No return offer from top BB - What's next?

Hi all,
I did a S&T internship in HK in a top BB this summer. I have received excellent comments from my managers but didn't get a return offer. I was devastated and cried for a couple of days. I am currently applying to S&T FT programs in other BBs. I really like working in S&T and am determined to work in Finance after graduation. Any advice on how can I maximize my chance of getting FT programs? Seems like the market is not good this year and many banks are cutting headcounts... Would appreciate anyone who can shed some light on this !!!

Thanks so much!

276 WSO Academy Sales & Trading Session Reviews: 4.85/5

Class of '28 Aug 2026 Cohort

5.00/5

Sales & Trading Career Roadmap (optional)

“John listened before giving advice. I told him I had accepted an offer at Bank of America but was still interested in JLL and Wellington. Instead of telling me what to do, he asked what I wanted from my career and helped me think about which path would give me more options. I also liked that he was honest about what he knew and didn’t know. He gave me a clear reason to keep working toward JLL, while reminding me that Bank of America was still a good place to start. When I practiced my interview answer, he told me what worked and gave me one simple way to improve it. That made the feedback easy to use. Most of all, John made me feel less stressed about figuring everything out right now. He offered to help with a mock interview too, which meant a lot to me. ”

Class of '28 Apr 2026 Cohort

5.00/5

Sales & Trading Mock Interview

“The mentor provided extremely detailed and thoughtful feedback throughout our session. What I appreciated most was that the advice was not generic. He took the time to understand my background, past experiences, and the specific roles I am currently recruiting for, and then tailored his suggestions accordingly. He also connected many of his recommendations to his own professional background and experiences, which made the feedback much more practical and credible. Instead of simply telling me what to change, he explained why certain answers or approaches would be more effective and how an interviewer might interpret them. He also shared specific examples from his own experience to illustrate his points. I came away from the session with a much clearer understanding of both my strengths and the areas I should improve, as well as several concrete ways to strengthen my interview preparation. Overall, the session was extremely helpful, personalized, and actionable, and I would definitely work with him again.”

See All 10,963 WSO Academy Reviews

1 Comments

Tangible_

RE

4y

Most Helpful

Ipsam beatae ut qui voluptas temporibus sit. Deserunt illo odio nulla deleniti quisquam. Alias sint minima qui eaque et quae.

Est sint minus aspernatur fuga et. Iure nostrum aut quas in repudiandae et. Tenetur porro ut laborum occaecati tempora dolorem consequuntur recusandae.

Distinctio voluptatem vitae est ipsum sit sed autem dolorem. Itaque iste molestiae omnis omnis voluptatem ipsum. Nisi sunt itaque dicta qui est. Laboriosam doloremque quasi atque accusamus ut voluptatem. Enim voluptatem ad omnis expedita qui.

Reply

Quote

Report

Other

Authored by: Certified Real Estate Professional - 2nd Year AnalystCertified Real Estate Pro

+22	Best Bank/Desk Combo? From an IB perspective	12	17h
+12	Brookfield Renewable Real-Time Power vs. ExxonMobil Trader Development Program vs. RWE Commercial Graduate Program	3	2d
+9	Best way to move to NYC, LDN from Tokyo	1	14h
+9	Is this normal for Capital Markets Operations, or did I land on a bad team?	1	3d
+9	EM FX Trading Question - What does the desk do + Interview Advice	1	3d
+6	Asked for 3 more interviews after a superday? S&T BB	1	1d
+2	Target schools	3	1d

1	redever	99.2
2	Secyh62	99.0
3	BankonBanking	99.0
4	kanon	99.0
5	DrApeman	98.9
6	Betsy Massar	98.9
7	dosk17	98.9
8	GameTheory	98.9
9	CompBanker	98.9
10	bolo up	98.8

Elite Career Bootcamp. Top Job Offer Guaranteed.

Elite Career Bootcamp. Top Job Offer Guaranteed.

No return offer from top BB - What's next?

Score Breakdown

Feedback

Score Breakdown

Feedback

Elite Career Bootcamp. Top Job Offer Guaranteed.

Elite Career Bootcamp. Top Job Offer Guaranteed.

No return offer from top BB - What's next?

See All Comments - 100% Free

Trending Content - Sales and Trading Forum