Where do i even start..I learned so much from this forum. The brutally honest opinions, sincere willingness to help, the technical information and random tips on everything has been absolutely crucial for me landing this offer.
Coming from a non-target I didnt get that 3rd year SA position at a BB. Matter of fact, I spent my 3rd year summer working at my school. It's hard getting an SA position anywhere so congrats to the people that got it!
After my 3rd year I took a year off to get some real work experience b/c I know how hard it is to find a job without any work experience in this economy. After 200 applications and 14 failed interviews I landed an offer as an intern at a large pension fund in Canada but it was back office. Good intro, good company but it wasnt what I wanted to do. So I started applying again, like crazy. Applied at every BB, as many boutiques I knew, pretty much googled a list of Boutiques in North America and cold emailed all of them or went on their websites individually to apply for their internships.
Out of all of them I got one interview at a boutique..
I knew this was my chance so went on google and read every banking interview guide I could possibly find, read many WSO posts about interviews and nailed it! Learned a lot, got great experience and met smart people but no offer for full time at the end of it.
Fast forward a year I was in my last month of undergrad without a job offer and feeling like i am behind b/c all my friends graduated a year before me ... I started the routine again, applied all banks with panic. Having that internship really helped me and got me interviews but I was just not landing the jobs! Some of them were phone interviews where I just got too nervous and sucked. Some i thought i did well and still didnt get an offer! I wrote down every question that I fucked up in past interview like you guys said I should and reviewed my interview skills... by this time it was mid May but I was still practicing my technicals until it became an instinct JUST in case for the future.
Then all of a sudden I get an interview at a BB for an interview! Apparently the position opened up suddenly and they needed to fill! 1st round went decently and got invited to final round... super nervous, i thought it went alright but didnt hear back for a week! So i emailed to see what was going on and then there it was, the OFFER!! Class of 2013!
Great stories on WSO really inspired me to not give up. I know for a fact that many people worked way harder to land that offer but I just wanted to share my story and give thanks to you all!
My journey doesn't end here, it starts. I would really like to know what advice you would give your 1st-year-analyst-self if you had the chance? Any advice to kids like me going into 1st year would be greatly appreciated!!
Great job fellow Canadian, sure gives inspiration to people like me. Hope you stick around once you become a certified user, we could always use some more active members up north :)
Did you intern at the pension plan for a whole year?
I interned there for 4 months at both places. Best of luck!
I interned there for 4 months at both places. Best of luck!
Nice!
Congrats! What division in the BB is this? I'm just curious as to who is still interviewing :O
Congratulations.
Not trying to to diss those who do so, but I think it's a good thing to continue to ask for advice instead of trying to dish it out at this stage. Stay humble and continue hustling, the journey's just began. Try to get to know your team well and learn to manage expectations. One of the most understated tool in the industry.
All the best.
Thanks for the wise words, definitely will keep that in mind.
Congrats!
Congrats and all the best! Your story gave me motivation to be persistent
Congrats, what group?
Sweet story man, thats clutch! Here's to killing it in the future (raises drink*)
Congrats dude ! great story
Congratulations. Could you give any advice as far as interview prep go and interviewing at BBs?
Stay humble, nose to the grindstone, be the first in, last out, always be available, always ask to help out, become indispensable and do this for your first 2 years rather consistently. It's refreshing to the senior guys. Then when you come up for air, reassess and go from there. Congrats! Good luck!
This is the kind of stuff I really love to read. Congratulations on the offer, I'm sure that period of searching will payoff in the long-run when you outwork every other first year analyst at the firm.
Congrats!
Way to go man! Gotta be Calgary right? I see postings all the time.
All of the WSO threads on interviews give good advice. Know the technicals, read up on current events, economy and relevent sector, organize your story but don't bull shit and be honest. I know my first ever job interview all of my answers were memorized but realized after several that good interviews are more of a conversation than a pop quiz.. Confidence is also Key.
Best of luck!
PM!
Seems like a nice kid too, way to go :)
I'm curious as to what position needed to be filled up? Congratulations by the way!
Congrats! Do you live in Canada? I'd be interested in working in Canada FT but I'm all the way in California...Hear of anyone that landed a FT offer in Canada while coming from the US?
Well done mate, these sort of stories are the ones that keep me hopeful as well!
Congrats!
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