“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.”
With a return offer, you'll have no problem setting up interviews with groups that have the headcount after the summer. Reach out to your network and get in touch with the staffers at groups in which you're interested.
Not sure if that's true. I also work at JPM and I think you are given a group specific offer. So, if you don't like your group, you could be in trouble. I'm sorry man that's a rough situation.
For internal transfer - would network and keep it on the DL at least until you receive your offer, them bombs away.
For external - should be networking now to make sure youre on firms' radars come early August (accelerated interview time)
To clarify, I meant groups outside of JPM. In my experience, when you have a return offer from a recognized firm, basically all other screening standards are thrown to the wayside. That doesn't guarantee you an offer or anything, but you will have a great shot at getting an interview.
This. Ironically, I would say that you have to be more delicate with internal moves, so looking externally is usually the better option.
Wait so what exactly do I tell people externally? Do I just tell them I don't like things at JPM and am interested for full time? Or should the tone be more a let's catch up kind of thing?
Also with the JPM people, do I just tell the guys in the group I'm targeting that I'm not necessarily interested in leaving my current group but am just interested in hearing more about their group? Then, when I get my offer, tell them I want it changed to be for their group?
I'd avoid making your intentions clear to other groups in JPM until after you receive the offer. Hang out/network with other JPM groups until then, but do not tell them you're unhappy with your group or are looking to switch because word will spread fast and then you may lose your FT offer. On the other hand with other banks I'd go ahead and start networking in early July and then follow up with everyone the first week of August because that's when accelerated interviews start. When networking do NOT badmouth your group or say anything negative about your coworkers/group. Act like it was a super positive experience but you think you'd enjoy their bank/group even more. If you convey the same attitude/story (although I completely understand it) as you did in the OP you will not fare well.
I'd also consider reaching out to top groups as mid-tier BBs as you're probably better off in the best group at CS than a mediocre group at JPM (and lateraling to GS/MS for FT is almost impossible except for in boom times).
Externally, never shit-talk your firm, and don't say you don't like it, as it will raise concerns. Just go with the classic, ambiguous 'not a good fit culturally', and say you're interested in [insert bank] because of [reasons x, y, z]. Keep it positive.
Internal moves are difficult... you will most likely piss a few people off in your current group no matter what you do. Just keep on the DL, and try to network with people in the group you are targeting.
JPM has a day in the last week where you're allowed to indicate one group of your preference that you'd like to 'sit with' for the day. Ostensibly, it's a chance for you to just get a taste for something different within the division, but that's the primary internal mobility tool as far as I understand it.
To move externally, the biggest thing is to portray your current experience in the most positive light possible. No one wants to hire someone who badmouths their current/former employer, because it automatically makes them think that they could be the one you're badmouthing sometime in the future. Frame it positively ... you really enjoy your experience there so far, you're happy to have seen x-deal and y-project and gotten the opportunity to work on z-team, but you aren't certain that it's a cultural fit. Because you know x-person from such-and-such a place (alumni, networking, met them at a conference, mentor, etc.), you've heard such excellent things about their firm or group and are interested in pursuing a full-time opportunity there.
As long as you have an offer, it's easy to shop around. That doesn't mean getting hired is easy; headcount is tight everywhere and there are people at stronger groups also looking around just for the hell of it. With a recognizable name on your resume though, it's important to do two things: crush the summer to make sure you get a return offer, and begin proactively networking with people now so that as August rolls around, you're well-positioned for accelerated recruiting. They try to get these things done the week or two after the summer program ends (in better hiring years it even happened during the last week at some places) before people leave the city for school.
Exactly this.
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