Episode 276: How Leonardo Avoided Being Stuck in Community College and Became a Bulge Bracket Banker

Our student Emma was an MBA student in Canada with experience in investment management. She soon realized she wanted to pursue investment banking, but that Canadian investment banks hired very few people at the MBA level. She tried joining clubs, case competitions, and even took free courses on financial modeling, but still struggled to differentiate herself as a candidate. She decided to join WSMM where we helped her polish her behaviorals and master her technicals. Hear how she became a top candidate and was able to outcompete her class for one of the only positions left at one of the top Canadian banks. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep283

How does full-time recruiting differ from summer recruiting? What should you prioritize? Like summer recruiting, having relevant experience whether it is in IB or PE is important. However, beyond this, networking strategically is key. Most banks prioritize summer analysts for full-time, filling up about 80-90% of positions. The ones left are recruited on a group-specific basis and oftentimes don’t even post their job openings. Knowing which opportunities are available may come down to the connections you’ve made. Listen to this podcast to hear advice about the full-time recruiting process and what you should prioritize leading up to it. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep282

Want to know the secret for turning an average interview answer to a stellar one? One word: FLOW. When you are being interviewed, think of yourself as a STORYTELLER. If you had a story that was choppy and didn't flow, do you think your audience would stay engaged? I know that sounds easier said than done, so how do you actually create more FLOW in your answers? Listen to this podcast to hear the advice we gave to one of our students as we try to improve his answer to the most important interview question of all - "Tell me about yourself." Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep281

Oftentimes students begin building their resume by doing internships with less glamorous responsibilities. Sourcing leads and compiling lists in Excel may not seem as sexy as saying you build an LBO model all by yourself. However, even in these instances, it’s important to frame your experiences well during your interviews to demonstrate what you’ve achieved and learned. If you’ve done little "real work" or are just starting your internship, how can you walk through your experiences in a way that still makes it sound good? Listen to this podcast to hear the advice we gave our student as he's running into this exact same issue. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep280

Our student Bruce came to us as a recent graduate, juggling a full time job during the week and two security shifts on the weekend. He had gone to a non-target school with only 500 students, and had missed any chances of getting internships or relevant experience as an undergrad. Determined to break into investment banking, he joined our program and squeezed any available free time available to prepare. Hear how Bruce persevered and landed a real estate private equity offer within just three weeks of joining the program despite working three jobs. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep279

It's no secret that breaking into investment banking is extremely competitive. With thousands of applicants every year, bulge brackets and elite boutiques have around a 1% acceptance rate and even middle markets only accept around 3-5% of applicants. Knowing this, it's important to stay motivated even through rejections... it's part of the process! Listen to this podcast to hear about the importance of keeping a positive mindset and overcoming rejections. Remember - you're most likely 3 feet away from gold! Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep278

Everyone knows how important networking is for the investment banking recruiting process. However, many students make the mistake of only networking with junior bankers (analysts and associates), because they don't know what to talk about with senior bankers (VPs and up). Given senior bankers have way more influence than junior bankers, it's important to learn what types of questions you should ask when speaking with senior bankers. Hear this podcast for tips on potential questions to ask senior bankers in order to have more meaningful and genuine networking conversations. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep277

Our student Leonardo came to us as a community college transfer without any finance experience. With so much information out there, he was unsure about joining our program initially but eventually decided to take the plunge. After joining, we quickly worked on building his resume, finding him relevant experience, and teaching him how to leverage his network and alumni connections. Hear how despite starting late in the process, he was able to make his dad proud and land a bulge bracket offer. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep276

Summer 2024 recruiting has been going on for months, and many banks have already started to give out offers… A lot of sophomores are wondering if it's too late now if they haven't gotten an offer yet. While it's late for a certain group of banks, there are definitely still other really solid opportunities that are available. Hear this podcast to get advice on the current 2024 recruiting season and learn best practices to still land the best offer possible! Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep275

As offers continue to be given out for the summer 2024 recruiting process, one of the most common questions we keep getting from our students is... If I have another firm that I want more than the one I just got an offer from, can I continue to interview and renege on this offer if needed? This is a controversial topic and different people will tell you different things about what's right or wrong... But we're not here to judge - we just want to give you advice and let you make the decision yourself. Hear what Sam has to say. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep274