Nothing...just be confident, knowledgeable but don't try to speak on things beyond what you clearly understand. Be personable, clear, attentive and have good questions for him.

If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses - Henry Ford
 

Be yourself, make a friend. I really cannot emphasize this enough. I guarantee he knows 1,000 kids with resumes better than yours, so how are you going to stand out? You're going to do it by making him like you as a person. You want him to walk away thinking "Damn, what a nice kid. He knows his stuff, is ambitious, and I'd love to have a beer with him at some point. I see a bit of my younger self in him. I'd love to help him out."

That's how you stand out, that's how you beat the odds, that's how you get hired. Make him like you as a person.

- Capt K - "Prestige is like a powerful magnet that warps even your beliefs about what you enjoy. If you want to make ambitious people waste their time on errands, bait the hook with prestige." - Paul Graham
 

Out of curiosity, is it at all normal to meet the vice chairman? To me its pretty insane the guy would be nice enough to give some of his time to just chat with some kid he doesn't know. What can he do after such a meeting, raise his finger and recommend you be hired or make sure you never are?

 

Where/When are you meeting this guy? I had an MD meet me once over dinner but I think he just did it so he could charge the firm for it...sort of kidding

If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses - Henry Ford
 
happypantsmcgee:
Where/When are you meeting this guy? I had an MD meet me once over dinner but I think he just did it so he could charge the firm for it...sort of kidding

That would be kind of sad... the guy should be able to afford his own dinner so Im sure he was doing it as a favor. Besides after your an MD and done cutting everyone's throat its good to show some kindness and support to the younger fellows who pose no immediate threat and will make you feel young again.

The more and more i network, actually i realized this a while ago its just being ingrained more and more, I realize getting a S&T/IBD role is like dating, you play your cards right, look good and confident, make a raucous around you (sort of like the legend precedes the Dos XX man) and get them to fall head over heals, but preferably avoid the bad one night stands cause girls talk, and if they cant get with you again they'll at least tell their friends it was a blast.

 

depends on the setting... if it's like a dinner at your parents house or something social along those lines (this is where I typically meet these kind of higher ups), then I find the best thing you can do to help yourself is show up with a VERY HOT girl. If you're not dating one at the time, talk to your hottest chick friend and tell her to come and laugh at your jokes so that the big man will think you're cool.

He actually will. I'm not kidding and I've done this before.

 

I remember back in the day when I was a young kid hobnobbing with Henry Kravis, Steve Schwarzman, Steve Cohen, George Soros and Johnny Drama. All these informational interviews to set myself up for an opportunity to make money for them. The NYC nightlife, the weekends in the hamptons..ah to be networking again.

I wore nothing but Armani and Canali suits. For leisure/casual gatherings, Ralph Lauren polos. You go the informational and shoot the breeze, bring them a card and stick a 100 in there. That way they know you're a player and a friend.

Ask TCW's chairman how he got to be so baller. Where the market's headed and let him know just how badly you want to calculate mezzanine IRR's for him for the rest of your life.

------------ I'm making it up as I go along.
 

Button down and khakis, better safe than sorry. I would think read up on the market and be able to speak intelligently about a couple stocks. Since you have an in, I would keep things informal. Don't be to forceful about working for his company. Maybe even ask him about other competing shops and what he thinks about jobs you have applied for at them.

 

Smartest thing would probably to signal that you actually want to learn something from him, almost like a mentoring role. If he likes you, he'll go for it and he will probably help you as much as he can with whatever you need. For these kind of people almost anything is just a phone call away.

I'm talking about liquid. Rich enough to have your own jet. Rich enough not to waste time. Fifty, a hundred million dollars, buddy. A player. Or nothing. See my Blog & AMA
 
1. Has anyone on the forum had coffee with people of similar statures? What did you talk about? How did you drive the conversation?

Yes. It’s happened twice and both times were some of the coolest (in a nerdy way) times in my life. I made sure to talk about him both times. Ask questions. People love telling their story to those who are interested.

2. This guy is a seasoned politician-turned-executive who has Prime Ministers on his rolodex (seriously, he was once on an engagement where he was advising the PM/Head Prince of a Middle Eastern country) - how do I leverage this connection to perhaps gain an interview? Does it sound appropriate/weird to ask someone of his caliber to introduce me to Partners? I feel like he could be good for MUCH bigger intros or favours in the future, and I don't want to bother him with anything petty...

Ask him for his “advice on your progression.” Let him bring it up. At most, I would say something like “do you know anyone else who would be willing to talk to me?” at the end of the coffee date. Always put the ball in his court.

3. Do I take my resume with me? Again, it sounds a little weird to do that. As much as I want to break into consulting, I'd much rather learn from this guy and hear about his stories.

Yes. Bring it with you, but don’t give it to him (or even bring it up) unless he asks. I’d carry a portfolio type folder with you and just keep it in there in case. You never know when a conversation could turn from good to awesome and you want to be prepared.

4. Overall, how do I make this a convo multi-purpose: offer him something from my end (highly unlikely he needs anything from a college senior), leverage his connection to perhaps gain an interview, and learn from him at the same time?

You know you have nothing to offer and he knows it too. I wouldn’t worry about that. Look at how many people give advice here on WSO when there’s nothing to learn in return – people like giving back. It is an act that is egotistical and selfless at the same time. Ask him smart questions, get along with him, and keep him talking about himself. You want him to “see himself in you” and if the conversation is mostly him talking, it’s just natural for that association to happen.

5. I don't mean to sound selfish when I say I want to get an interview from this conversation. Just want to know if it'd be appropriate to bring up something of the sort. I wouldn't chase someone down for three years just for an interview.I have no problem not getting anything out of it at all, as long as I learn from his story...

It’s not selfish at all. He knows it too, already, so again – don’t worry. Be relaxed but respectful and as people have said already – come at him like you’re looking for a mentor.

You have this!

Commercial Real Estate Developer
 

Yes, I've met several such people but I wouldn't assume he has any ability to help you with your job search. At best, he might be able to refer you to someone who can refer you to someone who can help you. You'd be surprised at how little power these guys have to get things done. But, he probably does have some interesting stories! Matrick's advice is spot on.

 

Hey guys,

Thanks for all your advice.

Met him a couple of hours ago. We spoke for an hour - long story short, it was a great convo and he told me to keep in touch. Gave some really good advice and he had some amazing stories. To give you an idea, he is involved behind the scenes in quite a few events which make headlines.

He asked me about my ambitions and advised me on how to proceed. I feel like I drove the convo well as he spoke for most of the time (which is great) and I feel like we hit it off on a good note.

Anyway, thanks for your help once again!

 

Ab hic officia dolores eum qui. Quas explicabo molestiae commodi aut deserunt voluptatum. Temporibus suscipit ut reiciendis ipsa aliquid aliquid dolorem eos. Rerum praesentium est id recusandae est debitis numquam dolorem.

Sed voluptate ut esse libero laudantium vitae voluptatum. Animi id quod laborum a. Ex eos voluptas esse ut molestias natus consequatur.

Possimus voluptatem deserunt voluptatibus delectus deserunt perspiciatis dolor sapiente. Tenetur est autem velit molestiae. Voluptatem in facilis sed hic dolore. Ut voluptatem libero exercitationem commodi. Aut debitis quidem qui.

Quo mollitia qui libero magnam. Non et molestias inventore eius. Deserunt asperiores itaque qui autem sed. Iusto culpa sapiente voluptatem sed aliquam ut rem.

I'm talking about liquid. Rich enough to have your own jet. Rich enough not to waste time. Fifty, a hundred million dollars, buddy. A player. Or nothing. See my Blog & AMA
 

Veniam reiciendis fugit consequatur labore sapiente qui quis porro. Iste cumque dolorum voluptatibus consequatur cumque dolores. Itaque consequatur alias rem voluptatem.

Rerum sit iure porro provident. Itaque velit voluptatibus eos illum cupiditate autem debitis. Et voluptates nihil eum dolores iste rerum. Voluptates ipsam tempora saepe quam aperiam autem.

Non omnis officiis non quas error aut et explicabo. Blanditiis qui quia qui esse modi eum. Pariatur ratione corrupti totam quo nam atque. Ea illum excepturi quos in reprehenderit. Quod aut cum qui quod reprehenderit.

Commercial Real Estate Developer

Career Advancement Opportunities

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Jefferies & Company 02 99.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 19 98.8%
  • Harris Williams & Co. (++) 98.3%
  • Lazard Freres 02 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 03 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Harris Williams & Co. 18 99.4%
  • JPMorgan Chase 10 98.8%
  • Lazard Freres 05 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.7%
  • William Blair 03 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Lazard Freres 01 99.4%
  • Jefferies & Company 02 98.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 17 98.3%
  • Moelis & Company 07 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 05 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Director/MD (5) $648
  • Vice President (19) $385
  • Associates (85) $262
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (13) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (33) $170
  • 2nd Year Analyst (65) $168
  • 1st Year Analyst (198) $159
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (143) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
98.9
5
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
bolo up's picture
bolo up
98.8
10
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”