Still Recruiting and I NEED your HELP/ADVICE
Hey guys, so I am currently a sophomore trying to break into IB and I am currently recruiting for 2022. I go to a well known non target and I have a 3.9 GPA and experience in internships that are back office jobs. I applied to a couple of banks and heard back from two of them. I did first rounds with those banks, but I didn't get passed the first round. I'm definitely learning from my mistakes of what I did wrong from those interviews as well as networking with people in the industry. I need to apply to more banks because I know breaking into IB is more of a numbers game and often can be seen luck. I know its gonna be hard for me to recruit and break into an EB and I'm pretty late to the recruiting season, but so do you know any boutiques or BB that are still actively taking applications that I can apply to? I already have a hirevue with JPM and I know I'm going to apply to MS after I talk to a couple of alum there. Any help would be greatly appreciated and I wish all of you the best of luck! Also, do you think I should also look for off cycle internships at a boutique for the upcoming fall to work at to help me recruit if I don't have an offer by then? Thank you guys again!
The fact that you got 1st rounds at firms tells me that its not your resume or your networking, but your actual interview skills. You need to improve and understand where you went wrong if you want a shot at an offer moving forward.
As for getting interviews at the BB's and MM's - I found it much more difficult to ensure an interview with the larger firms because they are mostly HR oriented and no one knows forsure unless you go to a target and have a solid resume. Network and apply to as many firms as you can, I'm talking speak to 2-3 people per firm and have at least 1 strong contact, to give yourself the best chance.
Check the recent post about firms that are still recruiting.
Have you considered the niche specialists? FT Partners, Stout, Tyton Partners, Vista advisors?
I have not. thank u for the advice. Are those like boutiques?
FTP for your SA year hasn't kicked off yet. Specialized boutique in SF. Takes plenty of non-targets.
I would do more mocks, you should not miss any shot and doing more mocks will make you more confident!
yeah, I'll try to do more mocks with people I know to get me comfortable with interviewing. The odd thing is that I think i performed the best I ever did in an interview in the first two rounds and Idk why I didn't get a super day, I was honestly shocked
First off, congrats on your first two rounds. Just a couple of notes:
I'll look for more finance roles that I can do for off-cycle because I am currently in a back-office role for my current internship that I have been doing this semester. Although it's been a great talking point in interviews, I think I should look for a boutique IB firm that'll provide more relevant experience.
Agree w all of this. With the timelines so accelerated, I think it ultimately comes down to how hard you network if you’re not at a core school, and then how well you interview/fit with the team. Like poster above said, everyone mostly has upcoming internships, so the team has to see how well you vibe with their culture, are you genuinely interested and willing to learn, and are you easily coachable. Doing mocks with bankers you’ve gotten close with and upperclassmen at your school who’ve recently gone through the process helps polish up interview skills. With a few interviews under your belt I’m sure you’re picking up on the little things, just continue to be yourself and always try to relax. The way I started looking at it was that it’s just as much as an interview for them as it it for you. Yeah they’re the ones in the power position, but think about it, would you want to end up somewhere you have to put up a total front and just spit out what they want to hear? Don’t come off as some entitled dick (which I doubt you have), but be confident in your preparation and most importantly your potential. Have your technical foundation down cold, but focus on making your story and those behavioral answers come off smooth and concise, really giving them an idea of who you are without rambling and sounding like you’re unsure of yourself. A lot of banks are actively recruiting and some are done, but in the grand scheme of things it’s still early. Also, try to build relationships rather than strictly seeking a reward during your networking calls, people are more inclined to help someone they vibed with and find pretty cool. It’s the first half and the ball is on your court, keep shooting bro
That's good news you didn't get passed on the first round. How many offers are you debating?
why is it good news i didn't get passed the first round?
Are you trying to say you didn’t get ‘past’ the first round?
Did you really get a 3.9 GPA lol
You might be too late on MS — know people who already are scheduled for super days. JPM is based purely off the pymetrics test so it’s not that beneficial to network.
I was in the same boat last year recruiting for 2021 SA positions. Had a 3.9 at a well-known nontarget and also good relevant work experience. IB recruiting is completely a numbers game especially coming from a nontarget. Yes, behavioral responses and story background are important but interviews are all about vibing and that statistically doesn’t always happen. My advice would be to continue to ‘diversify your application portfolio’ in order to migrate the risk of not landing somewhere.
BB’s like GS, BAML, and Wells are yet to start the process, but don’t get caught up on prestige. 99% of the site is commentary from prospects and interns. Landing a job anywhere on Wall Street is exceptional (don’t forget that banks like RayJ/Truist/Piper/Blair see the same resumes as GS/JPM/MS). The best thing you can do is network heavy with a MM while the rest of this site obsesses over GS apps opening up on July 1.
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