Currently a student in a university program with access to terminals, and will have access for roughly another two years. How common (or uncommon) is it to network via terminals? Is using this comm. channel as opposed to LinkedIn and email appropriate, and would it have any measurable effect? Any stories or example of this? Looking to differentiate.
21 Dec 2020
Hi, hoping to see if anyone has insight or access to information that sheds insight on the top healthcare groups on the street? Are there certain firms that outperform in this area over others? I understand there are various verticals and sectors in Healthcare and some firms may outperform others in that particular area but was hoping to see overall wise, which firms would be the strongest in the Healthcare space for an overall healthcare investment banking experience. From research and previous threads it seems top groups HC overall: BB: 1.) GS/JPM 2.) Barclays/BAML 3.) Citi 4.) MS 5.) CS 6.)
02 Jun 2020
I have heard mixed thoughts on this from senior people. Some seem to say they don't care about your GPA once you have interned at a firm/got the job...and it should not be included on your resume after you graduate...some say it should be included on your resume after you graduate? There is no requirement from the firm saying you need to list your GPA on your resume after you got the job. This probably isn't that big of a deal but once you graduate should you just take your GPA off your resume and just list your degree and honors / cum laude/honors/deans list/societies whatever applicable etc
03 Jun 2020
I applied for several off-cycle internships at BBs at one of their regional offices (think France/Italy/Spain/Netherlands/Germany). If I get an interview, is this typically conducted in English or in the regional language? It is a global bank, the business language is English, fluency in the local language is required but I want to know if the interviews will also be in that language or rather just in English. I am fluent in the regional language where I applied, just asking so I can be better prepared. If anyone has experience interviewing at regional European BB/EB offices, I appreciate your
24 Sep 2020
Just wondering if anyone has any advice as to what a junior trader resume should look like? Currently have 1yr trading intraday FX risk at a BB, and was wondering some things that people have written about as a junior. Of course, it all comes down to individual experience, but was wondering if it is worthwhile to talk about specific days with outsized returns? Or just talk about general day-to-day trading that occured?
09 Sep 2020
I'm in the pre-MBA stage of my career and currently working for a T2 Strategy Consulting firm. As the title suggests, I am hoping to get perspectives about how feasible it would be for me to recruit for Banking and Consulting at the same time during MBA recruiting. I would also welcome any general advice about my situation. Investment Banking is far and away my first choice, and I would be willing to devote much more focus to IB recruiting than consulting, the latter of which I think could be done successfully with less effort given my background. That said, I want to be realistic about my
09 May 2020
Former Leveraged Finance / DCM Analyst -> Associate at a BB, left before COVID (thank goodness or else I then would literally have no soul). Here to help those that are looking to get some inside detail in the job role, what you actually learn, and what you need to know during interviews. Really glad I was part of a product group vs industry, as I was actually able to help finance a VERY broad group of industry agnostic deals (gaming, tech, healthcare, industrials, CPG, etc). Pretty much all except for RE. Looking to improve a self-help tutorial online that a colleague and I also created to
20 May 2020
SPACs seem to be the hot topic of the month. Which banks have the strongest SPAC franchises and who do you see maintaining that lead moving forward
30 Jul 2020
Hi everybody, I am going to be interning at a BB in AM/WM this summer and was wondering what the typical hours are like. I live in Queens when I am not at University so I am contemplating if it is worth it or not to get a place in the city
03 Feb 2020
We had an info session with a BB at our school yesterday and I wanted to know how y'all go about following up and staying in touch with higher-level folks that y'all talked to. Usually, with analysts and associates, it's pretty easy as I just ask them to get on a call or I ask them if they can connect me with someone else to talk to (if I feel like I had established a sufficient connection through talking to them the first time in the info session/coffee chat). I had a good conversation with a VP yesterday and wasn't sure if it's appropriate to ask him to get on a call with me or connect me to
06 Mar 2020
Deciding where to sign a full-time IB offer--choosing between an EB and a top BB (GS / MS). My end-goal is MF PE. I go to a non-target. I SA'd at the EB--which has a a mediocre track-record of sending analysts to MFs--and ended the summer on great terms and would be walking into full-time with great relationships with senior bankers who would likely be willing to make calls for me. Compare that to the BB, which has a superior brand name, but at which I have no existing relationships. I'd be relying solely on the brand name (which would be offset somewhat by my non-target degree) for PE
14 Aug 2019
I'm a recent finance graduate from a "non-target" with a 4.0 GPA. I've had a WM internship at a BB in NYC and also worked part time at my school's endowment fund doing ER for the portfolio. I was the only person at the WM internship to get a return offer, which I turned down because I knew I wanted to pursue research roles. For the last year, I applied to any relevant job posting that didn't require experience and got 3 interviews (a boutique HF, a MM FoF and a top consulting firm (MBB). In each scenario, I was able to make it to the final round and was passed up. Feedback said I was a perfect
30 Sep 2019
Everyone is always so concerned about group prestige and firm prestige, this seems to stem largely from an eagerness to move over to the buy-side and get into a top firm/MF etc... If you are an individual who wants to stay in banking when does your firm and group "prestige" on the street start to matter in regard to compensation? I.e. if you are a VP at a BB in a lower performing M&A group versus a VP at the same BB or a different BB in a higher performing M&A group in regard to larger aggregate deal amount and "clout" and "prestige" - does this mean that the "better" M&A group is compensating
01 Jun 2020
Hi, I'm currently doing an intership at a boutique with high probabilities to turn into a full time analyst position. And I'm in the recruitment process for an internship at a BB with no secured full time offer at the end of the internship. I would like to hear your opinions on what would you do if the BB makes an offer?
01 Dec 2020
Currently second year at a tier 1 BB in Europe in IBD (generalist, mostly M&A and pieces of ECM/DCM). While PE used to be favored exit opp coming into the job, I feel like this has changed quite a bit after having run processes with them in either side and having seen the kind of lifestyle these guys have (with BB-like hours and regular weekend work). I also hate that all their buying and selling is bound to lengthy M&A processes rather than being able to also act short-term and opportunistic when the environment is supportive/mispriced. Now trying to get some more background on the HF
27 Oct 2019
Curious to hear where you guys went after your experience on the trading floor. This would be incredibly helpful for us younger folks in the industry! Undergrad Major: Years on Trading Floor: S&T Desk Role & Position: Where you are now: Salary/Comp: Any Advice?:
27 Nov 2020
There's been a lot posted on the subject for analyst but not associates. Are you better off going to a Bb or mm post-mba? Will exit ops differ in any way? Do the hours vary? Can anyone share their experience?
19 Nov 2020
Hey guys, I took an extra semester and will be graduating in December with a full-time offer at a BB in their markets division starting in July 2021. Pre-covid (and even still considering with fewer cases in August) I was planning on using the time from Dec-July to travel and have fun before starting work, but I really do not think that is feasible now. To make a long and dragged-out post short, should I ask my job to start early because covid is ramping back up?
19 Nov 2020
I've seen many, many threads on lateral hiring, but still I feel I don't know much. I'm interested in London. I hope there are some people who actually conduct lateral interviews, and they could offer some guidance. What questions would you ask a candidate like me (with huge exp)? 6-month long internship at one of the BBs (UBS/DB/BarCap), in June started FT (M&A) at a top MM (Jeff/Lincoln/HL) in Continental Europe. Graduated top of the class from a German target (international student). Have experience across 6 live deals (mostly chemicals and healthcare) - DCFs, merger models, created many
05 Nov 2020
I know this site obsesses over GS/JPM/MS a lot, but how much "better" are they compared to other BBs (C/CS/BARC/BAML/UBS/DB) on the street regarding (1) culture (2) workload (3) pay (4) structure? Is the difference just blown out of proportion on this site, or are the banks actually a lot more similar than people like to describe? I've heard mixed reviews, where some say it's night and day, others who say most banks give similar experiences. Minus prestige, are "lower-tier" banks really that different from "mid-tier" and "top" banks? Would love to hear from anyone who has experienced both
25 Oct 2020
I looked at some employment reports of top 15 bschools during 2012-2017 and this seems to be the trend. For example, Columbia, a finance powerhouse, had 55 graduates heading over to McKinsey in 2017, while that figure for Goldman Sachs was only 8! The top 5 recruiters in 2017 were McKinsey, BCG, Bain, Amazon, and Deloitte. In fact, across top 15 bschools, the percentage of MBAs who went to IB in 2017 is only 5-10%; for consulting it is 20-30%. Now, I understand that: 1. Maybe half or more of those heading to MBB had their MBA sponsored -> they were just coming back 2. BB IBs get most of their
16 Sep 2018
Starting as an EB SA in June. Looking to jump to a top BB group for full-time (GS TMT, MS M&A). Is there anything I can do over the next ~month to make myself look better on paper for full-time recruiting? I've been racking my brain and can't seem to come up with anything, but figured one of you guys might have an idea.
16 May 2019
Hey all. I am currently a first year credit analyst working at a BB. I went to a huge state school and graduated top of my class. I've been trying to break into Investment Banking for about three years now. In an effort to rebrand, I have decided to pursue a Masters in Finance. So far, I have been accepted into a handful of programs, including Oxford's Masters in Financial Economics. I am still waiting to hear back from MIT's Masters in Finance. I would really like to work in M&A at a Boutique Investment Bank and would prefer to be in Los Angeles, CA. I feel as if I'm all over the place. My
08 Mar 2020
Hi all, This has been something that I've been wondering for a while. If a VP at a top BB or EB like GS / MS or EVR / PJT / CVP, and they've grinded up since 1st year analyst, do you guys still think it'd be near impossible for them to find a decent PE role as a senior associate at a 1~3bn PE fund? They'd be taking at least 1~2 years of pay cut and seniority cut, esp at an EB, but have 6+ years of solid transaction experience albeit not PE, competing with presumably 2+2 candidates if there's an opening. Outside of if it's worth it for the VP or not, do you still think this is a once in a blue
17 Sep 2020
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08 Sep 2019
It seems like UBS is an ongoing joke on this forum for being known as "the worst" of the bulge bracket investment banks but I have always wondered why? I talked to a lawyer at a major M&A law firm and he even he knew how bad their rep is amongst bankers. We talked about different banks and he said "U Be Stupid" had become the unofficial nickname for ubs at his law firm. Why Does UBS Suck? UBS doesn't suck. It is a smaller bank that was negatively impacted by the financial crisis. Additionally, the bank is focusing on PWM which effects the prestige level of the bank for people in the industry.
01 Mar 2018
Was hoping people could lend some insight into these three firms. I would be looking to do M&A at UBS/Gugg or RX at Rothschild. Specifically, what are the exit ops like from the three places, I want to eventually do PE and want to know which would give me the best chance to end up at a good firm. (All NYC)
08 May 2018
I am using a throw-away account for this post. I have been meaning to do a post to tell my story for a couple of years now, and finally am following through with it. It is my hope that fellow students and analysts will gain some insight and perspective from my experience. Background: I had always wanted to work in finance, since I was 14 I was looking at stocks and reading about investing. During my time in high school, while most of my friends were socializing during our open periods, I would be in the computer lab listening in to company conference calls. (just to give a background, I was
10 Feb 2018
For many, institutional sales offers the best of all worlds: great pay, fewer hours than in corporate finance or research, less stress than in trading, and a nice blend of travel and office work. Like traders, the hours typically follow the market, with a few tacked on at the end of the day after the market closes. Another plus for talented salespeople is that they develop relationships with key money managers. On the downside, many institutional salespeople complain that many buy-siders disregard their calls, that compensation can exhibit volatile mood swings, that they are overeducated for
13 Mar 2018
I had a signed contract with a major bank in the UK. 3 weeks after the graduation they inform me that I wasn't able to get a work visa hence the offer got withdrawn. I tried to see a possibility of being transferred to another country or simply asking for a deferral of the contract for a year in hopes of some changes in immigration policies ( i applied for a graduate scheme, very common in Europe), however the company was very vague about it and simply told me that they couldn't do anything at this point and said to keep it touch ( nice way for fuck off I guess). So what do I do now? I am an
25 Jun 2018
Be straight with me guys, regarding SUMMER ANALYST POSITIONS IN NYC OFFICES: -Do background checks actually have access to and check GPA? Doesn't FERPA prevent any sort of request from seeing personal info i.e. GPA? Aren't these checks just to comfirm enrollment and graduation year? -BB people, does HR ask for unofficial or official transcript? Edit: state your BB or at least one that it is not Edit 2: I have the minimum GPA, I just inflated a bit
03 Apr 2018
Hi, I'm a cegep (18) student who's trying to get into McGill and then the Honours Investment program? Worth it? I've seen a lot say that Ivey is THE target school but also lately also heard that if you get into the HIM that you're practically set to break in to BB (many alumnis lately are always in jp, goldman, big 5)
18 Apr 2018
Now that Evercore's M&A NYC Analyst class is getting bigger (~50 Analysts) and they are placing Analysts into groups earlier - I was wondering what the top groups at Evercore are considered to be? I'm interested from a deal flow perspective, prestige perspective, and best exit opportunities into PE mega-funds (Blackstone, Apollo, KKR, Warburg, Carlyle, Bain, TPG). Specifically for NYC and specifically for M&A.
23 Aug 2019
Questions for the veteran guys and gals here - does working at a MM IB (50-300M EV) that focuses M&A advisory to privately-held companies pigeon-hole you in any terms? In other words, does lack of public sector experience disqualify you from lateraling to a BB or EB further down the road? I assume it might help with MM PE but only a guess.
13 Feb 2019
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27 Apr 2017
Hey guys, I'm in a bit of a tight spot, and could use some advice. I'm a rising junior at a non-target unranked state school and this past summer I managed to get an internship as a summer analyst at a private equity firm. Fortunately, I knocked it out of the park, and even though they weren't looking to hire, I was able to leverage the connections / recommendations for an internship at a boutique this coming summer. If all goes well, that internship will turn into a full-time offer. My dilemma is that I applied to transfer to a few schools, and was offered delayed admission to an Ivy & as
16 Aug 2017
Hi guys, I go to a school that is ranked 45-40. I have had two real estate internships and I want to break into banking. I went from a 2.87 gpa for my first 2 years to 3.27 gpa that I round to a 3.3 on my resume. I am not qualified enough for an analyst position realistically, even though I am very knowledgeable about financial markets, corporate finance, and financial products. I'm trying to find a job that I could have at a bank for 1-1.5 years and work on my cfa to pivot to an analyst role in NY. Also, I have a strong personal connection with a pretty high up employee at a particular bank
25 Mar 2018
I am an SA at a BB. My MD and one of the VPs love to ask really direct questions. I want to try accelerated recruiting for FT. If the MD or VP asks during my SA (before my return offer decision has been made) whether I am talking to other banks, what should I rationally say?
27 Jan 2017
Hi All, I'm a few days from starting my summer internship with a BB. However, I was recently informed that because a relative works for the technology department within markets at the same BB, they have given approval for me to work in the summer since it's temporary but would not approve me for a full time position. I received my offer well over 6 months ago and it was between the time I signed and now that my relative started which is why it wasn't a problem when I signed. Essentially, I turned down two other SA offers to come to this BB for the FT prospects and now I'm being told (before my
17 May 2018
Is this suit too dark for a work suit? Would appreciate it if you can check out the link below https://www.saksoff5th.com/main/ProductDetail.jsp…
24 Nov 2017
All, I am doing this because I haven't found a thread like this on WSO. I am curious as to everyone's most absurd ib interview questions that they have been asked, and their answer. Funny, intense, irrelevant, etc... I am not looking for the usual: "How many ping pong balls can fit in a 747?", everyone has heard that. I want questions you've been asked personally, not friends of friends, cause that's all BS. Also, I kid you not I was asked the following, no BS: I only have one, but here we go, follow my lead: Question: "If you were stuck in an elevator, with no way to get out, and every 30
31 Jul 2016
Hey guys, so I've recently landed a position at a BB, however realised i made a mistake on dates for one of my positions. I have 6 proper internships on my CV (all fine), however at the end of my CV is a casual uni student ambassador position which has incorrect dates. It lists (xxx 2015 - Present) when, (found out today) my employment was terminated as at Jan 2017. Have a couple of questions on this: - Would this impact my offer? - What is the best course of action to deal with this? - Given I have had heaps of internships and that this position is a casual uni pos, would i even list this on
13 Aug 2017
Hey monkeys, a quick, classic and evolving question about CICC vs BB IBD. I'm from mainland and now a master student at a top 5 US university on the west coast. Received IBD SA offers from Morgan Stanley (generalist), CICC (M&A) and 2 other second-tier BBs. I plan to work in Chinese capital market in the long term and seriously consider to transfer to buyside in 3-5 years. Wonder what's the reputation of CICC against BBs now? Chinese IBs seem to have a strong presence on the league table. Even in M&A market, CICC beats GS and MS in 2016. Any insight in terms of pay, hours, long-term career
30 May 2017
One big concern with satellite offices is that they tend to be outsourced labor shops for NYC. This tends to be the case with the bulges. Could you guys provide some insight to these Chicago offices?
21 May 2017
What's up folks- I recently became a poster here from a lurker dating back a year ago. I really wanted to share this with you guys to get your thoughts. Forgive me for the length, but writing this all out actually felt really good and I think it will really help paint the picture. Recently, I had an interview for a FT Analyst spot at a BB (MS/JPM/GS/Citi). I'm a non-target so I landed it by studying sites like WSO/M&I and it was my first regular interview for a true IBD firm. I was excited and committed early to doing everything right to be prepared. I had reached out to a number of analysts
15 May 2016
Interning in BB IB this summer from a non target in top 3 healthcare group. With sluggish deal flow this year and a looming recession, will there be less full time offers given out? Healthcare seems to be the hottest sector which is good but it's still not on par with last year. I plan on working really hard to secure a full time offer and I know I shouldn't focus on things out of my control but I can't help but wonder. Thoughts?
14 May 2016
As an international non-US work authorization and trying to break into banking, which of the three full time MBA programs has the best on-campus opportunities and alumni network to score a BB banking job? Please share your experience and any numbers comparing the programs.
25 Aug 2018
So I have a interview coming up for PWM at a BB and I would like to know how technical the interview questions will get. From what I understand, PWM mostly focuses on fit questions and less on technical, but I am still unsure on what to prepare for. Any info you may have would be greatly appreciated.
24 Aug 2017
I am interested in a Capital Management Analyst role at a BB that is centered around risk weighting assets for the purpose of Basel III. Can anyone provide any insight on this role? From my understanding, it seems like they support the more glamorous forecasting / analysis roles within treasury. Is this pretty much all reporting or is there some modeling / analysis that you would be able to build and take elsewhere? * The candidate will join a dynamic environment that offers numerous opportunities to learn, grow, impact and drive changes for the Company. In particular, the candidate will: -
21 Jul 2017
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