Did not get a single interview for 2020 IBD SA London - destroy my resume

Hi guys,

Unfortunately after applying to 30+ firms to LDN I did not get a single call. Want to work on my CV now. What would you change?

https://ibb.co/qp0Ls4T

Thanks!

14 Comments
 
Most Helpful

Damn that UK recruiting must be tough. If you were at a target in the US with the equivalent of a 3.5 & this resume you probably would've gotten quite a few good interviews.

Array
 

What kind of target are you at? Oxbridge/LSE, or UCL/Imperial/Warwick? It might be that a 2.1 isn't enough if your target is on the weaker side. It might also be that your ECs do not demonstrate leadership/passion for finance and/or that your experience isn't sufficient (lack of brand name, too few relevant internships). Or maybe you didn't network enough.

 

Many thanks for your reply.

  1. UCL/Imperial/Warwick. I get that this is kind of tier 2 target, but I would be happy with UMM. Maths at my uni is fucking tough. I really worked so so hard for that 2.1. Hopefully it gets better next year.
  2. I will try to get a boutique IBD in London this summer so I will come back to SA2021 with 2 IBD internships.
  3. You might be right with the networking. How should I approach this? What I did last year is that I contacted a few alumni from most of the banks, had a quick chat and then mentioned them in my Cover Letter. Should I maybe ask more directlyto push my application? Would you contact Analysts or some people higher in the ladder?
 
  1. Yeah, I feel you. I feel like nowadays a 1st (3.7/3.8+) is almost a requirement for BB/EB interviews, unless you have strong hook somewhere else on your resume or are a master networker.

  2. For networking, what I know of it is more US-based, so it might differ a bit for London. Usually, what people do is that they either rely on the quality of their relationships and try to build strong ones with a few employees who in turn will fight for them, or play the numbers game and network with as many people as possible. Analysts tend to have higher response rates because they were in your shoes not so long ago, but MDs/VPs obviously have more pull, so I would try both. At the end of a chat, always ask for advice or someone else they would be willing to put you in touch with. Follow up with them too - I know people who had multiple coffee chats with the same person to build a stronger relationship.

 

Mate there is nothing at all wrong with your CV - you should have got quite a few interviews from that. Was in the same recruiting cycle as you with far worse experience and didn't have a problem getting interviews.

I'd recommend joining your finance/investment soc since they love to see that but that's really minor considering you have previous IB experience. Did you maybe mess up on the psychometric tests or hirevues? I'm at a tier 1 target and your CV is honestly so much better than most of ours...

 

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