortunately the misconception of enlisted guys being uneducated and less skilled will remain, even though promotion to the senior enlisted ranks in most specialties requires a masters degree. About 75% of all senior enlisted from my MOS have a maters, it is not the 70s anymore. I think the Air Force even require a BS before a certain rank on the enlisted side now.
I think e-4 has a 'soft' requirement of 2 years requirement (you're not getting promoted without it, but it's not technically required); and if that is true then prolly e-6 for bs.
yes, don't do it just for the resume... you'll be miserable. there are much better ways to spend your time if you're looking for a resume boost -- startups, for one...
(that being said, if you actually WANT to join the military, then hats off you too, and thank you for your service)
hey, there is a book selling in indigo right now called : day in the life of traders (alone those lines).
One of the traders was a full time marine general (several battleships under his hands age 35), he was also very successful in currency trading; specializing in the eur/usd. I think he left the army 39 to become a FT trader.
Sounds latin american.
What?
Well, there are a few problems with this:
I don't know if he was serving for the U.S., that's what he said in the book. He also said that he gained control of his first ship at age 34 if that helps.
Marines are not in the Army...
Having military experience on your CV doesn't mean much beyond a conversational topic. You said that you have a terrible GPA, but aiming for a good b-school... come on kid. You're looking at low Tier 2 schools with close to zero alumni on Wall Street. It will be a tough climb, but go ahead. Do what you feel like.
PS: I was a diver in the navy
From a combat arms veterans, good luck! Not to beat a dead horse but there are some serious flaws with your logic. The path to becoming a Navy diver, infantry officer, pilot, etc. is very long, often painful and is never a guarantee. First things first focus on graduating from school. Second, why do you want to be a Navy diver? I'm not being a jerk but you will question your motivation and decision on countless occasions during dive school, pool comp, etc. You will never pass Navy dive school/boot camp/OCS if you're doing it for the resume. Harsh words but true. My final point is that you have to in for the right reasons. Doors may open and opportunities may exist if you have a successful stint in the Navy but you will still have to overcome a poor GPA (your words) and the inevitable age factor. The actor factor isn't huge but you have to have your story and reason for going entry-level down cold and sell it. Bottomline is just because you're a veteran doesn't mean banks or top b-schools will want you. GPA/GMAT/experience still matters. Ultimately you have to sell yourself and story. Best of luck though and focus on is in front of you (likely MEPS, entry-level training) and then move on the the bigger things. If you want it but ask yourself why first? Just my two cents.
Oh chuckles, I'm sure both you and I have more than enough examples of people who passed both of those just to put something on a resume.
However, I agree with your post in its entirety.
Don't do it. There's almost nothing advantageous about just being an enlistee in the military....B-schools tend to prefer: Officers, Special Forces, Combat veterans w/ leadership creds. Enlisted guys who see no action are a dime a dozen, and to reach sufficient leadership level as a NCO requires enough years in service to make you a dinosaur compared to other applicants when you come out. Moreover, the enlistment period will delay you compared to your peers.
In fact, I'm currently applying to b-schools and my military experience just gets a blurb under the "activities/interests" section of my resume and is only ever mentioned because I did it PRIOR to going to college. It's that unimportant.
Glad you brought up this point. My military was prior to college as well and I am beginning to think that I shouldn't even reference it on my resume. As much as I hate to leave it off as it's a large part of who I am, I think that employers see me as "too old." Anyone else have any thoughts/experience with this?
I'm actually Navy myself. I would keep these two sites in mind when the time gets closer (right before B-school)....http://veteransonwallstreet.com/ and http://mbaveterans.com/.
Also from my experience, IF you can tell your story well, you can really leverage the "works well under tight deadlines, 24/7 nature of the job, and attention to detail" portion of interviews.
I have a mandatory military service requirement and have not done my service yet. I am planning to do it pretty much after I graduate from undergrad. Should I put it under "experience" on the CV or more as one bullet point at the bottom of the CV? Have people noticed any benefit for securing offers/interviews in IB having some military past? Is it an asset at all compared to other candidates?
No harm in putting it on as a small bullet. Just keep in mind a good percentage of the people are going to know that it was mandatory, especially if your'e doing it from an Asian country. And obviously don't touch it until you've actually gone through your service.
So should just leave it as a bullet point instead of putting it down under experience with the things I did and whether I accomplished anything?
If it as a small bullet point at the bottom I hope they will realize it easily because I'll obviously have a time gap with work experience as a graduated bachelor student when doing my service.
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