Hardest You've Hustled for a Position?
I've worked very hard a handful of times to go above and beyond what any other applicant did in order to secure positions I really wanted. After having just put together a pitchbook (and all relevant supporting models for a SA spot - for the second time), it got me thinking. What was the hardest you monkeys' have worked in order to secure a slot at any firm? Did it pay off in the long haul? Where do you draw the line? At one point does it come across as weird and make one look bad?
Most work I ever did was wink at the lady VP interviewing me. Only had one banking interview ever...and I got hired. Boom.
Are you a teller at Wells Fargo?
Recently promoted to Branch Manager. Rumor has it they are sending a VP over to open a Wealth Management office. I cannot wait to see the new business come in!
Months of interviews, 20 letters of recommendation, 10 page essay, full physical and psychological tests, IQ test, and a final rapid fire board interview with about 12 people at a large table at once.
Jesus, that is rough. Do you mind sharing the position title?
Mirror selfie required?
I swear that is going to haunt this guy forever on this forum..
Threw away an excellent relationship, spent months doing nothing but reading & studying & doing practice problems, mental math tests, brain teasers, re-learning all of calculus, stats and probability, basically turned into a hermit...for an entry-level algo trading interview that I was only able to even get in the fist place due to a friend. I studied the wrong stuff, got some very esoteric options math questions instead, a bit beyond what you get in Hull, which I had also completely gone through front to back, for the second time. That and one brain teaser which was the only one out of the hundred+ that I had worked with that I always stumbled on. Needless to say, didn't get the job.
Truly the most work I've ever put into something in my life, looking back, it wasn't worth it, perhaps, but it was an experience. Should have kept the girl though.
Quit my full-time sales position making decent money, and moved back home with my parents.
Started looking for unpaid internships in boutique IB (Low GPA, Non-busness Degree)
Leveraged two unpaid internships to convince one to pay me part-time money.
I worked full-time hours at the internship (making only Part-time money), in order to learn the industry as quickly as possible.
Worked my ass off for a year commuting 40min to work.
After my first year I was offered to join the firm as an Associate on FT pay.
After another year the firm was splitting in two, I received two competing offers from two groups of partners.
I leveraged both offers, and now I'm 25 with a VP title.
No real idea how to proceed from here. I fit into the VP role like I fit into my dad's suite when I was 12 yrs old ...but we're figuring it out day by day.
Thank you for sharing. Your posts are my favorite on WSO
Sometimes the hardest thing in that situation is not the role itself, but enduring the process of letting people's perceptions adjust to a younger person performing the roles and responsibilities of an 'older' person ... well.
I've met people in their 20s who look old and are bald or have a receding hairline that fare better initially than the young faced 25 year old who seems to be a young Warren Buffett or the like in mind and heart.
This is not an issue with startups, or situations where a young person has a large chunk of control of equity. But, at large companies (especially client facing), it will always be a struggle until you hit 35 or 45 and start to wrinkle, age, and talk a little slower as the perceived wisdom goes up, even though you might have had it all along at a young age.
Truth. I'm 25 but look like a 21 year old and it hurts sometimes. I'll probably see the benefits when I'm looking healthy as I get older rather than withering away.
You're spot on. Posturing helps make myself "APPEAR" older, but nothing says experience like grey hair and shaky hands in this industry. You catch a lot of side-eye when passing out business cards.
One things that has helped me out more than posturing, is always knowing: 1.) Why I'm here 2.) What am I doing 2A.) How is what I'm doing helping 3.) What are my goals 3A.) Beginning steps on how to accomplish them
Very similar experience:
This is wicked. Congrats man. Will you be lateraling soon to a MM/BB/EB ?
Planning on staying put with the fund. We have deployed very successfully so far this year and will likely raise another fund here soon. Don't see a reason to lateral while things are going well.
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Could you pm me? I'd love to talk
That right there is inspirational for everyone that says you can’t make it. Total hustle and badassery.
Basically threw away my 4th quarter in my MSF program to prep for Capital One BA position. Made it to last round (flew me in) but faced the hardest case interview I've ever seen. I still remember some of the details. Had to analyze call center reps vs automated online FAQs. It was incredibly technical and quantitative. Had to draw cost curves and substitution rates based on actual data provided. Had to estimate the break even point and stress test the call center capacity (had a tiered structure). Was a real nightmare.
Is Capital One even worth all that? What do they even pay their BAs? I feel like I'd have just peaced out.
It's like $90K to $100K all in, which isn't bad for an MSF. Cap One's strategy teams are very selective for some reason but you have to live on their campus in Virginia. From what I hear, it's a very cultish environment. I'm happy it didn't work out.
Not your typical path
Intense.
Your persistence is inspiring and incredibly impressive (as I am sure you know).
Big congrats, that's damn respectable. There's two glaring wins here that interest me most, if I may ask: 1)How did you position yourself from being laid off to getting into a MM IB spot? 2)How did you obtain the CFO promotion?
Honest question, what was your comp at age 28 being a CFO?
I'm still chilling and enjoying life. Who gives?
The guy who started this thread and probably every single person who clicks into it aside from you (an idiot).
you need to chill a bit more young one.
just looking at these posts, makes me wonder if any other industry attracts this much grit
Tech does, even though everyone thinks it's lax.
Some of the old guys at the top of the tenant rep game are insane. Back in the day they would start in a bullpen room at 8am with nothing but a small desk, chair, phone book, and phone and a mandate to make at least 300 calls per day. It's ridiculous how much they get paid for the service they provide, but I respect the old guys who started with nothing but cold calling, no piece of the action from senior brokers or salary.
My first job on wall street, I applied 1,000+ positions, cold called 800+ people, 25 first round interviews - just to get 1 position doing equity research covering emerging markets at a new york based investment bank.
lol if i knew i couldve just give u cards for guys i know in equity research at bb. life is funny cause i had not contacts in ib at the time lol.
that was in 2008, almost 10 years ago. :)
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how hot was the girl ?
the only thing that matters really
Not to be a dick but did you really lose faith in the “recruiting model” because they hired a female based more likely on her being female than more quantitative metrics? Let me guess, she was also decently attractive? That IS the recruiting model.
Either way, you got there right? Congrats.
To get my first finance internship as a sophomore in college (2006), I went door-to-door to over 50 firms in a suit with my resume and followed up consistently. Being denied at the door - and in one case, having the secretary throw my resume in the trash in front of me - was difficult but I had nothing to lose at that point. My GPA was shot (think a 2-handle) from getting very ill freshman year, and I had hit rock bottom. The last firm I spoke to (top Swiss PWM shop) ended up giving me a chance to interview for an internship (after I followed up by email six times), and I was accepted after two rounds.
It changed my life, and I can never thank enough the banker who took a chance on me, with only hustle and no credentials to my name. After that, I won a job at Blackrock the next summer, consulting for FT, and onwards from there. If I hadn't hustled for that internship, I might have dropped out of school and would be in a very different place.
Great story. I hope you do the same when a sophomore in college in a suit with his resume comes to your door.
Definitely, I try to pay it forward. If anyone cold calls or emails me, I'll make time to speak and give my best and honest advice. The earlier recruiting happens every year, the less students know about the options in front of them. I try to arm students with information so they can make better decisions and recruit more effectively.
Unreal hustle, mad respect. Props to you for never giving up. +1
What Real Hustle Looks Like (Originally Posted: 10/09/2014)
Hey guys - came across this article, thought you guys would like it. Basically how to get a job at a startup:
https://medium.com/@drogier/recruiting-advice-no-one-tells-you-5ae6fb28…
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I like the sentiment, but calling up companies pretending to sell them a product of company you don't actually work for is more likely to get you sued than employed.
The thought process behind that article is superb. Be proactive, not passive. Sure, the tactics should be different on a case-by-case basis to steer clear of legal troubles, but I like the attitude.
I'd definitely get sued.
You create your own opportunities by having parents who can afford a bougie boarding school. BOOM self made!
Sent hundreds upon hundreds upon hundreds of emails during my winter break my sophomore year to land an IB internship. I'd been speaking to so many people that it seemed never ending and thought that I'd never end up with something. The moment I opened the email with the offer I seriously couldn't believe.
I know the struggle all too well. Sometimes you can barely keep your head above water, as you schedule like 2-4 calls a day (on top of a full course load and possibly even work). Glad to hear it paid off for you!
Thanks brotha. Think I saw you're going to a BB this summer for one of your past threads, glad to hear things worked out for you as well!
I went out with a fat chick for 6 months because she helped me land an internship at her uncle's PE shop
thicc or nah
not thicc just fat, very close to being obese. The worst part is that I'm gay
about it... if you have really good code every wants to suk some d
Can't compare military/other industries and finance interviews, though physical tests sound quite special for an office job
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