Talking points to university kids who are networking with you?
Many students are reaching out to ask for advice and want to go into IB. I did not attend university in the US so don't know a lot about the recruiting process. What do you think I should cover in these calls? Trying to help as much as possible. I noticed that some know what they want and ask questions straight away and some just need some guidance
You can always pass them along to a similar role/seniority level colleague (ask permission first) if you’d think they’d be a better resource. If you still want to take calls just be upfront about your story and I’m sure they’ll asked to be referred to another banker anyway
I think your response is kind of stupid. Read that again
I think you're a retard
Many bankers - from what I've seen - aren't up to date/familiar with the specifics of process. If they ask you something related to it and you don't know, just point them to HR or something (depending on the firm you're at).
When talking to them, try focusing on what you do, what distinguishes your firm from others, and ultimately, what keeps you in banking, that's hopefully what they're asking about anyway. All college students also love hearing you walk through a deal they can then regurgitate back out in their interviews.
You could also just go the casual route and see if you like them as a person/share interests.
Dance to the call of the MDs
Probably not much at the end of the day, maybe some specific individual rainmakers who specialize in one sector or another
$$$
First I want to say thank you for being one of those people who actually enjoy helping others.
For calls, all I’d personally really want is for you to talk about your experience at your firm, and to learn more about you as a person. If you had a different path, I’d definitely be interested in hearing how that path worked. I already know the strategy to break in from talking to other people so what I really want to learn from you is what you specifically do for work and most importantly who you are as a person. I’d also ask for a referral and see if you could pass me along to a colleague that I could meet as well. We can find information on the typical “break-in” all over the internet so I’d find it a waste of your 30 minutes telling me something I could easily look up.
Ask the student questions:
Who are you?
What is your major?
What are you studying?
Why are you interested in Banking?
What do you currently know about banking?
Tell the student about yourself:
Your role on your deal team
Your deal teams role at the firm
What types of businesses do you work with
Where your firm sits in the marketplace
What is going on in the M&A marketplace
Finishing touch:
Ask how you can help the student?
PS: I finish with "how can I help you" because these calls are all about giving back. We all have had countless people help us get into this line of work, it is our obligation as professionals in this industry to share our experiences, education, and connections with others so that they too can achieve their career goals.
This PS note at the end is huge for me. One of the principles to live by, both in this line of work and more broadly in life as well.