Getting in...
Some backgroung on The Oz: I am a new memeber on this forum and im British - living in London. Im heading into my final year in undergrad school, and my degree is in Accounting and Biz.
I have looked into many areas for a decent career which pays well and where you can pick up core skillsets and carry them over into another industry if needs be. All in all, I discovered I-banking and have been chasing an opportunty for a long while now. The competition is f**kin fierce. Im stuck on M&A, I love the stuff and I will not go for anything else... well maybe derivatives trading only if M&A does not prevail.
(P.N. I am quite pathetic as I read books on financial derivatives during my spare time and also as a bedtime read whilst my friends are all out getting wasted).
I had internship interviews earlier this year with Lehman, ABN Amro and Rothschild and none of them were successful. However I was offered a technology position within Lehman (I dont have a clue why they offered that to me as im a M&A guy not a compsci freak), I turned it down.
I need some advice as I am going to give it one last shot in my final year in terms of applying and I know its even more difficult to get in when your in your last year as the interns have been stringently cherry picked.
Alternatives are: getting admission into a good postgrad school like LSE or Cass (please advise on the latter) and studying either Law and Accounting or Investment Management MSc respectively, then applying again for the third time whilst in my masters program. I should be a veteren in applying to Ibanks by then.
I just need you guys who been through all this bullshit that Im going through now or will be going through soon to give me any tips on applying this second time round. Im open to all suggestions and I know Accountants are mundane by character but Im really not too bad - I like Britney.
Cheers.
what was the reason you think you were rejected?
I did get some feedback from on of the banks telling me why I was not selected, it was based on my interview and business case study presentation. They lacked "concrete examples" and I didnt ask many questions in the presentation. I think it may have been subjective.
What should I do now that would increase my chances when I re-apply during my final year??
you talk too much. (no joke, being serious). You may need to convey your message effectively at the interviews.
my 2 cents.
"(P.N. I am quite pathetic as I read books on financial derivatives during my spare time and also as a bedtime read whilst my friends are all out getting wasted)."
maybe your personality might not be too engaging and you come off as too academic. also, my friend pushed off his graduation by a yr so he could get into IB..as a summer analyst cuz full time recruting is really tough...gl with ur quest
The description I have given of me in this forum is extremely vague. I am an outgoing person and train alot in the gym etc etc. Basically I do all the normal stuff normal people do (if one can define normal).
I portrayed this to the interviewers who were impressed with my passion for the industry and also all the charity work I have done for the under privilaged people in my community.
I know Associates and VP's all have to spend a great deal of time with analysts (14-16 hours I've heard) so they want to hire someone who has a good bubbly personality, but is that what its all about? Personality.. Or do they want to hire future leaders for their firms? Its an incredibly rare mix to find someone who has both - look at John Thain.
Dude .. no one is going to willingly follow someone that they think is a tool. Leadership is probably more about personality and experience than anything else.
you're a tool
If you're reading FD books at night and not getting wasted, I'm sure you have zero soft skills and fit as well as a square into a circle (wow that sounds hick)
This guy is making a joke.
from my personal experience...i will tell you one thing: I am from "target" schools, I have good grades, good extracurriculars, but as they said in the group I will be working for the summer (in a BB) they hired me bec of my personality...you may find people that know a shitload of stuff, people that are really tops but if they cannot convey their ideas and if they are not fun persons to work with (and believe me it's difficult to pretend you're a fun person if you're not...it's in your character...) they cannot be hired.
maybe as you say, you are too "normal" thus not selected? Maybe?
you seem to lack the 'wow' factor. so what you did community service, "passion for industry" (known as 'love for $$$'), go to gym, or know your stuff? So why should I hire you?
They mentioned you lacked "concrete example". This goes to show the lack of your life experience. God I tell ya when I saw the ppl at superday, these guys were COOL. Just being a student leader at highschool doesn't cut it.
My suggestion: Do something to give yourself a 'wow' factor... like join peaceCorp and go to Afganistan helping the locals for a year, before returning to US. This will land you a job, and it will also open your eyes and change you into a cool person just in case you are a geek.
I was thinking of teaching in Puerto Rico or something for a couple of months.
Goldman Sachs HR team have repeatedly advised during our campus visits that they look for candidates with passion and interest in the role they are applying for. Wouldnt it be feasible to display all your relevant knowledge to the interviewer when appropriate then answer all questions with a smile.
Dude, really? What the fuck is a douchebag sophmore know more than an ED at Goldmans? I mean, dude, you're just asking for a beating if you start discussing the intricacies of the sector with a guy who works in said sector.
Obviously personality is an important factor according to this discussion. I think the long hours do tend to sour the personality of some (namely Ratul).
Passion and an interest in the role are a given. Qualifications are also a given if you already have the interview. Anyone can look up the vault guides and feign enough financial knowledge to get through the technical questions, but a personality can't be built overnight. Its also the biggest factor that will determine whether you will be a good employee or not. Think about it. Anyone can be an excel monkey. Not everyone is fun to work with. You are competing against hundreds for one position, how are you going to make yourself stand out?
My advice: you got the interviews, so obviously you have the grades and other stuff. Start getting wasted, go holler at some girls and learn how to be comfortable around people and make them like you.
Pezzonovante - I dont have a problem in any of above you mentioned. I can attain all that just fine.
What Im saying is that the indusrty is tough to get into, even Oxford and Cambridge grads (in UK) get turned away. Also when it comes to personality, everyone has their own way of personifing themselves - The test is subjective, not objective.
Therefore wouldnt a Yale Associate have more in common during an interview with a potential Yale analyst as opposed to the same associate interviewing a HSSEC (in Paris) grad?
Autem aliquam voluptas saepe eaque occaecati qui cumque doloremque. Voluptas unde nemo occaecati voluptatum alias accusantium similique. Et iste aut soluta laboriosam. Facere rerum animi culpa id assumenda quos. Sed et nobis autem et.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...