IBD w/ philanthropic aims? (CL, interview, etc)

When I apply to any bank (I guess more specifically BBs), does it matter what I would want to do in the long-term with my training at the bank? Say, take my 2-year-analyst skills + some and eventually apply IB concepts to help non-profit organizations raise capital or even merge or something like that (or eventually join a division that does that within the bank)? (On a side note, if anyone knows of specific companies that do something like that... not public finance)

Or should I just be saying how much I want to be on Wall St. forever?

5 Comments
 

To be blunt, the answer is yes - it does matter what you say, and you shouldn't say your long-term goal is to work for non-profits.

Bankers are risk-averse. If they see someone who wants to save the world one day, they will automatically think, "How good will he be at this job if he doesn't like money?"

This is a stereotype and over-simplification, but it is much safer to say that you want to be in finance long-term rather than doing something unorthodox, because they will look for any reason possible to ding you.

Not sure of any companies that do that offhand... dealing with non-profits is tough (I know, I used to do it back in college).

 

Dosk is correct - you shouldn't bring this up.

In my opinion, the reason you don't bring this up has nothing to do with non-profits and everything to do with showing you have a very serious interest in spending 2 years as an analyst. In the same way that you wouldn't talk about your interest in working as a consultant during an investment banking interview, its best not to express other interests that might leave an interviewer questioning your commitment (nothing wrong with questioning your commitment, of course - but they don't need to know that).

 

I actually did bring it up in an interview...

I was interviewing for a summer position with an infrastructure group. Of course, they asked why investment banking/infrastructure. I gave the standard reply and ended with "eventually, I'd like to move into third-world work, in helping underdeveloped countries efficiently develop their infrastructure.. a sort of social entrepreneurship.. similar to the work that MBA Without Borders is doing." (I wasn't lying.. I really did want to do this.)

Automatic ding. I know for a fact this was the reason, as I phoned up the analyst interviewing me. The rest of the interview was awesome though. Nailed the other fit and technicals and made an honest connection with the interviewers. It was possibly one of the best interviews of my life. Sigh.

 

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