Grand Detail List for SA Recruiting

SA recruiting seems far, nonetheless it is fast approaching. I think it would be great if we can compile a grand list of firms and their general non-finance attributues.

Goldman: Business casual - Very tough background checks (hs gpa, SATs, previous employers called, college transcripts needed) - i know 3 people who SAed at goldman and none are returning despite FT offers due to the culture

Lehman: Business formal - SATs on resume, transcript needed the first day of SA - 2 w/ FT offers are returning

Citi: Business casual - Light background check (somebody told me they dont ask for transcripts) - 1 with FT offer is returning

Merrrill: B cas - light background check ( no transcripts requried) - 3 with FT offers and 2 are returning

30 Comments
 
interestedguywhat exactly is this Goldman culture that is so off putting? Are they really type-A personality, super anal etc, or is it something else?

Everyone in the firm is rude/arrogant, even if they work in a crappy division like pwm or HR. They have one of the lowest offer rates for SAs.

Most people I know who work there are convinced that GS simply does not care about their experience at the firm.

 

GS does have fairly low offer rates for SAs, around 65-70% I believe.

Cannot disagree more with comments PoppingMyCollar. Everyone I have met at the firm has been very down to earth, especially those at the upper levels.

Regarding culture - I think the biggest differentiator with regard to GS is the emphasis senior management places on keeping the culture of the firm strong even as the company grows. So if you don't fit with the culture, it may be a difficult place to work. Whereas some other firms do not place as strong an emphasis on firmwide culture, making 'fit' more a a desk/group specific thing.

Hope that makes some sense, just my observations.

 

It's probably group by group, but GS definitely does not have one of the lowest offer rates. For example I know last year their industrial group made 10 offers to 11 summers and all 10 accepted. In contrast, my group (not GS, but BB) made only 50% offers (but were willing to give 100%...there just wasn't the level of talent). And another group on my floor gave 100%.

 
Best Response
BigDaveLaxSA recruiting seems far, nonetheless it is fast approaching. I think it would be great if we can compile a grand list of firms and their general non-finance attributues.

Goldman: Business casual - Very tough background checks (hs gpa, SATs, previous employers called, college transcripts needed) - i know 3 people who SAed at goldman and none are returning despite FT offers due to the culture

Lehman: Business formal - SATs on resume, transcript needed the first day of SA - 2 w/ FT offers are returning

Citi: Business casual - Light background check (somebody told me they dont ask for transcripts) - 1 with FT offer is returning

Merrrill: B cas - light background check ( no transcripts requried) - 3 with FT offers and 2 are returning

The summer just ended, in no way is SA recruiting "fast approaching." Superdays aren't until late february usually.

 

"GS does have fairly low offer rates for SAs, around 65-70% I believe."

That's incredibly low. Except in recessions and crash periods, when offer rates go near 0 because people are getting fired, most banks have summer offer rates around 90-95%, only cutting the really sorry performers (who've mostly left finance, mentally, anyway). In other words, a 70% offer rate means that there are 3-6 times as many lost summers.

 

In GS there are arrogant / rude people too, but not many, mostly recruited as a lateral with strong client relationships (from banks such as ML) which means $$$ for GS which conflicts with the general culture at GS which is of the down to earth, no arrogance person

What do the people who don't fit with GS or decide not to return to GS dislike about the GS culture? what aspects of the GS culture make them join other banks?

 
pezzonovanteCan anyone confirm that they check HS transcripts? What about other banks?

summered at JPM in London 2 yrs back, transcripts on the 1st day... most other places in London (the ones i know) get an agency to do it before your start...

 

Who cares if they check HS transcripts? Apply anyways. It isn't like you have a 5 bank limit and can't apply to all of them...

CompBanker’s Career Guidance Services: https://www.rossettiadvisors.com/
 

Ok. I can confirm ML does indeed check. My boy said he had to give permission through his school to release academic info. He did inflate from 2.9 to 3.2 and never got called out.

 
BigDaveLaxOk. I can confirm ML does indeed check. My boy said he had to give permission through his school to release academic info. He did inflate from 2.9 to 3.2 and never got called out.

LOL shut the FUCK up dan bush, everybody knows it's you

_______________________________________ http://www.drmarkklein.blogspot.com/
 
danbush is a XXX
BigDaveLaxOk. I can confirm ML does indeed check. My boy said he had to give permission through his school to release academic info. He did inflate from 2.9 to 3.2 and never got called out.

LOL shut the FUCK up dan bush, everybody knows it's you

Something tells me this guy doesn't like dan bush.

 

Why does everyone think they're checking HS transcripts? I took from posts that they were referring to college transcripts... and that certainly makes sense. High school possibly if you're going for some kind of Freshman/Sophomore thing and don't have enough grades on paper to have proved yourself yet.

 
Ballyho128Why does everyone think they're checking HS transcripts? I took from posts that they were referring to college transcripts... and that certainly makes sense. High school possibly if you're going for some kind of Freshman/Sophomore thing and don't have enough grades on paper to have proved yourself yet.

WHO CARES? The phrase "high school" should not even be in this thread. If they DO check hs transcripts, it is an entirely unimportant formality.

_______________________________________ http://www.drmarkklein.blogspot.com/
 

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