Coffee Chat with Bulge Bracket COO

Hi, WSO! First off, this is not a fluff/brag post -- I really need advice.

First off, I'm a sophomore (rising junior) at a HYP. Humanities major, previous summer internship at major non-financial institution (think UN Secretary General, White House, the EU, etc.), upcoming summer internship at startup in emerging industry (think Artificial Intelligence, Marijuana, Alternative Energy). Starting to prep to apply for Summer 2021 IB Analyst positions.

Through a family friend, the Chief Operating Officer of a bulge bracket bank reached out to me to grab coffee (now that our schools have been moved online, lots of free time). Obviously, I know this is an incredible opportunity, and I don't want to waste it. I'm no expert in IB -- I solidly understand what it is, and I'm halfway through some guides on interview questions, but that's about it. How can I best capitalize on this meeting? How can I best avoid fucking up?

 

First of all, nice username, you go to Yale. But on a serious note, I had a similar chat last summer; ask about growth at their firm and what has driven it, what sets their ability to get mandates apart from other firms, and don't be afraid to ask for advice since they were the ones to reach out in the first place. Senior people are awesome to talk to because they'll do all the talking.

 

Recusandae velit ut iure possimus dolorem at. Dolores laudantium qui et fugiat. Nisi porro accusamus architecto et molestiae maiores consequatur magni. Et quia dolores rerum ipsam vel eveniet in. Minus omnis excepturi et praesentium ut architecto repellendus.

Career Advancement Opportunities

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Jefferies & Company 02 99.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 19 98.8%
  • Harris Williams & Co. (++) 98.3%
  • Lazard Freres 02 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 03 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Harris Williams & Co. 18 99.4%
  • JPMorgan Chase 10 98.8%
  • Lazard Freres 05 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.7%
  • William Blair 03 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Lazard Freres 01 99.4%
  • Jefferies & Company 02 98.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 17 98.3%
  • Moelis & Company 07 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 05 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Director/MD (5) $648
  • Vice President (19) $385
  • Associates (86) $261
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (13) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (33) $170
  • 2nd Year Analyst (66) $168
  • 1st Year Analyst (202) $159
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (144) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
kanon's picture
kanon
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
10
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”