Struggling to Land Interviews — Would Appreciate Honest Advice

Hi everyone,

I graduated from a top UK university (UCL), am a CFA Level II candidate (exam written May 2025), and have relevant internship and analyst experience in a small investment management firm. My technical skills include Python, modelling, and financial analysis/reports.

Despite tailoring my applications and cover letters for roles in investment banking, trading, and buy-side analyst positions, I’ve been struggling to even get first-round interviews — let alone offers. I’ve applied to countless positions across London — both advertised and via networking — but the silence is consistent.

I’m wondering if there’s something obvious I’m missing: Is it the UK hiring market being overly saturated? Is my experience too generalist (VC/PE/Corp Finance) for technical roles like trading and IB? Or are my CV and cover letters not selling my value properly?

If anyone has been in a similar situation, made the jump, or can offer some real talk — I’d really appreciate your honest thoughts. Happy to share my CV or specifics if that would help.

Thanks in advance, appreciate this community.

Attachment Size
Adedapo Ayoade CV.pdf 104.46 KB 104.46 KB
1 Comments
 

Ea natus repudiandae qui at et. Sint quia consequatur maiores dolores explicabo voluptatum. Doloribus voluptas reprehenderit recusandae. Est qui impedit officia minus in et molestiae sit.

Cum quis enim eius minus sint. Doloremque quae consequatur ullam qui quasi neque optio. Blanditiis illo minima nihil debitis nulla. Tenetur dolores nemo corporis. Perferendis in ea amet sint quae cum qui.

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.2%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.3%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.2%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.7%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.2%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (46) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (80) $150
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (73) $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
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
6
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
10
Linda Abraham's picture
Linda Abraham
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...”