IB first experience

Came here because I am finishing my bachelors in finance and going into my MSc in Finance (Bocconi). Still haven’t done any experience in a bank and find it crucial to land an internship next summer within IB. Need as much advice as possible , guess WSO will help out 

 
Most Helpful

Just want to say that while you'll be studying at a great school, the 'academics' line in your CV doesn't mean much. I've seen so many friends / friend-of-a-friend(s) from top schools like LSE, LBS, INSEAD etc. who fail to make it because they don't understand that competition is within students at these schools anyways. Understanding this is SO important because I guess it's easy to think that you have 'guaranteed' positions out there and doors will open easily. It is not the case - I've interviewed so many interns and looking at their CV book, 70% of students are coming from Masters in Finance backgrounds and most of them are from top schools. 

Personally I think networking is far less important in Europe (I'm thinking London mostly here) so would try to polish interview skills (both fit and technical) as much as you can. Take one of these IB prep courses, as your Uni materials is not an efficient way to prep for interviews.

Make sure your CV is industry standard (1 page, focus on parts that you want to highlight - without an internship, you still have to 'spin' things so you look legit. Talk about real investing experience, student societies or other projects and tie them back to finance as much as possible). Don't be too selective in your applications also - I'm not saying you should go down all the way to a 3 person no-name accountancy, but definitely don't limit your choices because 1) you never know and 2) you really get better at recruiting as you do more interviews. You don't want an interview with your dream shop to be the first one.

Sure others can add, but perhaps provide more detail on what advice you want to receive?

 

Voluptatibus repellat facilis enim sint harum. Voluptas molestias qui beatae reprehenderit aperiam molestias suscipit. Et odio error alias rerum quidem sit.

Career Advancement Opportunities

May 2024 Investment Banking

  • Jefferies & Company 02 99.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 19 98.8%
  • Harris Williams & Co. New 98.3%
  • Lazard Freres 02 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 04 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

May 2024 Investment Banking

  • Harris Williams & Co. 18 99.4%
  • JPMorgan Chase 10 98.8%
  • Lazard Freres 05 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.7%
  • William Blair 03 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

May 2024 Investment Banking

  • Lazard Freres 01 99.4%
  • Jefferies & Company 02 98.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 17 98.3%
  • Moelis & Company 07 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 05 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

May 2024 Investment Banking

  • Director/MD (5) $648
  • Vice President (19) $385
  • Associates (88) $260
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (14) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (33) $170
  • 2nd Year Analyst (67) $168
  • 1st Year Analyst (205) $159
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (146) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”