Ask-a-Gekko 2009

For all of you prospective monkeys with recruiting questions, etc - ask away. I am trying to be a helpful person for the new year.

I have 2+ years experience at a couple of BB's in product as well as industry groups ... ask me anything you think I can answer and if I can't, I'll find someone who can!

 

Did you ever consider the repercussions of naming yourself Gordon Gekko on an internet message forum? Is it not true your coworkers and associate/VPs would laugh if they knew? I mean come on, who in the industry would name themselves Gordon Gekko?

And you are a 3rd year analyst I'm guessing? "Member for: 3 days 6 hours"

Come on, I can't fathom a 2nd or 3rd year naming themselves Gordon Gekko on WSO. This is ridiculous.

 

All right, let me start with the 1st question then.

The recruiting process has turned out to be a lot more group specific then I thought.

I was interviewing for 1st rounds with a BB in NY and both bankers happened to be from financial sponsors. We got along really well until they asked me what group I'm interested in. I was honest and told them about my 1st choice, which wasn't their group but also told them that I'm open to all. The look on their faces immediately changed and the tone of the interview became sort of awkward. A couple of days later I interiviewed with a different BB (1st round) and I got along pretty well with my interviewer. He kept on talking about how great his group was and so I yielded and told him I'm interested in his group. After that, he looked really happy and told me to expect a call from his group.

So how do I tell people about my preferred group without screwing my chances for the entire firm?

 

Wow just checked tihs thread and jeez are people hateful. It's just a name homie - and naming yourself one' pet is not tantamount to naming yourself the person.

Also I made the account while watching a stupid Geico commercial so I just pieced together random references.

Anyway, onto the questions

To Blade 1988: It's good to be honest but it's also not bad to have multiple groups interested in you. I would not tell anyone your preference until its a group you actually like.

1) You can like multiple groups 2) If you say you like a group back it up with reasons, recent trasnactions, etc 3) If you have no interest, just say you're open to most ____ (product / industry) groups and would just like to meet more people. If the case is you don't like their group, make them feel better and let them talk. Be like I don't know much about the group here at ____(bank) that you're in but please tell me more blah blah 4) In the end, you just want a group that'll go to bat for you to pull you in, not to piss anyone off to boot you from the process

 

To PiperJeffrey Chiang

"Which one is "better" for b-school or PE?"

1) For B School - it's Inudstry / M&A (when I say product I mean DCM/ECM/etc) 2) For PE it depends ... what experience will have the MOST AMOUNT of PE firms interested? Probably industry because its more applicable. a) However, the quality of the funds will vary and you can get a very quality PE job out of product but you have to look harder

I think its ultimately silly to pick a job because it has a chance of getting yourself to another job. LIke the people and like the work first. If you don't like your group after first year, switch to another for 2nd or 3rd year but in GENERAL - Industry groups allow you a larger scope of jobs, etc.

p.s - Location also matters.

 

Necesito trabajar.

how do you approach the informational interview, and is it impossible for me to get a FT position now that its january (non-target college senior). I had an unpaid internship (bear stearns JPM) last summer and am kinda f'ed in the A. Thinking about becoming a ski bum in british columbia.....

 

1) Ski bum in BC is a dope deal - friend of mine quit his job went out to Colorado to sell real estate / teach skiing - he lives a great life atm selling luxury condos

2) Informational interview or even coffee for 15 min can and will ben an interview - treat it as such. prepare well and ask pognant questions. I got my job out of college after all their spots were filled through some people I knew so it's definitely possible.

 
Best Response

Let me go down the list

I think

1) Nat Res / Power will always have business - if anything in equity since these companies need lots of money just to operate and will often raise money to do so.

2) Industrials (if you're in Asia)

3) Technoloogy if you're in US especially in conjunction with Nat Res / Power for green energy stuff

4) Media / Consumer / etc are cyclical industries and will need to consolidate in coming months / years so that might be interesting

I tihnk as an analyst though - any of the above will be a good place but it really depends on the particular platform you're on

 

Hey GordonsGecko,

Thanks for doing this. I have a question for you. I had an SA phone interview last week and I was told by the interviewer that I'll be contacted by two of his colleagues for two more interviews. I still haven't heard from them yet. i know its the holidays and such, but I'm a little worried. Do the analysts or associates read all the resumes and choose which ones to interview? or Do they get a bunch of prescreened resumes from HR or smth and are required to contact them?

Also, do you think I should email my interviewer and try to get the contacts of his colleagues?

Thanks so much!

 

TMT in Asia is no longer up and coming. Sure lots of TMT stuff going on in Asia but it mainly involves just working with Taiwanese and some Korean clients.

For the most part, industrials is an extremely hot and busy sector particularly in China and other EM countries like Indonesia, etc (along with power)

As to the other question, HR pre screens resumes and they make a book which they then give to bankers to pick out / flag the ones they like. (Each one gets like 3-5 to pick out) and then they make an interview list and ask bankers to talk to them

You should relax - no one is at their desk this week and even if they were, the last thing they want to do is interview a college kid - enjoy the holidays and don't worry too much

 

They're all run out of headquarters.

Specialist offices for Nat Res will be in 1) Houston 2) Calgary 3) MAYBE somewhere in Europe

Specialist offices for TMT 1) Menlo Park

Specialist offices for industrials / basic goods 1) Chicago

Everything else will be run out of the headquarters but the regional offices will also do some regional coverage

 

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"What we can, we must; and because we can, we must"
 

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