“What’s missing from your resume is a focus on the results… I see all your recommendations and the projects you worked on, but I don’t see what happened as a result of your work.”

-McKinsey Recruiter to Me, 3 Years Ago

Some of you have asked about consulting (as in management consulting, not IT consulting – who in their right mind would do that?) vs. investment banking and which is “better” to pursue.

So here’s why investment bankers dominate management consultants, and why you should do banking.

Read the rest of this article

The reader questions continue coming in, and we’ll take a similar approach to the most recent Rapid-Fire Q&A. Lightning Q&A, Round 2, now commences.

1. What do you think of paid placement agencies? I’m about to write a check to one, since they promised they could get me an internship at any bulge bracket bank.

Don’t send the check! Anyone that makes such a “promise” is lying because there’s no way you can make such a guarantee – there are simply too many variables involved in the job hunt process.

While you can significantly boost your chances by doing things such as reading this site, having your resume reviewed and practicing interviews, there are no guarantees.

In short, they’re a scam. Avoid.

Read the rest of this article

“6:30 Sycophant drops by on his way out. Client meeting next Friday but wants complete turn of a pitch for first thing tomorrow morning (tomorrow morning = when he finally gets around to looking at it at some point next week). A quick calculation; there’s no way I’m getting out of here before four in the morning.”

-The Bitter Investment Banker Email

Ah, the life of an investment banking analyst. What will your hours be? How much work do you actually do? Is it true you play Solitaire most of the day and then only work at night?

Some days you’ll be so busy that you have to discreetly use a bottle under your desk if you need to go to the bathroom because you just don’t have time to go.

Other days you’ll have so little to do that you can take 3-hour lunch breaks and download different themes for Windows Solitaire.

Doing investment banking is like doing drugs: on your good trips you dance in clouds of marshmallows, surrounded by by beautiful women (or men, whatever you like) serving you fruit in canopies. On your bad trips you scratch your eyes out or jump off buildings.

This 24-hour period was a bad trip. And unlike The Bitter Investment Banker Email, it actually happened.

Read the rest of this article

What is Investment Banking?: Ari Gold: What Bankers Actually Do, Why NOT Do Investment Banking, Why You Work 100 Hours Per Week, The Jack Bauer Guide to Investment Banking Success

Investment Banking Lifestyle: A Day in the Life - Worst Day and Best Day, How to Stay Fit, Investment Banking Lingo Part 1 and Part 2, A Week in the Life (Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday)

Investment Banking Fashion: Investment Banking Wardrobe for Men, Men's Fashion Basics, How to Pick a Suit, Investment Banking Wardrobe for Women

Breaking into Finance: How to Get an Investment Banking Job, Networking into Investment Banking, Recruiting in a Tough Market, Breaking in from Engineering, Breaking in from Law, Breaking in from the Back Office

Networking: Networking into Investment Banking, Investment Banking Information Sessions, Become a Networking Ninja, How to Network Like Jason Bourne - Podcast, Cold Calling - Podcast, How to Get In From a State School With No Background - Case Study, How to Get In From a Non-Target School With a Low GPA - Case Study

Recruiting in a Down Market: The State of the Market, Check-The-Box-Recruiting to Actual Recruiting, Become a Networking Ninja, Plan B Options, How to Avoid Shooting Yourself in the Foot

Investment Banking Resumes: How to Write an Investment Banking Resume, How Investment Bankers Read Resumes, University Student Investment Banking Resume Template, Investment Banking Cover Letters

Investment Banking Interviews: Investment Banking Interview Guide, The Interview Selection Process, How to Close Your Interviews, Superday Zen: Why Less Is More, Random Interview Selection, Telling Your Story - Part 1, Telling Your Story - Part 2

Summer Internships: Summer Intern Success Guide, How to Dominate Your Summer Internship, Tips from a Former Summer Analyst, What You Do as a Summer Analyst, 10 Summer Internship "Don't's", How Summer Interns Get Full-Time Offers

Investment Banking Salaries: Investment Banking Salaries vs. McDonald's, Why Investment Bankers Make So Much Money, 2008 Analyst Bonuses, 2009 Analyst Bonus Prediction

Private Equity / Buyside Jobs: Private Equity Resumes, Private Equity Interviews, The Myth of the Buyside Job, Headhunters: Friend or Foe?, How to Get a Private Equity Job, How to Tame Recruiters

Specific Groups: UBS LA, Boutiques - 2008, Restructuring, The Back Office, Mergers & Acquisitions, Sales & Trading - Fixed Income, Boutiques - 2009, Why Bankers Dominate Consultants

Investment Banking Regions: Investment Banking Italy, Credit Derivatives in Tokyo, Investment Banking Australia

Business School: Business School Admissions as a Financier, Business School Admissions as a Non-Financier

Quitting Finance & Slacking Off: The Conference Room: How You Get Fired, The Farewell Email, A Day in the Life of a Former Investment Banker, How to Succeed In Investment Banking Without Doing Any Work, How to Have Fun On the Beach

Post & Pre-Layoff Options: Post-Layoff Options, Timing the Market Is BAD, How to Become a Ski Bum