Guide Conversation with MD or Senior Banker

I just got off my first two calls with senior bankers both MD level at Barclays and Credit Suisse. I treated both call the same way and started with the usual talk and eventually they both asked me what I was trying to gain from the call.

I took that as a cue to walk into my background and after they introduced themselves. I asked about how they got started and picked questions about why they switched firms etc and eventually switched it to advice on recruitment and preparing for the industry. However, one MD seemed a bit irritated by asking stuff about why he changed firms etc. and suggested that I only focus on questions that related to me (otherwise recruitment). 


Based on college kids who have had successful calls with VP and MD level people, how did you guys guide the call and direct certain questions?

 

Lmao aren't you supposed to not be this direct and get them talking about themselves?

 

Sometimes, people do not really like talking about why they moved banks because they were axed / pushed out. More prevalent at the senior level.

 
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You have to view it from the point of view of the senior banker. These guys have a billion things going at once, so when they take the time to get on the phone with a college student, it really puts a dent in their schedule. What the MD is probably irritated at is that, in his mind, he/she is going, "This kid has someone with 20+ years of experience in IB on the phone, and he/she is asking me about why I changed firms?!" It's like if you wanted to get into politics and managed to get a former president on the phone and decided to ask why he went to Harvard over Yale or why he decided to clerk for one SCOTUS member over another.

I would ask them some questions about recruiting, but then spend the rest of the call asking them for advice. Ya, MDs are usually pretty far removed from the recruiting process, but the advice they can give you is quite valuable....so valuable that clients pay them millions of dollars for it.

 

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