IB #top1percent #investmentbanking #careeradvice
Hey everyone! Let’s talk about gaining that edge to place yourself in the top 1% of the IB applicant pool. It’s tough out there, especially with the competition being so fierce. So, how do you stand out?
Here are some ideas to consider:
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Differentiate Yourself: Think about what unique qualities or experiences you bring to the table that others may not have. This could be a specialized skill, a specific industry knowledge, or a unique perspective. Embrace what makes you stand out!
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Build Strong Relationships: Networking is key in the world of IB. It’s not just about how many coffee chats you have, but the quality of the connections you make. Focus on building genuine relationships with people in the industry.
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Continuous Learning: Stay on top of industry trends, news, and updates. Strive to expand your knowledge and skill set to show that you are dedicated to growth and development.
- Persistence and Resilience: Rejection is part of the process, but it’s how you bounce back from it that matters. Stay persistent, keep pushing forward, and learn from every setback.
So, how do you plan on gaining that edge and making it into the top 1%? Share your thoughts and strategies below! 🚀 #IBsuccess #careerdevelopment
You already know how it works for the most part
1. Networking. This is the most powerful one. I don’t think I have to explain this one
2. Target schools. There’s a recruiting pipeline in the really good schools. That’s why people from other schools have a tough time. A lot of companies can fill most of their recruitment needs with this exclusively. If you are someone competing with guys from Ivy League schools you are screwed for the most part
Personally, I think IB is overrated and not a good fit for most folks but if you really want to get into IB, your best bet is probably landing an internship with a high GPA, good school, a strong network and willing to work 60 hours a week.
networking. so yea more coffe chats, pretentious conversations, etc… the only way you can compete with the people with nepotism is by networking. sucks but thats why getting into IB is hard, a lot of people dont want to do the work
It’s very easy, you just need your dad to be the CEO of a client company.
Really it’s your resume, interview skills, and networking. If your resume is shit (formatting, school, GPA, experience) it won’t get picked. If your interviewing skills are shit you won’t make it to later rounds. If your case study sucks you won’t get an offer.
You can bypass some of this by networking, but you still need to work on the other two. Your resume should still be getting you at least some interviews on its own. And you should at least make it to second and third rounds. The market sucks and things are much harder than when I graduated.
I’m assuming you already know the typical advice. To improve your resume you can also ask some people you network with for their thoughts. Don’t be shy, if they took your call they probably won’t be offended by the ask. To improve your interview skills you can hire a coach or find a buddy to practice with. You’ll always be asked some variation of “tell me about yourself,” “why this company,” and “why this industry.” If you don’t have a concise answer for these three, no Netflix, video games, or going out until you do. I have no advice for technical questions aside from practice every single week.
Being a college athlete, even if you’re the worst on your team
Honestly, if you are at target school, you don’t really need to be top 1% at all. There are a lot of slots open if you expand your horizons a bit beyond BB/EB M&A and Coverage, including boutiques/MM IB, S&T, Equity Research, etc. which you can then lateral away from if you wish to traditional BB/EB.
And you don’t need an “edge”. You need that maybe for hedge funds and similar positions, but in IB, it’s just about having the background (i.e., target school), having the technical basics down, and checking all the “would I like working with this person?” boxes.
I’ve definitely seen kids (including myself frankly when I was in undergrad) try too hard to get an “edge” by getting into really technical details of a deal the bank did. They get dinged for it because they seem too rehearsed in their answers, are too long-winded, etc.
Our interns were almost all Harvard students. At least for regular summer cycle.
Off season interns sometimes would occur through networking through alumni’s.
Our opco and sub funds would get second pick after the main funds so they would look at lower tier schools.
But even the resumes were still impressive with perfect SAT scores etc.
If you are talking about full time and not internship. It really boiled down to internship experience, school, interview. I see a lot of people in this sub say it’s who you know.
For me at least. I never hired anyone even if another MD said it would good to hire X. I’m working with them all summer, if you want to hire him, you do it.
So it really depends on the hiring manager but really is to just try hard and early. The competition is very strong. If you have a weak profile don’t be afraid to work at a lower target and work your ass off there
Seeing some good points here. IMO easiest way is for your dad to be a senior employee on the team you’re applying to, or at least be a senior employee in a team tangentially related to the role
Networking; College, Olympic, professional athletes; Military background; nepo baby
all the things you list that place you in the top percentiles aren’t what get you IB jobs. It really is networking or otherwise unique circumstances. Yes a target school will help tremendously but the market is tight rn. When I landed IB I honestly got very lucky. It didn’t even have to do with networking. It came down to timing.
This actually becomes a very interesting question if you take it a bit further.
To answer your question: the top 1% are defined as such on aggregate. People don’t talk about the individual pieces of a candidate’s resume, it’s more like “you know it when you see it.” Everything on a 1%er resume would be the standout item for most others people.
The interesting question (and what I initially thought you were asking) is “how do you become a top performer in an environment comprised purely of former 1% applicants?”
Answer to the second question: the intensity and competitiveness of this industry are not well discussed in this sub. For those looking to break in, know that the intensity and focus needed to break in will be required for your entire career. Those who do reach the top of this industry have uncommon blends of intelligence, mental fortitude, risk tolerance, competitiveness, and tenacity.
Anyway, I bring it up because there is much ado in this sub about getting edge to break in. Curious if folks appreciate that this process is the start of a lifelong endeavor.
provide sexual pleasure, networking through parties with drugs inivolved, understand the subtle nepotism, or offer some future collusions. either one of them or more, this comment will be downvoted by innocent and naive people, but those who understand will understand.