“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.”
In the Villanova program. Love all my courses and the resources the career development office offers. Heading to a HC boutique this summer and got this offer almost entirely from the Villanova network/interview prep they provided. Most of my classmates got great jobs and we have a handful of people going to BBs this summer. Also got into UT Austin, MIT, and Vandy for reference.
Thanks for your response, i feel like i get mixed opinions on nova but nice to hear another data point. Do you mind sharing your stats when you were applying to those programs?
Undergrad: overpriced NE LAC, varsity athlete
GPA: 3.6
GMAT: 700
Internships: Some but not necessarily finance related
You chose Villanova over MIT? Could you elaborate on the reasons?
Applying to the MIT one for 2023
Couple of reasons:
1) Wasn’t sure if I wanted to do banking when I chose schools. I know MIT is a great school but not 100% sure if they did something like Vandy where they really drive home banking. I know Villanova does a wide placement across finance (IB, AM, FP&A, Valuation, etc).
2) Did not want to be in Boston for work. NYC is always an option but whatever city your school is in will have the next best opportunities for you and I preferred Philly over Boston.
3) Was able to do a fellowship program at Villanova where I’m doing research and getting half of my tuition paid for so that definitely helps sway my decision. The fellowship really isn’t too difficult to get here, they open the program for undergrad and masters students but seemed to heavily skew towards the masters students when selecting the fellows.
4) Nova has a bunch of other small stuff in the program or the school in general that I liked (brand new finance lab with 30 Bloomberg terminals, strong finance alumni in NYC, Philly, DC, great basketball team)
Vanderbilt is the best for IB. I don't know why Princeton's continues to get listed as it requires professional experience and isn't typically what people on this forum are looking for. MIT I assume is strong but I haven't met anyone from that program - seems more quant focused.
Villanova’s msf program is great. It gets a lot of hate, but has been having great placement recently.
For IB analyst/associate positions, Vandy and Villanova are top tier. Duke and IU are okay. MIT is more for the hedgies. Princeton is for finance-experienced folks who want a career pivot. Can't speak on WUSTL or UT Austin (assume they place well into Texas energy firms).
Howdy, currently at nova and I love it. Almost everyone in my cohort has accepted offers at either big 4, BBs, some boutiques and some PE-focused valuations gigs (as it appears a fellow nova member said). Can't speak on behalf of the other colleges, but the alumni network here is next level. Perfect recent example is our class got an email saying a parent of an undergrad student is an MD and is looking to hire an IB associate (associate because he considered the MSF program decent enough). The graduate offices are extremely helpful, and each student gets a mentor to help you out with the full job and netowrking process. (Mine was in MS IB -> MF PE -> director at a PE related start up) I am personally already scheduling networking calls with PE exit principals almost entirely because of my mentor.
From my MSF offers, personally I found nova was also willing to help the most in terms of tutition. Finally, while I'm sure every college has some sort of school spirit that grad students go to, I would be suprised if they were better than what I've experienced. I'm talking class invited to private box at Wells Fargo center to watch us play during the basketball szn, golf clinics in fall and spring and unlimited beer/wine at almost every weekend event.
Just my 2 cents
I would say that WashU Olin wouldn't be the best if you are targeting high-finance, as the prestige isn't there. As someone who lives in St. Louis, every mid-40s IT middle manager has a WashU MBA/Masters, and there's a reason for that. The undergrad program is stellar, but for masters, I feel like your other schools are better and more prestigious (except IU Kelley, which I feel doesn't have the brand name either). Also, being in Saint Louis won't really help at all for recruiting.
Good points here, I figured apply to WUSTL as a backup. I know for sure IU Kelley's IB workshop and Banking/Cap Markets workshops place well but theyre for undergrads. As you said, im not sure on how well their MSF would place even though they have an "IB Track". I would assume BB/EB's still target those IBW undergrads more than the MSF students since its relatively new.
Yeah, and in fact, I will be going to IU Kelley this fall for undergrad. the IBW admission process is brutal, so I am not banking on it. However, I am relying on the huge alumni base Kelley has.
I was admitted and have committed to the Vandy MSF class of 2023. Already landed a boutique IB internship that I am currently wrapping up.
S tier: MIT, Vandy, Princeton (it's a different beast all together), UT Austin
A tier (only really good for regional placements): Villanova, USC, Georgetown (older class BTW, most people have a few years working exp), WUSTL
There might be a couple more but these are the only ones worth considering.
Vandy MSF is approaching 15 years old and alumni are doing big things all over the place, same with the other S tiers. A lot of the other programs are cash grabs.
Part of the biggest perks of the Vandy MSF is 80%~ of the class are American students, many other programs are 80%~ international students (mostly Chinese), which impacts placements in a big way.
Also having toured a couple of the big ones, Vandy has the best career center and it's the most fun
Mind if i PM you?
Sure
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