GOT AN SA OFFER!!! THANK YOU WSO

Hi Monkeys,

TheWSOcommunity has been such a help for me since my sophomore year when I learnt about investment banking and has been a huge support throughout my entire recruitment process. I've never done a post but the topics and resources that I have read have been fruitful. All of the networking advice, cold-emailing, interview preparation, and even reneging advice has been true for the most part.

因为我获得了一个机会,我想give back as much as I can by providing any advice and answering any questions (especially for the freshmen/sophomores that are prepping for next year) that I have learnt from my recruiting experience.

For me this really has been a dream come true for my career and I would be glad to provide any insights I can for any of you guys..

My background is semi-target, a few finance internships (one of them a regional boutique), decent GPA and will be joining as aIBSAat aBB.

Best,
coolbankers

Comments (32)

9y
Ambani, what's your opinion? Comment below:

Congratulations! Mind sharing your story?

"I do not think that there is any other quality so essential to success of any kind as the quality of perseverance. It overcomes almost everything, even nature."

9y
turtles, what's your opinion? Comment below:

How are people getting (apparently)FOoffers atBBsso late? Seriously.

Best Response
9y
hopingtobreakin, what's your opinion? Comment below:
turtles:

How are people getting (apparently)FOoffers atBBsso late? Seriously.

Three Points

1)谁说这是一个FOoffer?

2) It was never mentioned whether its a regional office or not.

3) It was never mentioned if the OP, "just" got the offer or has been sitting on it and just posted.

My hypothesis, its aBOorPWMoffer.

Edit: I re-read the last line "IBSAatBB". This has gotta be a stretch. Banks clasify many divisions under IB depending on the bank, no wayIBDat anyBBstill recruits this late.

9y
turtles, what's your opinion? Comment below:
km190:

Offers are still going out and will be for a few more weeks.

Dude, I posted that in May of last year. Little late to the party.
9y
theworks9, what's your opinion? Comment below:

恭喜coolbankers -你努力deserve.

The people on here are soo pathetic sometimes haha. Instead of congratulating the guy, you're over analyzing his post to determine whether or not hes "BSing" about receiving anIBSAjob - then questioning the quality of the job...smh

9y
bfin, what's your opinion? Comment below:
theworks9:

恭喜coolbankers -你努力deserve.

The people on here are soo pathetic sometimes haha. Instead of congratulating the guy, you're over analyzing his post to determine whether or not hes "BSing" about receiving anIBSAjob - then questioning the quality of the job...smh

This.

The answer to your question is 1) network 2) get involved 3) beef up your resume 4) repeat -happypantsmcgee

WSO is not your personal search function.

9y
coolbankers, what's your opinion? Comment below:

Hey guys sorry for the late reply. I've been sitting on this offer since end of march and just wanted to extend my help since ive appreciated the help from this site.

I got this offer quite late in the stage and attribute most of it too luck.. However it is in theirIBDgroup..

My story.. Got interested inIBafter freshman year. Did investment banking internship in my sophomore year. Relied heavily on networking to get in first rounds. Got into a few superdays and landed no offers in February. Than decided to get aMMwhich I did. Then got an email from aBBwho got my resume and was still looking for an intern early march. Recruited, interviewed and finally got the dream offer! Reneged myMMright after I signed my offer. Let me know if u have any others

  • 2
9y
turtles, what's your opinion? Comment below:
coolbankers:

Hey guys sorry for the late reply. I've been sitting on this offer since end of march and just wanted to extend my help since ive appreciated the help from this site.

I got this offer quite late in the stage and attribute most of it too luck.. However it is in theirIBDgroup..

My story.. Got interested inIBafter freshman year. Did investment banking internship in my sophomore year. Relied heavily on networking to get in first rounds. Got into a few superdays and landed no offers in February. Than decided to get aMMwhich I did. Then got an email from aBBwho got my resume and was still looking for an intern early march. Recruited, interviewed and finally got the dream offer! Reneged myMMright after I signed my offer. Let me know if u have any others

Ok, my apologies for the hate lol. Congrats and enjoy!
  • 2
9y
hopingtobreakin, what's your opinion? Comment below:
coolbankers:

Hey guys sorry for the late reply. I've been sitting on this offer since end of march and just wanted to extend my help since ive appreciated the help from this site.

I got this offer quite late in the stage and attribute most of it too luck.. However it is in theirIBDgroup..

My story.. Got interested inIBafter freshman year. Didinvestment banking internshipin my sophomore year. Relied heavily on networking to get in first rounds. Got into a few superdays and landed no offers in February. Than decided to get aMMwhich I did. Then got an email from aBBwho got my resume and was still looking for an intern early march. Recruited, interviewed and finally got the dream offer! Reneged myMMright after I signed my offer. Let me know if u have any others

Congrats. Apologize for the 2nd degree.

9y
Beny23, what's your opinion? Comment below:

Congrats man! You deserved it. All the work pays off in the end.

9y
coolbankers, what's your opinion? Comment below:
Beny23:

Congrats man! You deserved it. All the work pays off in the end.

Thanks man! Appreciate it

9y
misscurious, what's your opinion? Comment below:

Congratulations! As someone from a non-target, it's always nice to hear success stories!

9y
LiveTopShelf, what's your opinion? Comment below:

Congrats, that's awesome coolbankers! What did you do in your freshman summer and during the school year the first two years to help prepare or get your foot in the recruiting door?

Always nice to see people making their dreams realities.

"What the hell would I ever say to a gorrilla?
9y
coolbankers, what's your opinion? Comment below:
LiveTopShelf:

Congrats, that's awesome coolbankers! What did you do in your freshman summer and during the school year the first two years to help prepare or get your foot in the recruiting door?

Always nice to see people making their dreams realities.

Freshman summer I didnt know anything about banking yet so I did some random sales internship ahahah.. Looking back it was good that I did a sales internship because it helped me land my sophomore summer since I had work experience.. I think what helped me in my freshman year was obviously maintaining a highGPA(I was lucky enough to not screw around that much so I still got a decentGPAto be competitive).

Come sophomore year I became much more serious.. Started to join finance clubs at school to meet with the upper classmen who have had experience in investment banking and also other jobs to get a sense of what I wanted to do. Then I started to research more about investment banking and the regional boutiques around my area. Applied to one through school, got rejected because I never had interviewed at anIBand my knowledge of the industry was lacking but still a great experience.. Learnt some more and bumped into this site (sort of changed my life and there are some stuff on this site that nailed it such as the networking and resume tips).

Finally I was ready enough and got a sophomore summer at a boutique/mmand really this was the stepping stone I would say to landing aBBfor me. MyGPAwas average and I didn't have alot of diversity and leadership experience, so being at a boutique was what really stood out and was able to leverage my transaction experience.. I would say having done this boutique was my selling point in alot of my networking efforts whether its on campus company presentations or cold emailing.

Hope that helps

  • 2
9y
LiveTopShelf, what's your opinion? Comment below:
coolbankers:
LiveTopShelf:

Congrats, that's awesome coolbankers! What did you do in your freshman summer and during the school year the first two years to help prepare or get your foot in the recruiting door?
Always nice to see people making their dreams realities.

Freshman summer I didnt know anything about banking yet so I did some random sales internship ahahah.. Looking back it was good that I did a sales internship because it helped me land my sophomore summer since I had work experience.. I think what helped me in my freshman year was obviously maintaining a highGPA(I was lucky enough to not screw around that much so I still got a decentGPAto be competitive).

Come sophomore year I became much more serious.. Started to join finance clubs at school to meet with the upper classmen who have had experience in investment banking and also other jobs to get a sense of what I wanted to do. Then I started to research more about investment banking and the regional boutiques around my area. Applied to one through school, got rejected because I never had interviewed at anIBand my knowledge of the industry was lacking but still a great experience.. Learnt some more and bumped into this site (sort of changed my life and there are some stuff on this site that nailed it such as the networking and resume tips).

Finally I was ready enough and got a sophomore summer at a boutique/mmand really this was the stepping stone I would say to landing aBBfor me. MyGPAwas average and I didn't have alot of diversity and leadership experience, so being at a boutique was what really stood out and was able to leverage my transaction experience.. I would say having done this boutique was my selling point in alot of my networking efforts whether its on campus company presentations or cold emailing.

Hope that helps

I see, seems like you spun your resume well. Thanks for the advice man

"What the hell would I ever say to a gorrilla?
  • 2
9y
PeterMullersKeyboard, what's your opinion? Comment below:

Congrats, always good to hear a success story

"When you stop striving for perfection, you might as well be dead."
9y
coolbankers, what's your opinion? Comment below:
EvanM:

Congrats, always good to hear a success story

Thanks man!!

9y
Outsider, what's your opinion? Comment below:

what the f is a "semi-target", i callBS

How big is yours?
9y
coolbankers, what's your opinion? Comment below:
Outsider:

what the f is a "semi-target", i callBS

In a general sense: Target = Ivies, MIT, Stanford, Duke, UChicago, Northwestern Semi-Target = Top state schools (Michigan, Texas, UVA, Berkeley, UCLA, Rice) Non-Target = everything else

  • 1
9y
Outsider, what's your opinion? Comment below:
coolbankers:
Outsider:

what the f is a "semi-target", i callBS

In a general sense: Target = Ivies, MIT, Stanford, Duke, UChicago, Northwestern
Semi-Target = Top state schools (Michigan, Texas, UVA, Berkeley, UCLA, Rice)
Non-Target = everything else

that's the dumbest thing i have ever heard

How big is yours?
  • 2
9y
ExploreMore, what's your opinion? Comment below:

I am a sophomore at a target school come next semester. I have a goodGPA(3.6), an executive position in a finance-related club, and an online internship with Zolio for this summer. What should I do next in the months and years ahead in order to secure a SA position at aBB?

9y
Zack-Barrett, what's your opinion? Comment below:

I am only a junior in high school and started my school grind a little late... I ended freshman year with a 2.9 but have been able to push it up to a 3.35 and scored a 1700 on my SAT's. Is there any way i could make it to wall street with such relatively low academic achievements; is where you go to college everything?

9y
kinghongkong, what's your opinion? Comment below:
Zack-Barrett:

I am only a junior in high school and started my school grind a little late... I ended freshman year with a 2.9 but have been able to push it up to a 3.35 and scored a 1700 on my SAT's. Is there any way i could make it to wall street with such relatively low academic achievements; is where you go to college everything?

No, where you go to college is not everything. It also depends on what you make of it. I believe that if you really want to get intoIB(I am assuming that's what you mean when you say wall street), you can do it. No matter where you went to go to school. Well, besides university of phoenix...

9y
wanabe, what's your opinion? Comment below:

Of course there are stories of people that broke intoIBfrom non-target but please for the sake of God, don't be so naive. For that person who broke in could have been 1 in 1000 who were all burning their asses to get something.

9y
Art_Vandelay, what's your opinion? Comment below:

Do you have plans of continuing your education?

I have dreams of being a big shot in a 911 GT...
8y
The New Monkey, what's your opinion? Comment below:

good job, I'm hoping to get into a similar situation. right now I don't really have anything in investment banking and I'm a sophomore but I'm trying really hard and hopefully things turn out well

8y
Black Star, what's your opinion? Comment below:

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Bitch please, I love bananas! If you found my advice useful, hit me up with one.
8y
HiThereGoodPeople98, what's your opinion? Comment below:

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