“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.”
@adpp0", I work in corp dev for an industrials company, so hopefully I can help. You need to know your story, why corp dev, why this particular company, etc. You might get some basic technicals depending on the background of your interviewer. I would highly suggest looking at this company's IR page and watching or listening to their most recent earnings call and then taking a look at how the Street reacted after their most recent earnings announcement. Industrials is a VERY broad field, so definitely know why you want to work in whichever space this company operates.
I hope that helps. Feel free to PM me if you have any sensitive questions, but I would definitely prefer answering questions here so that others can benefit from my answers as well.
EDIT: For some background, I did two years in IB as an analyst and then moved to corp dev. I do not have an MBA.
Thanks much for the reply. Great advice. I am actually interested in IB and thought I could use this type of experience to get an IB internship or fulltime position after since I have no prior banking experience. This is only a 3 month internship so I dont know if they would hire fulltime after. I wouldnt mind getting into corporate banking either but I want to work in M&A in general. If i really want to land this position or make it further in the interview process I dont know if my interest in banking is something I should mention or just make it all about corporate development. I know the guy I am interviewing with used to be an investment banker and went to a top mba program.
If you are asked why you want to work in corp dev, the "correct" answer is because you find the M&A process interesting and want to be in a role where you are evaluating transactions and helping a company form their strategy over the long run. If asked why corp dev over PE, the "correct" answer is because you want to focus on long-term investments and on one company's growth through acquisition as opposed to acquiring companies with the intention of exiting said investment after a certain amount of years.
I would personally not mention your interest in IB. Think about this from the interviewer's perspective. You are interviewing for a buyside role, one that most people take to get out of banking, but most importantly, you are interviewing for a role that will pay a decent amount less than IB will. The interviewer will immediately wonder how dedicated to corp dev you are and why you would accept his/her offer should an IB also make you an offer. This is especially true since you are most likely graduating with crushing student debt, which is why so many MBA students go into banking, a scenario your interviewer knows first-hand.
Hopefully that all makes sense. I'm happy to answer any more questions. Good luck in your interview.
Awesome advice man I appreciate it. One last question I have is what type of competition do you think I would be up against for this internship? Former bankers?
its a little misleading because in the job description under qualifications it mentions mba student but also a separate line for undergraduate students as well.
I imagine that it's most likely MBA students with a banking background. I would not feel nervous about competing against bankers or anything. Your accounting background might not be the traditional background for corp dev, but it brings something new to the table, and having deep accounting knowledge is also a plus.
Thats what I figured. Aside from the accounting background my undergrad degree was in industrial design so hopefully that makes me stand out a little bit.
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