Need good advice - really down after this recruiting cycle
Hey all,
This recruiting cycle has been disastrous for me. I had over 500 networking calls since September and yet I do not have a single offer at hand. Has been on my grind since sophomore year. But it seems I cannot convert any offer. Had a number of superdays at BBs even with GS. Still waitlisted. Call me your "waitlist guy" now because I will never get off it. I really do not know what to do. Seems like my shot at IBD is gone. What are other career paths that will still be available after IBD recruiting is over? I know BLK recruits in September but that is about it...
If you are getting superdays but no offers then I would say you probably need to work on your behaviorals or technicals more. I recommend writing out your answers to the behavioral questions and run through them with someone for feedback. As far as technicals go you just have to sit down and grind those out more.
The thing is I was 100% on point with my technicals. I connected very well with my interviewers (similar interests like sports, traveling) but it seems nothing is working. Recruiting is almost done so I do not know if polishing my behaviorals will do me anything (also I think they are not that bad). In all of my superdays, I only had 1 superday which I admit I did not do well in. But others were good and I had really positive feedback from the interviewers (like "talk to you soon" phrases which gave me some hope).
I'm in the same boat... Could it be that because of looming recession talks they're taking on smaller class sizes?
If you're getting superdays and are okay on technicals, there's something wrong with your behaviorals. Can any upperclassmen give you a mock interview with truly honest feedback?
Also, plenty of MM/regional/small boutique IBs recruit through the summer. Corporate banking is also on a slightly slower timeline. You have time, just keep grinding through the summer - you will land something
Thanks for the advice. I am not so sure if I can recruit for MMs because I am an international student
Got it. Well unfortunately international student is probably your answer as to why you're not converting. If it helps, it's impressive to get multiple BB superdays needing sponsorship, but if there is someone equal to you who doesn't need a visa they will take them.
I recruited as an international for FT roles. Definitely not easy. You need to showcase not only good answers to technicals/behaviorals, but also an easygoing personality type in your interviews. When you’re at the final hurdle it’s all about how you come off as a person in front of seniors. Do a bunch of mock interviews and gather some feedback.
Not sure if I can be super helpful in terms of your superdays, but I do know that smaller firms recruit later. Additionally, Citi SF (Tech) is planning to recruit in the fall (I spoke with the guy running recruiting who told me this)
Is this for TMT?
Yes it is
Citi very rarely sponsors internationals
I didn't know he was international my bad
Yeah they only sponsor MBA hires mostly
500 networking calls??? Really? Can you explain and/or double-check that number???
If you missed your own number in your own OP then maybe attention to detail is killing your chances?
Yes, I had 513 calls and you are very helpful man. Appreciate it. Hope all is going well for you.
Note: I am asking for advice, not your opinion. If you do not believe me, just do not reply...
You are consistently demonstrating why the firms were correct in not hiring you. No attention to detail, inability to take correction. I think recruiting went just the way it should have for you.
Thanks. Knowing that there are people like you in the industry makes me feel a little better.
BARK BARK BARK BARK BARK BARK BARK BARK BARK BARK BARK BARK BARK BARK BARK BARK BARK BARK BARK BARK BARK BARK BARK BARK
Dude you’re so fucking cringe. Why are you pestering 20 y/o’s on here and DYING to take a moral high ground? Your experience does not relate to anyone on here. You are not an investment banker and will never be.
Answering this from a general recruiting instead of banking specific but a few things
1. Being an international student definitely won't help and even the country you come from can make a difference due to backlogs. There are real time and dollar costs to hiring an international student instead of someone that doesn't need a visa and unless its clear you will be worth that extra time, effort and cost you could be getting passed over.
2. Take the other advice on here about behaviorals. Interviewers will often try to make you comfortable and relate. You may think you are doing well but its just an act to the interviewer. Also, being told something like talk to you soon means absolutely nothing. Unless you are interviewing at a place like Bridgewater where they literally tell you to go home as soon as they think you aren't a fit, interviewers will almost always try to be polite and say things like talk to you soon.
3. 500 calls seems like a hell of a lot? Are you being too pushy at some places and turning people off?
4. Are your technicals really that that good? Maybe you keep doing X and you believe its correct so you keep doing it but the reality is Y is correct?
5. On a general note, if you have had that many interviews and calls and still don't have an offer, there is clearly something going wrong that you are missing. I strongly suggest setting up mock interviews with people who have gone through the process and even with your campus career services. Even ask your close friends if you have any ticks or pattern behaviors that you don't realize. Just using myself as an example, I have a tendency to interrupt people. It's something I have worked on an am now on meds for the underlying condition (ADHD) but before being diagnosed I had no idea I was really doing that. It took a lot of questioning and reflecting to realize the issue.
You are right. I think it could be partly behaviorals but too many networking calls kinda caught up to me? I felt so burnt out of just having to ask similar questions that maybe during the interview my last portion when they open up questions could tremendously suffer. I am sure there is a reason. I thought it could be my GPA since it is not stellar but I thought once you get to a superday it does not matter. Now that I look at it, it does matter. A lot. I would be happy to keep on grinding but isn’t the recruiting cycle over?
I don't work in banking so can't comment on the recruiting cycle, my thoughts were just general related to interviewing and common mistakes people make across all opportunities.
The interview/networking can go both ways. Speak to too many people and you may seem desperate or not really interested in the specific business line and that can get flagged. This can depend on what you are saying in the calls. Telling them all you are super interested and really want to work with all of them is a red flag, just asking general questions to learn so you can decide if you are interested shouldn't get flagged. Also you HAVE to ask questions during the interviews. There's a good chance that the person you are interviewing with doesn't know you spoke to a bunch of other people through networking calls and already know a lot about the bank. So much of this depends on the internal communication of the bank which you will have zero insight on so you have to assume you are starting at square 1 with everybody.
What's your GPA? Until you have a few years working experience, it will always matter. The choices made around hiring can be on very slim margins so everything counts.
Take a gap year and figure out what went wrong, then fix those first-time mistakes and spend the last part of your gap year re-recruiting. In the meantime, get some work experience, do what you're really passionate about, or pursue some bucket list item that you probably won't have time to pursue later on in life.
Good advice! But I cannot afford to take a gap year :(
I couldn't either so I had to work the whole year. That might sound off-putting, but since you're not working extraneous IB hours you still have plenty of time to pursue other goals. It doesn't have to be your dream IB job, just something that gets the bills paid. I never had a recruiter once ask me about my gap year job or even why I took a gap year. And even if you do you can simply say it was out of necessity to financially support your college tuition and that's the end of the conversation. Worst case, you get a whole second try at recruiting; best case, you do something awesome for a year and sign at a great firm. I was in an extremely similar position to you (superdays at BBs, EBs, networking, etc.) but received zero offers, and took a gap year. It ended up being the best decision of my life so far.
At quasi aut consectetur dolore dolores ipsam labore eum. Veritatis natus et ut quibusdam. Excepturi qui dicta rem omnis. Deserunt quas assumenda nulla hic voluptatem corporis. Suscipit sit et ipsa maiores amet. Rerum itaque est aliquid rem non est dolor.
Quo perferendis aut illum iure praesentium voluptatum velit. Totam velit quam possimus quia porro et. Eaque est vel aut qui. Sint praesentium saepe dolorem qui. Laboriosam eum ducimus quaerat dolores minima quo labore. Aperiam dolorum ducimus nihil non et placeat.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...
Nemo non animi itaque ullam facere et. Harum quia qui ea dolores blanditiis ratione. Id et et quibusdam quo ipsam et labore.
Maiores repudiandae perferendis commodi ipsam. Dignissimos adipisci quod assumenda dolorum libero ipsa saepe. Aut cumque laborum nesciunt qui commodi ut in illo.