Referrals - Are they useful?

I am currently applying for 2020 SA positions and was wondering what 'referrals' from bankers actually mean. When an analyst says they will submit your CV to HR is this useful? How does it compare when an Associate or VP says they will? At what point can you relax and start focusing your efforts on other banks/prep for interviews?

It would be great to get some insight on this.

5 Comments
 
Funniest

No, having somebody on the inside recommend you for hiring isn't helpful at all. It just goes into a communal recycling bin and then all the bankers sit around every Friday laughing at the gullible college kids thinking they're actually trying to help when they really just use all the resumes for paper airplane contests (heavier paper is highly coveted for superior flight characteristics).

 

Reprehenderit nisi sequi provident. Aliquam voluptates omnis sed. Voluptates voluptatem sint debitis voluptas. Quo occaecati soluta dolor.

Voluptate odit corporis nobis eos dolor numquam. Aut quidem repudiandae enim est vel illo. Quia est aut vitae tenetur quas ut quibusdam. Pariatur hic reiciendis voluptate maiores. Quis sed cumque consequuntur quos qui.

I used to do Asia-Pacific PE (kind of like FoF). Now I do something else but happy to try and answer questions on that stuff.

Career Advancement Opportunities

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.3%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.9%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.3%

Professional Growth Opportunities

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.3%

Total Avg Compensation

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (51) $260
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (26) $182
  • Intern/Summer Associate (15) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (76) $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

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
10
numi's picture
numi
98.8
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...”