What if I actually DO love finance?
I read on WSO somewhere that you sound like a total douche if you go into an interview and say you want to do IB because you "love finance". Problem is, I actually do really really like finance. I love the classes, the news, the theory and the markets. I have since junior year of high school.
I really just don't want my interviewer to roll their eyes when I say I'm really passionate about finance. Or worse, think I'm a nerd (probably true) and assume I would be boring to work/ hang out with.
Anyone who has been in my boat and landed an offer or been an interviewer would be great. Thanks in advance.
Just don't say it. Just like you wouldn't say "I really love masturbation".
well... the problem is that IB doesn't have that much to do with finance.
I don't know who threw shit at you, but I would agree with you to a pretty significant extent. For the hours bankers put on the clock, it's proportionally very little to do with finance.
Although the many tasks done in IB may not seem like finance, the overall picture is completely finance. It is about connecting all types of investors and help facilitate their exchanges. Of course there are times when IB's are just selling their own personal services (just like any other business) but most of the time, IB's are involved in finance.
Well...that's my opinion anyway.
I've taken enough monkey shit irl to know that this job is about project execution/mgmt. From my interviews (and i itw'ed a lot) most M&A analyst types are pretty mediocre at finance/accounting. I've heard a lot of crap. I've been more impressed by the ER guys.
Lol at the shit thrown my way. It's a lot more marketing than finance. You write marketing pieces (teasers, CIMs, pitch books, etc.). Finance really is a small piece.
If you actually enjoy finance it will come across when you talk about other things, like your previous experience or the clubs you're in at school. Don't directly say it for obvious reasons
How do you know you love something you have never actually done before? corporate finance class and CNBC.com don't count.
Well, I have taken many different types of finance classes, two of which are entirely focused on IB. I went to a stock-analysis class in high school, talked to about 60 people who have worked in finance and am working in a fortune 100 finance/accounting group this summer. Don't love accounting but like a lot of things near it.
School work and "stories" from those in finance are exaggerations of real-life finance. I'd agree that I actually do enjoy investing when the investment pays off (there is a rewarding feel), but any highs you get from making a college-level pitchbook will quickly go away in the professional realm.
That's a good one. they absolutely dont count!!
If you like it that much you must have specific reasons. Pick a couple, know them by heart and don't be a spaz.
I think its more likely you enjoy thinking about making tons of money, and knowing basic finance is a good way to make a quick compound interest model in excel and fantasize about all the money you're going to have when you finally get carry at TCG. Be honest with yourself. Sometimes when you say things out loud you realize how stupid they actually sound, and that is a great way to blow an interview.
I understand the feeling, but you need to go for something a little more specific than just "finance."
You've never worked in finance, period. That's why saying you love it is so stupid. You have no experience, and thus nothing to go off of. You think you love finance. That's not the same as understanding and loving it.
Right now, you "love" finance as much as you "love"d the girl who sat behind you in Math class before finally going out with her and realizing she's fucking psychotic.
Finance will never love you back.
If you're ever in an interview, just explain why you find it interesting. If you say something to the sort of "I like following the markets", be prepared to demonstrate some actual market knowledge.
When it comes to actual work, "passion" is a buzzword. Competence is much better. Try to demonstrate competence though knowledge and understanding of the subject material.
wat about models n bottles
My favorite: "I love finance because I read Liar's Poker"
That statement actually holds some truth from what I've seen. I was talking to a director at KKR and he said Lairs Poker was what got him first interested in the industry.
Don't get me wrong, kiddo. I loved everything about the book the moment I started reading it back in undergrad, besides the fact that Michael Lewis is now totally antithetical to the industry. But there's a difference between the statements 1) "Liar's Poker piqued my interest in the finance industry," and 2) "After reading Liar's Poker, I know I love finance and would love working in finance and everything it entails, day in and day out, even though I've never actually experienced it." The difference between those statements is the essence being discussed.
how does it work when you are honest on tinder? nothing long-term
The main thing here is that even though you love finance, during interviews, it will generally be assumed that everyone interviewing loves finance (otherwise, why would they want to do the job?). If you just say you love finance, you are basically saying something that is generally implied and expected from all interviewees.
I say I love finance just to get what I want, but then I never return its calls or reply to its messages.
On a roll here
Saying you love finance is a cliché answer. What about finance do you love? IB has little to do with the finance you learned in school. If you say you love finance, that doesn't mean you love IB.
This is similar to the people that say they love financial modeling. Well, turns out that financial modeling is really only a small part of the job, so you better have another reason why you want to do IB.
Also, saying you love finance makes you sound like a nerd. IB isn't for nerds.
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