“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.”
Hi dablocishot, any of these threads helpful:
If those topics were completely useless, don't blame me, blame my programmers...
well, considering you're at Wells Charlotte S&T, your lateral opportunities are limited anyway. MBA is the easiest, most consistent, and most structured route.
Plus, MBAs will open doors in NYC.
Yeah getting into a top MBA program M7 will give you more choices of banks from EB to BB rather than trying to lateral from where you are. Not saying it isn't possible, just harder sell to firms when there are other candidates already in banking you are competing with. MBA is a structured pipeline for banks so if you work hard the path is clearer.
agreed. you could skip the step and lateral but an internal move would be the most likely since you’re in not NYC. Citi and BofA have decent IB shops. but if you want GSMSJPM etc you’ll need to go to MBA 98% of the time
I really appreciate the added feedback. I really do not want to lost opportunity costs by getting an MBA but this may change as a necessary step.
but what’s the opportunity cost? if you don’t get an MBA, you don’t do IB, you continue in S&T and maybe plateau somewhere. get an MBA and you could change your trajectory forever. just have to be smart and realistic about it.
opportunity costs : salary, bonus, career growth while incurring debt through an MBA. but an MBA would open doors especially into IB
I'm going to play devil's advocate here because I love money and truly believe our generation is getting screwed financially.
What is your reputation like on your team, and how is your team's culture?
I would try networking with people in IB (start with the closest people that you know of), and express your interest in doing IB (come up with a convincing story why you want to switch). I think you should have a strong shot lateraling (this depends on the firm's culture) given you're in a front office role.
The current environment won't help as there may not be as much turnover as normal. However, I don't think you have to necessarily do an MBA and spend all of that money on the program and deal with an opportunity cost of missing income during the period of it.
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