Since I began writing about the finance industry over a decade ago, there have been a few constants: The universal obsession with private equity; Anxiety over networking; and Tons of questions about “investment banking certifications.” In theory, certifications seem nice: study for a test, pass it, list it on your resume, and gain a big […]

Many high-school and university students with an interest in finance naturally want to know, “What’s the best college major for investment banking?” The answer to this question has changed over the years. And these changes have made your university major both less important and more important. Let me explain… Investment Banking Majors: Assumptions and Constraints In […]

When I was visiting family over the holidays, one of them asked me a tough question: “So… your online business has been successful. What is your goal now? Are you trying to become better-known? Are you trying to expand? Do you want to launch something else?” I thought about it for a few seconds and […]

So, you want to know how to get into investment banking… …despite the fact that: It’s a much less “prestigious” field than it used to be; It no longer pays a huge premium to other career options, such as engineering jobs at big tech companies; and The recruiting process is now hyper-accelerated and crazy. It’s […]

Ah, learning how to spin – is there anything better? After all, what else allows you to exaggerate and get results without doing (all) the work first? Well… not so fast. Spinning your way to success sometimes works in investment banking, but it can easily backfire, depending on the situation and how you do it. […]

This article is a revamped version of an older one, but it is mostly a public service announcement. If you’ve been paying attention to recruiting deadlines, nothing here should be surprising. If not, you need to start paying attention now. Summer internship recruiting now starts insanely early, and it has been starting earlier and earlier […]

Ever feel that you’re spending too much time on useless tasks? It’s a common problem. And it’s one reason why I’ve written so much about what to avoid when recruiting. I’ve warned that the CFA and other degrees and certifications can be massive time sinks, but language study could easily fall into this category as […]

Are you too old? No question generates more insecurity. And it’s especially bad when it comes to the job market and industries that prefer “younger candidates.” A long time ago, I wrote an article on Age and Investment Banking and attempted to answer a simple question: How old is too old to break in? But […]

Do you get dumber with age? Maybe not, but you do start noticing more and more dumb things around you. No matter how much the financial or hiring markets change, people tend to repeat the same foolish tactics over and over. The last time I addressed what not to do to get into investment banking […]

As recruiting season finishes up each year, we always get one question over and over. Here’s a random sample from this year’s email volume: “I’ve been meeting some people for coffee according to your Networking Toolkit, and they have been suggesting that I delay my graduation. I am a liberal arts major with a 3.0 […]

Do older people give better advice? For example, can a Managing Director, a Partner, or a Portfolio Manager give you better career advice than an Analyst or Associate? You might think that’s a clear “yes” because senior professionals have more experience… …but after watching dozens of interviews and reading even more nonsensical articles, my personal […]

Do you know the #1 obstacle you face in winning offers, getting promoted, or even starting a business? You might be tempted to say, “Pitching myself and telling my story properly,” or “Getting to know the right people,” or “Making a product people actually want.” And all of those could be obstacles. But there’s one […]

So, you’ve fixed your LinkedIn profile for your future career in investment banking. You’re using my cold outreach email templates to reach professionals in the industry. And maybe you’re already seeing better response rates… Next, you need to reset your psychology and realize that “other people” – your competitors in the recruiting process and on […]

Nicolas was a Financial Analyst at General Electric where he explored the world of Corporate Finance. He is now a CFO and Partner Wild is the Game. “If it weren’t for the last minute, nothing would get done.” -Rita Mae Brown Welcome to Part 2 of the Interview Game Plan Preparation! If you’ve missed what […]

Nicolas was a Financial Analyst at General Electric where he explored the world of Corporate Finance. He is now a CFO and Partner Wild is the Game. “All men are created equal, some work harder in pre-season.” -Emmitt Smith Everyone has their pet peeves. For me, it’s someone who: Spends hundreds of thousands of dollars […]

Nicolas was a Financial Analyst at General Electric where he explored the world of Corporate Finance. He is now a CFO and Partner Wild is the Game. So you’re not feeling very confident about your chances of breaking into finance… You’ve earned decent, but not spectacular grades. You’ve done a few internships but you don’t […]

“It’s soooo easy to work at a boutique bank, all you do is cold call them and submit your resume and you’re set.” “If I have a 2.0 GPA and no work experience, boutiques will still hire me, right?” “I’m applying to bulge brackets, middle market banks, and boutiques. Can you rank my chances at […]

NOTE: This is a really old article. Please see the revised version here and leave a comment on the new version instead. Our views on everything here have changed significantly! I’ve noticed a disturbing trend lately: many readers have the wrong idea of what will help them with investment banking recruiting. Thinking that they need to […]