london

hello, i have created a whatsapp group chat for people looking for internships in summer 2021, it will be useful to share some information on the different application processes. Send me a pm or put your number if you would like to join and i will add you.

17 Aug 2020

Open to questions of any nature related to Investment Banking / Advisory fields as well as general finance industry. Background: - BS in Mathematics (Russia) - MA in Economics (Russia) - 6 months in leading Russian, state-owned investment bank - 8 years in European Bulge Bracket bank, including first year in Russia followed by internal transfer to London - Focus on clients in Industrials and Natural Resources sector - Broad experience across the key Investment Banking products (sell-side / buy-side M&A, large public take-overs, IPO / Follow-ons, LBO / Leveraged Finance) Please feel free to ask

30 Jul 2020

Hi all - has anyone here ever moved from The US to London for a job transfer? I have the possibility of doing so, and was curious what people's experience was like. What were the pros and cons? What was your favorite part about moving, what did you miss the most or hate? How is living in London different than living in a city like NY? How annoying was it to deal with the actual move? Where did you end up moving? How did you deal with taxes as a US citizen living in the UK? Anything else that you think would be relevant would be great to discuss!

22 Jul 2020

Hi, I'm studying [non-finance] at a UK target (think Oxbridge/Imperial/LSE) currently in the process of applying for SA 2021. I know that networking is definitely a thing in the US but I've received mixed advice about its role in the UK, both on here and in real life. Assuming I don't really know anyone above former SAs, how crucial is it for me to network and how should I go about it (not sure current analysts/associates/VPs I can cold-message on linkedin will mark me to HR by themselves even if I manage to get a call with them)? Also, if it matters, I'm going to be a finalist in October so I

31 Aug 2020

Hi, I'm applying to 2021 Summer Analyst IBD and AM roles in London soon, and would greatly appreciate any feedback for my resume/CV. Feel free to roast me I'll appreciate it all! https://imgur.com/a/jeeS8RP

08 Aug 2020

Hey guys, i graduated last summer from a mediocre uni in Germany (in business and economics) and moved to the UK to pursue my dream job of being a pokerplayer. I started playing while being in school, therefore i played during my studies and because i have been making decent money of it i never wanted to do an internship or work in a regular job after finishing. For several reasons (while still having decent results in poker) this changed after moving to the UK pretty quickly and i started to look for internships in banking as it is the subject i picked all my electives in and found most

26 Aug 2020

I'm going to apply for S&T and prop trading intern positions. I would like to know if it's good enough to land some interviews.

31 Jul 2020

Hi everyone, Just wanted to get some insights/opinions/insider information on: - When are bankers returning to the office? - How long is WFH going to last? I think many incoming analysts and/or junior level bankers would like to get at least an idea. Thanks a lot!

02 Jun 2020

hey chaps, so i am getting a new apartment in London and it is a pretty slick place. However i wanted to make it even more "fuck you" by adding an inflatable or non inflatable jacuzzi in the terrace. so that during the summer months i can take along the raunchy chicks i pick up from scotch of st james for a wet afterparty. wondered if you guys came across any specific good models for this. also what are your top items / suggestions for "fuck you" apartment statements? Apart from a ridiculous sound system or "fuck you" art. cheers

04 Apr 2020

Wise souls of WSO - I need some advice! I've been working as an IBD analyst at a BB in London for 18 months. I am deciding whether to take an offer for the in-house corp dev / finance team at a big tech unicorn or continue recruiting for PE (in the early stages of several processes, but no concrete offers yet). On the one hand, the tech job would likely be fun / exciting and provide a broader set of experience on the strategic and operational side that would be interesting. On the other hand, my long-term ambition is still to become an investor. I would view the tech role as an interesting

02 Dec 2020

I am currently considering moving to the UK for IB (No need for a Visa). What is the equivalent of the FINRA exams in the US? Would I need to take the exams again? Does the UK need exams at all?

04 Sep 2020

I am giving serious consideration to requesting an internal transfer to my group's London office and would appreciate some takes and advice from people who have made a similar move. My background: I was an analyst to associate promote at a MM bank and have spent my career in one coverage group. I'm in my early thirties, married and no kids. Have been in NYC for 15+ years and while I love the city, living abroad for the short-medium term has always been something that strongly appealed to me. My wife is in tech and therefore able to work remotely from anywhere. I feel as though this is my

25 May 2020

I'm an international student (India) , looking to break into IB after undergraduate. I'm looking for genuine advice for course and university prospects. I am considering LSE, Warwick, and Oxbridge(if I get in), how are the recruitment prospects there? and what course( In which uni) would help me get my foot in the door at least. I've heard that mathematics program at LSE is shit, only their economics is good, and how is MORSE for Warwick. any other suggestions are welcomed too, [universities in USA, are a bit too expensive and getting admission is too holistic there(I have minimal EC), but

26 Aug 2020

I am currently and experimental nanotechnology scientist at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia. My educational background includes a PhD in Materials Science from Imperial College London. I am looking at doing an MBA with the aim of transitioning into investment banking in London, and maybe later moving to Continental Europe. I would like to ask the following: i. Which business schools should I aim for ? ii. Would my PhD hinter my chances of getting accepted into IB ? Or would I be able to leverage my knowledge to be considered for a semiconductor industry

22 Apr 2020

Alright monkeys. I was recently offered an FT grad role in Lloyds Bank's Commercial Bank in London. Having had a look through previous posts on the board, I couldn't find much in the way of discussion about people's experience working in the Bank or the general view of Lloyds from the rest of the industry. Anyone have any experience and/or an opinion of Lloyds? Are they a good bank? Would it be worth joining?

23 Dec 2019

Does anyone know why most Investment Banks have not opened their processes for SA, FT and Off-Cycle internships this year yet? I've been checking the websites out, and only GS has opened their processes. Usually banks in London open their applications in July or August, but JPM, BoA, Barclays and many more do not offer anything. Is this because COVID-19 or otherwise these banks don't plan to recruit any student this year?

20 Aug 2020

Dear monkeys and apes, I'd love to read your opinions. I've already applied for the MIF at these two schools (no results yet) and that got me wondering as to how exactly does the MIM at HEC/ESSEC fit into the usual rankings that one can find on this site (can't link them, new user). Bocconi is another university that I'm aiming for, but I will only apply for the MIF, since their MIM doesn't hold the same reputation from what I've come to understand. I read somewhere on WSO that HEC MIM is the school's flagship program and it might even be better than MIF for Paris. My French, however, is rusty

21 Jan 2021

Hi all - I was wondering if somebody had any insights on Stephens vs. Canaccord Genuity, in particular their M&A teams? A friend recently asked me about them and I was looking for info but it's hard to find so I thought I'll post it here since I'm currently considering for either of them. I think from an outside view both of them are really interesting. I also noticed that seems to have Stephens a better footprint in Europe and all the people Canaccord acquired with Hawkpoint moved to Stephens once they shut down their family office. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and input.

20 Jan 2021

Hi everyone, I will be moving to London to continue my IBD analyst stint, coming from the US. Any neighborhoods would you recommend? Looking for a neighborhood that would be great for singles/young professionals, has lots of culture, not too pricey, visually appealing. An added bonus would be parking but that is not a dealbreaker. Please do let me know, and of any other advice for people making the London move.

09 Jan 2021

Hello, after having read some comments on WSO and saw some rankings I have come up with a target school ranking for European students wanting to break into IBD in London.. Tier 1: LBS, INSEAD, LSE, Oxbridge, LSE and HEC, Imperial Tier 2: UCL, ESADE, ESSEC, ESCP, Paris Dauphine, IE, IMD and St Gallen Tier 3: EMLyon, EDHEC, IESE, Warwick, Cass, Rotterdam Maybe someone could give their opinion about this ranking? What needs to be added/moved? Also, how do these schools rank in their given tier?

03 Sep 2019

Hello everyone, I hope you are all having a good holiday season. I am stuck in a dilemma regarding the next step in my career, I am really hoping some insight from you guys will be helpful. I am currently working as a Data Analyst with The Economist Group, where I work on forecasting models. I have recently been offered a role with PwC's transaction advisory service. I want to move into Investment Banking going forward, I don't know which job role will take me towards IB. PwC is a big name in finance, but analytics is also an up and coming field that is more futuristic. Should I leave The

25 Dec 2020

accepted an offer to join blackrock as an intern in london next summer....haven't seen any other posts for london interns so would be interested to know who else will be joining/what prep people are doing/what part of london to stay in

24 Dec 2020

I recently was accepted into the ESCP Business School Masters in Real Estate (currently ranked #3 in the world by QS) and Cass Business School's Master in Real Estate Investment. My long term goal is to work for a global REPE firm in London, but am having a tough time deciding which is the better choice. ESCP is ranked much higher in the global rankings, and the program itself is spread between Madrid and London. Although Cass doesn't seem to rank very highly, it has an incredibly impressive alumni presence in London. Any ideas on which would lead to better opportunities? Thanks!

24 Dec 2020

Hi all, Want to keep this short: interviewed with a BB 5 months ago. did 12 interviews (2 people per interview, met the whole team). And then got the news I would receive an offer, but at the last check with HR the headcount was cancelled. Was told that when new headcount would be available i'd get an offer, but it has been 5 months. Have had some contact since then and the news was unfortunately negative regarding the headcount. This really would be the ideal bank/team/opportunity for me so would love to hear anyone who has had similar experiences, as I am about to receive another offer which

14 Dec 2019

I'm in my second year studying Maths at a Target Uni in the UK and I need advice in which one of these two internships to go for: The first internship is in the Markets Division (Cross-Asset) at a Tier 3 Investment Bank in London. The second internship is as a Trading Intern at a high-frequency trading firm in Amsterdam. I'm really looking for something that's going to be more quantitative/mathsy and so it'll make sense for me to choose the second over the first, however there's a few things holding me back. Firstly, because the first bank set an exploding deadline, I've already had to accept

12 Dec 2020

Hey! I was wondering which bank in London has the best office? (view, decoration, placement, perks for employees)

31 Aug 2019

I am interviewing for the position of a CLO analyst in London soon. Can someone who has gone through the process give a few pointers as to what I should expect in terms of questions (e.g. LBO technicals, documentation, pitch me a credit idea) and general structure (e.g. fit/technical, case study, modelling) etc.? Any colour would be much appreciated!

17 Feb 2020

Hey guys. Wondering if a BB may drug test me as a new analyst starting in the summer in london?? If this does occur, what form will the test likely test? A hair test is the only one which could cause me any issues. Looking for London based info! Any help much appreciated ... looking to find out just how much I can enjoy my final summer off before the big bad world of work

19 Apr 2019

Here is a summary of Investment Banking in London. ###Strongest Banks: In Europe, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley are traditionally the strongest banks that get the most high profile transactions. They are followed by the 'Elite Twins in London' Lazard and Rothschild and the remaining 'big five' US banks - JPM, BAML and Citi. These top 7 banks in Europe are followed by Credit Suisse which proved to be particularly strong recently and the rest of the bulge bracket banks. Difference with the US league tables is surprisingly weaker Barclays and certain Elite Boutiques and much stronger

03 Feb 2019

Hi guys, Just wanted to ask - would having three IB internship experiences look bad on your CV, especially when aiming for IBD Summer Analyst positions (in London)? I'm currently doing a gap year in my home country after finishing my undergraduate degree somewhere in continental Europe, and will be doing my 3rd IBD internship this year. I'm doing this gap year before joining a top tier Masters in Finance and have done two internships at two separate multinational banks (e.g. SocGen, HSBC, etc.) and now another one at an EB (e.g. Lazard, Rothschild, etc.). I am aiming for BB SA positions in

25 Apr 2019

Hello, after having discovered WSO a few weeks ago, I have come to realize that there is no comprehensive list of European target schools for Investment banking... Could someone kindly provide us with a list (featuring targets, semi-targets and tiers in each category)? I think it would help many European students as there is a lot of talk about US targets but not much for Europe (which is understandable, WSO having more members living in USA).

02 Sep 2019

Hi everyone, curious to know how Lincoln International is positioned in Europe, more specifically London (and also the Benelux). Main points of interest here are: 1. Culture 2. Comp 3. Strongest groups and their deal flow 4. Exits or lateraling opportunities to EB/BB Compared to players like William Blair, Houlihan Lokey, Raymond James, Stifel, etc. If anyone can shed some light upon these subjects, I would highly appreciate this! Thank you

21 Nov 2020

Hi everyone, Trying to gauge BAML's best groups in London. Anyone have any idea's on their top 3 groups? Thanks

02 Jun 2019

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

Hi European monkies, Got 2 ACs from 2 (I-don't-really-like) BB, and now still waiting for other results to come out as some of my friends have gotten some offers/rejections. Also so tired of just waiting as the spots are being filled up. Do you think it would be a good idea to write directly to HR/whoever related (I have the contact) to leverage an acceleration of interview/AC? Will it be seen super bad or is it fine?

22 Oct 2020

I go to a target and am a first year in uni. I'm applying to spring weeks so by the end of the week should I hand in all my spring week applications? My career office says hand them in before the deadline but the deadlines are in November.

20 Oct 2020

Hi guys. I realise there is very little discussion about the London Mega Fund PE Recruitment market so I started this thread. I am personally looking to move to a mega fund and focus on infrastructure investment. Anyone knows any good head hunter that help recruit for Mega Funds in London? All London peeps, let's keep this thread going.

15 Oct 2020

I applied to 4 elite boutiques in London, for which all initial screening processes are handled by third-party recruiters. How can I stand out in my application or/and in the first round phone interviews?

14 Oct 2020

Hello! I've got a question for those working in London. From which business schools or universities do the French bankers come from? I know the 3 main ones are HEC/ESSEC/ESCP but I was wondering if there is any other that I haven't heard about. Maybe you could provide me with a little ranking ;)

26 Aug 2019

Hey! I was wondering if you knew any French people working in London, Hong-Kong or NYC...how did they get there and what schools did they go through

25 Aug 2019

Does anybody know where they are with recruitment ? I've heard 1st rounds are out but not sure if they've rejected post tests.

06 Oct 2020

Hi all, Since I haven't found any threads on this topic, I decided to create this instead. Has anyone heard back after submitting their application for Arma's Graduate Internship in London? Deadline was on Sunday and they said they will reach out to succesful candidates during mid-february. If anynone has any intel please feel free to share. This is a very important opportunity for me

19 Feb 2019

Hello everyone, with interviews being accelerated in the US I was wondering how the situation is looking in London. Are the SA / FT applications going to open around the same time they traditionally do?

18 Apr 2018

I've secured an S&T role at a BB in NYC, but when I was applying last year, I was flirting with the prospect of living in London - I grew up there and it's my favorite city in the world. I was able to get this position in NYC by heavily using my alumni network (The University of Chicago), and ended up securing the role. There were two primary reasons why I didn't want to work in London - I heard from a lot of people that the comp was much lower because UK comp is generalized to be lower than that of the U.S., they're the most generous with bonuses in NYC especially considering that's where HQ

09 Feb 2019

Saw a similar thread for traders. Wanted to see what everyone's thoughts are on IB in London. I myself can confirm hiring freeze at two Bulge Brackets.

31 May 2019

I will probably be gunning for a lateral next year for an A2 to London. Particularly interested in the top EBs, namely PWP, Greenhill, Moelis (probably Centerview & Lazard are completely out of my league but would like to try as well). Background: non-diversity, semi-target (Bocconi/St Gallen/WHU) with top GPA, good brand name exp (incl. BB/EB FO). Will have 4+ deals (€0.2-2bn range) under my belt with full-process exposure. Should I spend time talking to HHs or just try to get some insiders to jump on a call (what level, probably Asso/VP?). Heard most laterals were referred, true or not? What

30 Aug 2020

I am in a recruitment process for a Junior analyst position in M&A at Valtari in the London office. Does anyone know how it the culture, the salaries, the hours and the deal flow at Valtari in London. I reckon I know between very little and nothing about the company. Thanks.

17 Aug 2020

First time poster - just trying to get some good advice on where would be a better place to start a career within IBD in London specifically. Holding offers from both for their Spring Programme for University students. I know very early days but they clash so have to make a decision. Interested in Summer Analyst / Analyst experience at each and breadth of exit opportunities. Not too worried about pay or relative 'rankings.' Thanks very much any opinions really appreciated.

15 Jan 2019

Hello, dear. I am an East Asian student who is going to attend the MSc Applied Economics PGT at Bath University (Social Science Faculty, not Management School). My dream job is the FO/MO in IB/PE/VC in London. But I am not sure is it enough. Should I get one more Master's Degree in a more famous Business School? Other info: Bachelor of Economics(Top 300 of the world, Top 10 of China); 4 year's audit experience in Big 4, Many IPO & M&A projects in China. My worry: 1. Ranking: The world ranking of Bath is not good enough, though its reputation in the UK is respectable. 2. Major & Faculty: My

26 Jul 2020

Hi guys, If you were admitted to the MFin program at IE Business School in Madrid with a 50% scholarship and to the MFA program at London Business School with no scholarship, which one would you choose and why? (EU citizen, career plans in asset management preferably in UK, later maybe US/Canada)

15 Oct 2019