“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.”
I did it. Multiple years in fact. I don't think it hurts. Although I don't think it really buys you a lot of credit in the way you are hoping. However, I do think that it helps you develop critical thinking skills and especially helps in developing presentation skills that can help in an interview - telling your story / confidence.
Oddly enough, I did get a cold call from a hedge fund simply because they got my name from some list with the national finalists. However, it was a mid/back office position, so they were interested in my tax / accounting background.
I'd say there's 2 scenarios:
You have several case studies on your resume and you came in 1st in all of them, in which case while this adds to that consistent drive to excel; it doesn't really add anything since you already have a few strong performances on your resume. In that case, it can only harm you since its not additive and someone may look at it as unfocused or focused in the wrong field. Bankers definitely look down on accountants vs. their own professional, so its certainly not desirable to in anyway betray that its a career track you're considering alongside banking (even if its not the case).
You have no other case study experience on your resume, in which case this is the only one, which begs the question: why are you so interested in accounting/tax? Again it harms you.
I'd probably advise against it for the above mentioned reasons. I don't know if my answer would be different if it was more generalist accounting which you wouldn't inspire as much of a "who the fuck does a tax competition" response.
Can anyone else chime in? I read somewhere on WSO that bankers really respect the Big 4 and Big 4 sophomore year internship can really help you. I personally know 3~4 people who have done a Big 4 internship sophomore year/ junior year, and received multiple i-banking SA offers the following year.
I didn't suggest that having anything to do with an accounting firm results in getting blackballed from banking for life. My answer is within the context of OP's question.
If you know multiple people that have already done it, why are you asking the question?
I don't know about "really respect the big 4". They are reputable firms and interning at a big 4 vs. not interning at all/interning at a lesser firm, interning at a big 4 is obviously better. I'd probably make it analogous to a sophomore internship in BigLaw.... particularly as a sophomore when most kids have either no internship, a no name internship, or PWM. Similarly, I know a handful of kids that did that got an internship in BigLaw sophomore year and ended up in banking as well.
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