Summer 2026 recruiting advice

If you don’t have a 2026 offer yet, chill tf out. You're not actually behind. Here's my advice as someone who grinded through the process a couple years back.

First off, let's stop pretending like every IB seat is already gone. Yeah, a bunch of BBs and some boutiques already shot out initial offers. But if you're still offerless, it’s far from game over. A lot of good firms (even BBs) haven’t finished recruiting yet. 

Having been in your shoes (stressing out, refreshing inboxes), here’re some tips to get your sh*t together:

1. FIX YOUR RESUME.
If you're not getting first-round calls, your resume probably sucks. Sorry not sorry. Stop trying to reinvent the wheel. Just grab a legit template (I usually recommend M&I’s IB resume templates). Keep it clean and to the point. Bonus points if you get someone at your target firm to eyeball it first. (Lowkey everyone loves to tell you what's wrong with your resume. Use it to your advantage.)

2. STOP BEING LAZY AND INCLUDE COVER LETTERS.
I know, it’s a pain, but stop whining. Including a solid cover letter boosts your chances of making it past initial HR screens way more than you think. Seriously, most kids don't bother, so doing it puts you ahead of half your competition already.

3. NETWORK SMART, NOT HARD.
Networking still matters more than your GPA or internship at a random hedge fund your uncle owns. But don’t spam analysts, they legit can’t help you. Reach out directly to VPs and MDs, ideally those with something in common (same school, hobbies, background). Just ask open-ended questions and chill on asking for direct referrals. Bankers aren't dumb and they'll help if they like you.

4. STOP CHOKING ON TECHNICALS.
If you mess up basic accounting questions, just say goodbye to the offer right now. No joke, this is literally the easiest part to master, so just practice relentlessly. Mock interviews with actual bankers/classmates or using something like HirePrep (one of my mentees mentioned they were using this to get quick mocks in whenever) can seriously help you stop choking under pressure. Just don’t go into interviews unprepared. It's embarrassing and can cost you the job.

5. BE HUMAN (STOP SOUNDING LIKE A ROBOT).
Finance isn’t just about Excel. I see so many candidates who sound like GPT chatbots during networking calls and interviews. If you can't hold a normal conversation, why tf would anyone hire you? Drop the interrogation style, be genuinely curious, and connect like a normal human. People like hiring people they like.

There you have it. Feel free to roast me in comments if you think I'm off on anything, but this worked for me and others I've mentored.