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Investment Banking Recruiting Secrets of the Top 1% Cover
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Investment Banking Recruiting Secrets of the Top 1%

English, Education, 1 season, 267 episodes, 3 days, 8 hours, 34 minutes
About
Wall Street Mastermind provides 1-on-1 coaching to students who are trying to break into investment banking, helping you land the top 1% jobs on Wall Street that pay six-figures straight out of school. It’s led by Sam Shiah, a former investment banker (Morgan Stanley Tech) and private equity investor (GI Partners). Not only have we maintained a 90%+ success rate over the years, we even offer a money back guarantee - meaning if you work with us and don’t get at least one investment banking offer, we will refund your entire investment in our program. Interested in learning more? Book a virtual coffee chat with our team to see if you’re a good fit: www.wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcast
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Episode 283: DO THIS to STAND OUT among other MBA students

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
5/22/202335 minutes, 11 seconds
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Episode 282: DO THIS to get FULL TIME offer(s)

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
5/17/20238 minutes, 57 seconds
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Episode 281: How to Make Your Interview Answers FLOW BETTER

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
5/12/202311 minutes, 3 seconds
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Episode 280: How to Make Your Internship SOUND IMPRESSIVE in Interviews

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
5/10/20233 minutes, 45 seconds
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Episode 279: How Bruce Overcame Non-Target School and No Finance Experience to Land Private Equity

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
5/8/202353 minutes, 1 second
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Episode 278: Why You Can't Give Up When Recruiting for Investment Banking

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
5/7/20233 minutes, 52 seconds
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Episode 277: Avoid This Common Networking Mistake: How to Talk to Senior Bankers

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
5/3/20234 minutes, 49 seconds
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Episode 276: How Leonardo Avoided Being Stuck in Community College and Became a Bulge Bracket Banker

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
5/2/202334 minutes, 32 seconds
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Episode 275: Is It Too Late To Recruit For Summer 2024??

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
4/28/20236 minutes, 25 seconds
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Episode 274: Accelerating and Reneging Offers...Is It Worth The Risk?

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
4/27/20234 minutes, 10 seconds
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Episode 273: How Avi Got Superdays and an Offer Despite Being a Non-Target INTL Student

Our student Avi went to a non-target school and only realized he wanted to do banking in the second half of his sophomore year. With no alumni to reach out to and no background in finance, he was lost in the process. After joining WSMM, our program helped him build a support system throughout his recruiting process and taught him how to network with hundreds of bankers. Hear how he made it to every superday he interviewed for and became the first international student from his university to break into investment banking. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep273
4/24/202353 minutes, 10 seconds
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Episode 272: How to Network with Regional Boutique Investment Banks

If you're an underclassman looking to beef up your resume with relevant internships, or just an upperclassman who's recruiting very late in the recruiting timeline... Then you're probably currently targeting regional boutique banks. How should you go about networking with these smaller firms? Is there anything you can do if they turn you down? Watch this video to learn how networking and recruiting change when you're dealing with smaller investment banks. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep277
4/21/20236 minutes, 13 seconds
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Episode 271: Should You Customize Your Networking Email Templates?

When you're sending out networking emails, how important is it for you to customize each email that you send? Is it better to use the same email template and blast it out to as many people as possible? Or is it better to personalize every single email in hopes of maximizing your response rate? Of course, the answer is " it depends" - but we do tend to lean more towards one over the other. Hear this podcast to learn how we typically think through this tradeoff so that you can get more responses from bankers while spending less time. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep271
4/19/20234 minutes, 48 seconds
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Episode 270: How Louisa Used WSMM to Make the Jump to Bulge Bracket Bank for Full Time Recruiting

Our student Louisa came to us her junior year looking for help with full time recruiting. She had just recruited for junior summer internships on her own, but was only able to get into a middle market bank. After hearing her peers recommend WSMM, she decided to reach out. Soon our coaches were helping her work on her behaviorals and navigate the networking process. Hear her talk about how she improved her candidacy the second time around and secured a full time offer from a bulge bracket bank. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep270
4/17/202336 minutes, 27 seconds
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Episode 269: Waitlisted For A Banking Offer? You May Still Have A Shot

After months of prepping you thought you finally nailed your investment banking interview and…you’re waitlisted. What now? Is that practically a no or is there any way to still even get the offer? A lot of factors will determine your potential candidacy, but you may still have a chance. Hear this podcast where we advise our student on some strategies to maximize his chances even after being waitlisted. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep269
4/14/20234 minutes, 56 seconds
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Episode 268: Are You Late Into The Recruiting Process? Hear This!

Most students don’t know that they want to pursue investment banking right when they enter college… Yet the recruiting timeline is only getting earlier and earlier every year (starting about halfway through sophomore year). So if you find yourself being late to the recruiting timeline (which is completely normal), have you completely missed your opportunity? Is it time to say bye to an investment banking career? Not quite! With good planning and a sound strategy, you can absolutely still break in. Hear this podcast to see us coach our student through this exact situation. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep268
4/12/20238 minutes, 26 seconds
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Episode 267: How Tristan Got Into IB w/ a 3.0 GPA, Non-target, and Having Already Graduated

Our client Tristan came to us in July, AFTER he had already graduated from college. To make matters worse, he had just a 3.0 GPA, from a non-target school. His mom thought our program was a scam, but he trusted his gut and did it anyway. By October, he had a full-time investment banking offer from a middle market bank. Hear him talk about how he overcame seemingly impossible odds. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep267
4/10/202342 minutes, 39 seconds
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Episode 266: How to Discuss SaaS Deals for Tech Investment Banking or Buyside Interviews

In recent years, technology investment banking and buyside roles (tech PE, growth equity, venture capital) have become some of the most sought after opportunities for students looking to break into finance. While the technical interviews for these roles used to be pretty vanilla, things have changed with the rise of the Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) business model. Now if you're interviewing for a tech group, you also need to study what we call "SaaS finance" - similar to how you have additional technical concepts to study if you're interviewing for groups like oil & gas, FIG, or real estate. Hear this podcast to learn some of the most important concepts in SaaS finance. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep266
4/7/20238 minutes, 23 seconds
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Episode 265: How to Get More Referrals From Investment Bankers

How many times have you gotten to the end of a networking call with an investment banker, hoping to get a referral out of them but only getting some generic advice instead? It's one of the most frustrating feelings ever, because you just spent 30 minutes talking to them with anticipation and hope, and in the end it just feels like a huge waste of time. So are there things you can do to prevent this from happening? Or at least reduce how often it happens? Hear this coaching session where we walk one of our students through the best practices of networking calls. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep265
4/5/20237 minutes, 23 seconds
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Episode 264: How Jason Made the Leap from a Middle Market to an Elite Boutique Full Time Offer

Our student Jason didn't realize he wanted to do IB until the summer before junior year. After interviewing with 10-11 banks, he ended up getting just one middle market offer for his junior summer internship. Not satisfied, he decided to enroll in WSMM to take his interviewing skills to the next level in preparation for full-time recruiting, ultimately securing an elite boutique offer from just the second firm he interviewed with. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep264
4/3/202331 minutes, 52 seconds
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Episode 263: Answering Advanced Industry Specific Technical Questions

If you're interviewing for a specific industry coverage group, some industries have additional technical concepts you'll need to learn that are specific to that industry. Examples include, natural resources / oil & gas, real estate, financial institutions, and more recently - technology (or more specifically software). These concepts are typically not covered in the standard interview guides that everyone's already using, so you'll need to do some additional learning on your own, ideally from experienced professionals who have actually covered that industry. To see an example of this, hear this podcast to hear our student walk through a deal in educational technology space and discuss the most important financial metrics for a recurring software business. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep263
3/31/202310 minutes, 52 seconds
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Episode 262: Talking About a Trend or Deal You've Been Following

If you're interviewing for a specific coverage group and not a generalist program, there are some additional interview questions you'll have to prepare for. Specifically, there are industry specific questions around trends and deals you've been following in the space. Want to see what the preparation looks like for one of our students who has an interview coming up with one of the top technology investment banking teams on Wall Street? Listen to this podcast to see him talk about a trend and deal that he's been following in the education technology space, and how he walked through the specifics of the LBO transaction. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep262
3/29/202311 minutes, 17 seconds
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Episode 261: How Victor Became the Top of His Non-Target School to Land Investment Banking

Victor is one of the most committed clients we've ever had. He landed a junior summer internship from a non-target state school that only places 4-5 students into investment banking each year (out of 8,250+). And he did all of this without having a ton of relevant finance experience. Hear him talk about how he did this despite the odds being stacked against him, and how we helped him accomplish his dream. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep261
3/27/202339 minutes, 2 seconds
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Episode 260: Guaranteed 3 Statement Questions You Need to Know

When it comes to investment banking technical interviews, three statement questions are the most basic and almost guaranteed in any interview. It’s not just about recognizing the line items, but connecting them and showing how changes flow through the Income Statement, Cash Flow Statement, and Balance Sheet. Sometimes not all the information will be given to you and you will also need to recognize what missing information you need to ask for. Listen to this podcast to know how one of our students answers this type of question during a mock interview and learn how to answer it correctly for your upcoming interview. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep260
3/24/20237 minutes, 50 seconds
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Episode 259: Investment Bank App Just Opened...Submit ASAP or Wait?

With investment banks opening their applications earlier and earlier every year, it's important to stay on top of the recruiting timeline if you want to land the best offers. One of the most common questions we've been getting from students is "Should I apply right away or wait until I've added more experience to my resume?" This can be tricky to figure out and as usual... the actual answer is somewhat nuanced and situational. Listen to this podcast to learn the best time to submit your application, while ensuring you also have the strongest resume possible. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep259
3/20/20236 minutes, 20 seconds
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Episode 258: M&A Mock Interview Question Example

If you're hoping to land a top offer in investment banking, you should be prepared to answer M&A technical questions. This is especially true if you're recruiting for elite boutiques, which are primarily M&A advisory shops. And this doesn't mean just memorizing the formula for accretion/dilution... anyone can do that. Understanding the strategic rationale and key drivers behind accretion and dilution are far more important. How should a deal be paid for? What are the pros and cons of different deal structures? Listen to this podcast and see how one of our students walked through these types of questions during his mock interview. He actually did a pretty good job and is a good example from you to learn from! Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep258
3/15/20234 minutes, 38 seconds
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Episode 257: How Rahul Improved His Candidacy and Successfully Recruited for a Full Time Offer

Our client Rahul was caught off guard by the accelerated summer internship recruiting process but secured a small regional boutique offer. Not satisfied, he came to us for help with the full-time recruiting process, which was going to be even harder given the number of jobs available. He gives a ton of advice on what he did to end up with a much better offer, so make sure you check it out! Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep257
3/13/202352 minutes, 17 seconds
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Episode 256: Advanced DCF Question Example

The discounted cash flow ("DCF") is one of the most commonly tested topics during investment banking technical interviews. However, gone are the days where you can just memorize the formula for the DCF and expect to get by. Pretty much anyone can do that at this point, that's just the bare minimum... What is becoming more common is for the interviewer to grill you about the assumptions you used in an actual DCF you've done, especially you mention ""DCF"" anywhere on your resume. If that happens, are you able to defend the rationale behind all of the assumptions you made? Listen to this podcast to hear how one of our students prepared to answer this question by walking through his assumptions on a DCF for Asana. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep256
3/10/20235 minutes, 21 seconds
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Episode 255: Investment Banking Info Sessions - Must Attend? Or a Waste of Time?

If you go to a target school, investment banks often come on campus to hold info sessions. Will attending these events boost your chances of getting an interview? Or are they a complete waste of time? With the outrageous banker to student ratio at these events, is it even possible to stand out and make an impression? Listen to this podcast to find out how to use info sessions to your advantage and give your networking efforts a much need boost. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep255
3/8/20235 minutes, 9 seconds
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Episode 254: How Vivian Landed a Sophomore Diversity Internship at BoFA from a Non-Target School

Our client Vivian joined WSMM during her freshman summer, after struggling to formulate her behavioral answers and learn the technical concepts on her own. Coming from a non-target state school, she knew that she had to get a head start if she wanted to break into investment banking. Hear her talk about what WSMM did to help her break into Bank of America's sophomore investment banking summer internship. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep254
3/6/202324 minutes, 28 seconds
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Episode 253: Feel Like You Don't Have Time for Investment Banking Recruiting

Recruiting for investment banking can be overwhelming if you don't have a set strategy. With apps opening earlier and earlier, time is of the essence and how you prioritize what you spend time on can ultimately determine if end up with a job offer. Keeping your grades up? Networking? Getting more relevant internships? Doing case competitions? Focusing on interview prep? Which of these tasks are the most important and how can you allocate your time accordingly? Hear how to manage these competing priorities; the right answer depends on your unique situation and there is no one-size-fits-all solution! Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep253
3/3/20235 minutes, 4 seconds
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Episode 252: Got an Exploding Offer from an Investment Bank?

You finally received an investment banking job offer - congrats! The only problem is, it's an "exploding offer" and you've been given a very short deadline to accept the offer. If this offer is not from a bank that is your top choice, and you're still waiting to hear from other banks, what can you do? Is it possible to accelerate your other interview processes? Can you accept this current offer and renege on it later if a better offer comes along? Ending up with the best possible offer has a strong impact on your future compensation, exit opportunities, and overall career trajectory. Listen to this podcast to learn the best practices for navigating through this type of tricky situation, which you will inevitably find yourself in if you are to recruit successfully. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep252
3/1/20236 minutes, 14 seconds
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Episode 251: How Noah Went From a Non-Target School to an Offer From Morgan Stanley

Our client Noah is from a non target school and came to Wall Street Mastermind in January of sophomore year. Prior to joining our program, he had big dreams of working for a top tier bulge bracket bank, but struggled with landing interviews so much that he considered doing PWM as a backup option. Hear him talk about how he overcame seemingly impossible odds to get an offer from a top group at Morgan Stanley. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep251
2/27/20231 hour, 6 minutes, 21 seconds
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Episode 250: Better Exit Opps: Investment Banking or Hedge Funds?

Today, more buyside firms like Bridgewater Associates, Millenium, Ares, and Blackstone are starting to open their apps for summer analysts, competing with banks for young talent and recruiting them early. Although still very limited, there are increasingly more options to go straight to the buyside and skip investment banking altogether. As apps open, should you focus on recruiting for investment banking or be open to opportunities to go straight to the buyside? After all, many analysts go through investment banking just to be able to exit to the buyside anyway, right? Hear my advice on the pros and cons of starting your career in investment banking versus the buyside. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep250
2/23/20234 minutes, 30 seconds
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Episode 249: How Amit Went From Being New to Investment Banking to Breaking Into an Elite Boutique

Our client Amit joined WSMM during the summer after freshman year because he was serious about getting into investment banking and wanted the most efficient and successful way of doing it. Prior to WSMM, he did a lot of research on the recruiting process and realised that it is extremely competitive. Coming from a semi-target school, he knew he had to step up his game to find a process where all his efforts will not go to waste. Hear how he became one of the top candidates and beat out target school students for multiple offers before ending up at Lazard. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep249
2/20/202342 minutes, 40 seconds
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Episode 248: How to Prep for Advanced Investment Banking Technical Interview

Elite boutique investment banks have become the toughest investment banks to get offers from. This is partially because they are just as prestigious as bulge bracket banks and oftentimes come with even better pay and exit opportunities. But the other reason is because they're known to ask much tougher questions during their technical interviews. If you want to land a top offer from elite boutiques like Qatalyst, Evercore, or Centerview, simply memorizing popular interview guides like the "400 Question Guide" is no longer enough because many of these banks are turning to more case study-like questions that force you to think on the spot and cannot be memorized beforehand. So how can you prepare more efficiently and effectively, rather than just spending hundreds of hours memorizing information? Listen to this podcast to learn how you can ace even the toughest technical interviews so that you can end up with the best job offer possible. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep248
2/17/20237 minutes, 11 seconds
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Episode 247: How to Get Into the Best Groups at Your Investment Bank

If you recruit for headquarters locations like New York City and London, usually you won't know what group you'll get placed in until after you accept the offer and have gone through the group placement process (this does not apply to regional offices). Group placement is important because it can have a huge impact on your experience as an analyst and also on your exit opportunities later on. People often get so caught up in the prestige of the bank that they end up at. But did you know that it's actually better to be in a great group at a slightly "worse" bank than to be in a bad group at a "better" bank? So even if you've gotten your offer, don't relax prematurely because your work is not done yet. What are the best practices and how can you go about finding the best group for you?  Hear me walk through what you should look for when navigating through the group placement process. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep247
2/15/20239 minutes, 28 seconds
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Episode 246: How Bryant Secured Both US and Hong Kong Offers From Top Banks During COVID-19

Our client Bryant was an international student from Korea who became interested in banking after serving his military duty. Hear him explain why the help he got from WSMM was more useful than the advice he received from upperclassmen. We also discussed the difference in IB recruiting between the US and Asia, given he got offers from both Evercore NYC and Morgan Stanley Hong Kong. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep246
2/13/20231 hour, 10 minutes, 54 seconds
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Episode 245: How to Discuss the Strategic Rationale for an M&A Deal

One of the trickier questions to answer during interviews is talking about a deal that you've been following. Typically, we recommend talking about M&A deals over capital raises, because it gives you more interesting talking points that you can bring up. The key to answering these questions is being able to explain the strategic rationale for doing the deal, from both the buyer and seller's point of view. Watch this video to learn how you can structure this type of answer is a coherent and concise manner so that you can ace this question in your next interview! Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep245
2/12/202314 minutes, 4 seconds
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Episode 244: How to Make Sure Your Networking Contacts Don't Forget You

If you want to get more interviews, networking is going to be the most important part of the recruiting process. But networking is not just having a single conversation with a banker and then moving onto the next. You have to learn to nurture the relationship over a longer period of time so that it doesn’t feel transactional to the banker. But how can you go back to networking contacts that you’ve already spoken in the past, and keep them engaged and make sure they don’t forget about you? Watch this video to hear me coach one of our students on how to do exactly this. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep244
2/9/20237 minutes, 10 seconds
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Episode 243: How Matthew Ended Up at Lazard After Getting Multiple Rejections On His Own

Our client Matthew went a top target school and had multiple relevant finance experiences on his resume. He considered joining WSMM freshman year but passed initially because he thought he could break into a top tier bank by himself. After failing the superdays for three different bulge bracket banks’ sophomore programs, he decided to join WSMM to learn a more effective and efficient way of preparing for interviews. Hear how he turned things around to secure an offer from Lazard. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep243
2/7/202353 minutes, 44 seconds
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Episode 242: How Isaac Used SEO and Wall Street Mastermind to Land an Offer From Morgan Stanley

Our client Isaac initially planned on pursuing a career in accounting. By the time he realized that he actually wanted to go into investment banking, it was already halfway through sophomore year. Knowing he was late to the game, he joined WSMM to give himself the best chance at beating out his competition. Hear him talk about the difference between WSMM and other career programs like SEO, and how he ultimately was able to secure an offer from Morgan Stanley. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep242
11/26/202231 minutes, 3 seconds
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Episode 241: How Jared Ended Up Choosing Bain Capital Over an Offer From Citi

Our client Jared started working with WSMM during his sophomore spring. His original approach of reading interview guides from upperclassmen wasn't clicking for him, so he decided to get help. Hear him talk about how he was able to secure 15 different interviews (with over half of them that barely asked any questions from the popular guides), and why he ultimately chose Bain Capital over Citi. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep241
11/25/202234 minutes, 49 seconds
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Episode 240: How Cameron Landed Offers From Moelis and Rothschild NYC

Our client Cameron had dreams of working in NYC. Unfortunately, UT Austin was only a target school for the Houston office but a non-target for NYC (only ~1 in 10 students from the school end up in the NYC office). Hear how Cameron overcame these odds to receive offers from both Moelis and Rothschild in NYC, in addition to Citi in Houston. Also hear about the difference between WSMM and the feeder clubs at school, and how they complement each other. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep240
11/11/202251 minutes, 32 seconds
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Episode 239: Adding Incoming Experiences On The Resume

Oftentimes, you’ll find yourself in a situation where you’ll have to add a new internship to your resume, even though you just started (or are about to start) and you haven’t really done any real work yet. This need arises mainly because investment banks are recruiting earlier and earlier, and oftentimes that creates more urgency to add your “incoming” experiences onto your resume as soon as possible. So can you actually do this? And if so, how do you do it without getting into trouble? Hear me coach one of our students through how to do just this. He just got a new internship and joined a new club on campus, so this helped him a bunch. Hopefully it’ll help you too! Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep239
11/3/20226 minutes, 37 seconds
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Episode 237: Making Tradeoffs On Your Resume

When it comes to resume building, how do you know whether you need to go out and get another relevant internship or not? Or sometimes, if it comes down to staying at your existing internship longer versus getting a new internship, which is the better move? This is a question that students commonly have, but the answer is actually more straightforward than you think. Hear me explain the simple criteria to use when making these tradeoffs, and then go and optimize your resume with the best experiences possible! Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep237
11/2/20229 minutes, 3 seconds
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Episode 238: Why Daniel Passed on Working with WSMM Before Coming Back Just in Time to Win an Offer

Our client Daniel first spoke to us early on during sophomore year, but wasn't ready to commit to our program. About a year later, he came back to get our help after struggling to secure any offers on his own. Despite not leaving us a lot of time, we eventually helped him land a great offer at one of the top niche-specific banks, where he beat out 200+ other candidates. Hear him talk about his comeback story. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep238
11/2/202256 minutes, 37 seconds
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Episode 235: How To “Trade Up” To A Better Bank

For most people, just getting ANY offer in investment banking is the goal. But for others, merely getting an offer is just the minimum acceptable outcome. What they want instead, is to be at the best bank possible. So say you only end up at a middle market bank for your summer internship. What can you do to leverage that internship into a full-time offer at a bulge bracket or elite boutique bank? And what if you end up at a bank that isn’t your top choice for full-time? At that point is there still anything else you can do to change your luck? Hear me answer these exact questions for one of our students. Long story short, as long as you are determined, you can almost always achieve your ultimate goal! Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep235
10/24/20229 minutes, 3 seconds
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Episode 234: Why This Middle Market Bank

In our experience, a lot of students struggle with answering “why our bank” if they’re interviewing with a middle market investment bank. After all, the middle market bank often wasn’t their first choice, but they also can’t just say “oh it’s because I didn’t get into a bulge bracket or elite boutique bank.” So what makes a good answer when it comes to answering “why this middle market bank”? The key is to identify key differences between middle market banks and bigger banks, and then highlight why those differences appeal to you. Hear me critique one of our student’s answer for this exact questions, and start thinking about how you can improve your own answer. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep234
10/21/202210 minutes, 45 seconds
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Episode 233: How Brandon Went From Big 4 Auditor to Investment Banking and Doubled His Salary

Our client Brandon is living proof that it's possible to break into investment banking after college without getting an MBA. He landed two offers from boutique investment banks after less than a year at a Big 4 accounting firm. Not only did he leave a job that was making him completely miserable, he also doubled his salary! Hear him talk about how he was able to take a non-traditional path into investment banking. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep233
10/19/202259 minutes, 39 seconds
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Episode 232: How is a SaaS Company Different?

If you ever interview with the technology group of an investment bank, or perhaps a buyside firm that invests in technology companies, you’ll probably need to know how SaaS companies works. For those who aren’t familiar, “SaaS” stands for “software as a service” and refers to software companies that charge their customers using a recurring subscription model (as opposed to a one-time upfront fee). Because of how popular this business model has become within the software industry, combined with the uniqueness of its business model from a financial standpoint, it has become a popular interview topic. Here me coach one of our students on the difference between a SaaS company other “normal” companies. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep232
10/17/20228 minutes
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Episode 230: How Claire Broke Into Equity Research After Realizing Investment Banking Wasn’t For Her

Our client Claire originally thought she wanted to pursue investment banking, but after networking with various industry professionals and being mentored by an equity research analyst for five weeks, she realized that her true interest was in equity research. Hear how she was able to apply what she learned in WSMM to land her dream equity research position at Citi. She also shares some advice on the difference between the investment banking and equity research recruiting process. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep230
10/12/202229 minutes, 6 seconds
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Episode 229: What is Accretion Dilution

One of the more advanced technical topics that can come up during interviews is the concept of accretion dilution. This is essentially one of the key metrics that bankers look at anytime they’re working on a M&A transaction. It’s not the only thing that matters in determining whether it’s a good deal, but it is something that shareholders care about. But how do you calculate accretion dilution? What are the different inputs that can affect the outcome? Hear me coach one of my students through this during a mock interview. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep229
10/11/20226 minutes, 28 seconds
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Episode 228: How Tyler Went From Being a Non-Target to Successfully Lateraling into IB

Our client Tyler started at a community college and transferred to a non-target school, after which he graduated into a role at a small valuation firm. After a year there, he realized he wanted to lateral into investment banking. As a father of a 3-year-old, he didn’t have the ability to quit his job and going the traditional MBA route. So instead, Tyler joined WSMM and accomplished the same thing for a tiny fraction of the cost. Hear how Tyler was able to land an offer from a reputable middle market bank. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep228
10/5/202236 minutes, 10 seconds
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Episode 227: Walking Through a LBO Deal

Private equity internships are one of the most relevant internships you can do to give your resume a boost for investment banking. If you’ve done one already, congrats! Chances are you probably got to work on 1-2 LBO deals during your internship. But now comes the hard part - how do you talk about that deal experience during the interview? What kind of questions will your interviewer grill you with? Hear me do a mock interview with my student as I grill him on a LBO deal that he worked on. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep227
10/5/202210 minutes, 45 seconds
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Episode 226: How Bowen Secured a Top Middle Market Offer Despite Not Being a Part of Any Clubs

Our client Bowen studied at a target school but hadn’t joined any of his school’s professional orgs or investment banking clubs. He felt like he was unsure how to secure the job he wanted. After hearing about how other students from his school broke into banking through WSMM, he was convinced this was a viable path for him too. Hear how he landed three different offers before eventually accepting a job at a top middle market bank. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep226
9/28/20224 seconds
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Episode 225: Can't Find Anyone to Network With?

Usually we advise our students to network with bankers so that they can get referrals to interviews. But the other benefit is that you can glean talking points from your networking conversations for your actual interview answers. For example - when you’re answering “why are you interested in our bank” - it’s always good to weave in positive things that current employees have said about the bank. But what if you haven’t been able to network with anyone at the firm? What do you do in that scenario? Hear me coach one of my students who had an interview coming up the next day but had this exact same issue. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep225
9/23/20227 minutes, 55 seconds
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Episode 223: How Good Are Your Excel Skills?

Excel is one of the most important skills you can have as a junior investment banker. In fact, you’ll probably spend more than 50% of your time on the job in Excel. So what do you do when an interviewer asks you how good your Excel skills are? Especially if you’re not exactly an Excel whiz? The key is to strike a balance between being humble, but not too humble. What does that mean exactly though? Here me coach one of our students on how to answer this exact question. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep223
9/19/20226 minutes, 26 seconds
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Episode 222: What Makes You Nervous About IB?

One of our students recently got asked “what about investment banking as a job makes you nervous?” during an interview. He wasn’t sure how to answer the question. The most obvious answer is the hours, but that’s a tricky one that needs to be handled carefully. After all, you don’t want to come across as someone who’s lazy or can’t handle the hours. But what else can you say for this question? I actually gave him one other idea that could potentially work even better. Hear me brainstorm some answers for this question with him. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep222
9/15/20225 minutes, 43 seconds
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Episode 221: How Alex Joined WSMM From a Non-Target During Sr Yr and Got a PE Analyst Offer

Our client Alex came to us from a non-target school during senior year, after failing to secure a junior summer internship in investment banking and working in a middle office role. After we helped him improve his interviewing skills, he went on to secure a full-time offer from a private equity firm. Hear him talk about the challenges he had to overcome along the way, and how you can do the same too. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep221
9/14/202237 minutes, 23 seconds
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Episode 220: How to Break into PE

A lot of people want to start their career in investment banking just so that they can break into private equity. After all, having investment banking experience has been a prerequisite for private equity for a very long time. However, some bigger PE firms are starting to hire PE analysts directly out of undergrad, so it is possible to skip investment banking altogether now. What are the differences in breaking into PE through these two different routes? What are the pros and cons of each? Which path is better for you? Hear me answer these questions for one of out students. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep220
9/13/20225 minutes, 40 seconds
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Episode 219: No Networking? No Problem

Have you ever tried to write a cover letter, or tried to prepare your answer for “why do you want to work for our firm” … but you don’t know what to say because you haven’t networked with anyone from the firm yet? If so, you’re not alone. In fact, a lot of students find themselves in this situation. While networking ahead of time is ideal, sometimes it’s just not possible. So what can you do to get around this problem? Are there other ways for you to still sound smart about the firm? Hear me coach one of my students on exactly how to overcome this challenge. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep219
9/8/20224 minutes, 34 seconds
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Episode 218: How Dominique Landed One of the Top Investment Banks in Houston Frm a Non-Target School

Our client Dominique joined WSMM at the beginning of junior year. Despite already being a part of another career mentoring program (SEO), she found WSMM's program to be much more helpful. Hear her talk about how she was able to become one of only three students from her non-target school to break into investment banking, and how she did it without the help of any friends or family in investment banking. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep218
9/8/202229 minutes, 55 seconds
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Episode 217: Adding Brand New Internship to Your Resume

If you just started a new internship and haven’t done that much yet, but you have applications coming up where you want to include this new experience on your resume… what should you do? This happens more often than you think, especially with how often investment banks recruit nowadays. The key is to strike a balance between being vague enough so that what you’re saying on the resume is accurate, but specific enough that it still sounds legitimate and impressive. Hear me coach one of my students on how to do exactly this. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep217
9/2/20223 minutes, 53 seconds
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Episode 216: How Sandalina Went From Community College Transfer to Investment Banking

Our client Sandalina was a community college transfer who wanted to break into investment banking. Despite many people telling her that it would be impossible, it wasn't her personality to give up easily. Hear how she learned what she needed from WSMM in the shortest amount of time possible, and ultimately became one of four students to receive an offer from her bank out of over 400 applicants. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep216
8/31/202239 minutes, 52 seconds
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Episode 215: Should You Stay at Your Internship?

A student recently asked me if he should stay longer at his internship, because he’s been promised some new responsibilities if he stays on. There are a lot of factors that go into this decision, but ultimately it’s a tradeoff between what the incremental learning you’ll get by staying, versus the opportunity cost of being able to add a new internship experience onto your resume instead. Plus - depending on what other experiences you already have on your resume, that would make a difference on how you make this decision as well. Watch me walk this student through this decision. Building your resume effectively requires you to allocate your time towards things that will really move the needle, so make sure you learn how to do this. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep215
8/29/202210 minutes, 52 seconds
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Episode 214: How Travis Transferred From CC to Non-Target and Got Into I-Banking

Our client Travis came to us in late February of senior year, three months before graduation. He was a community college transfer at a non-target school, did not have a junior summer internship or much relevant internship experience, and only had a 3.3 GPA. Hear him talk about how he overcame all of these obstacles to break into a local boutique investment bank. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep214
8/25/202253 minutes, 10 seconds
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Episode 213: Finance or Tech? What’s Better?

This is a bit of a different topic today, as one of my students who’s currently working in growth equity recently asked me what it was like when I transitioned from investment banking and private equity to working at a tech startup instead. I think that both are very attractive fields to start your career in, and some of you might even been debating between the two. As always, there are some pros and cons for each side, so it’s not a super straightforward decision. Hear my candid take on what tradeoffs I had to make when I moved over to work in the tech industry. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep213
8/23/20229 minutes, 3 seconds
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Episode 212: Tell Me About Your Performance Review

If you just wrapped up your summer internship and are currently interviewing with another firm, chances are very good that your interviewers is going to ask you about the details of your performance review. Knowing how to answer this question is important - because you need to strike a balance between giving an honest and fair assessment, without saying anything that will be overly detrimental to your chances of getting hired. In fact, how would you approach this question is actually quite similar to how you would answer strengths and weaknesses questions. Hear me give a student feedback on how he answered this question. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep212
8/18/20229 minutes, 25 seconds
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Episode 211: How George Pivoted From Consulting to IB & Landed a BB Offer w/o Finance Experience

Our client George originally wanted to get into consulting before switching to investment banking. With no relevant experience, he tried his best to recruit. Things were looking bleak... until he found Wall Street Mastermind in July. Fast forward two months, George has secured an offer from Barclays just a month into his junior year. Hear him talk about the difference between information and transformation. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep211
8/17/202254 minutes, 35 seconds
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Episode 210: Discussing Deal Experience for Full-Time Interviews

Now that summer internships have ended, many of you are currently going through interviews for full-time recruiting. One of the most important things to prepare for when it comes to full-time interviews is walking through any deals or projects you worked on over the summer. But how much detail do you have to go into? And what kind of follow up questions should you expect? Hear my mock interview with a student who has an upcoming interview with a bulge bracket bank. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep210
8/15/20228 minutes, 23 seconds
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Episode 209: How Edgar Went From Corporate Banking to Investment Banking With a Late Start

Our client Edgar recently received an offer from an upper middle market investment bank despite missing the accelerated recruiting timeline during sophomore year, only having a 3.4 GPA, and eventually having to work in corporate banking for his summer internship first. Hear Edgar talk about his journey and how he was able to pull this off against the odds. Make sure you check this interview out to hear Edgar's advice! Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep209
8/10/202236 minutes, 6 seconds
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Episode 208: No Financial Modeling at Your Internship?

A lot of students wonder what they should do when they don’t get any financial modeling experience at their internships. After all, that’s what your interviewers want to hear about when you talk about what you’ve worked on, right? What do you do if you just don’t have much or any financial modeling responsibilities at all though? Hear me coach a student on what to do in this situation, which happens a lot more common than you’d think. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep208
8/8/20224 minutes, 7 seconds
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Episode 207: How Important is Financial Modeling for Full-Time Recruiting?

Those of you who have been following me for awhile know how much I’m against doing financial modeling courses when prepping for summer internship interviews. But recently, a student of mine asked if the same still applies for full-time recruiting. Given a lot of summer internships are wrapping up and a lot of you are about to recruit for full-time positions, I thought this was a timely topic. Hear my thoughts on whether it’s important to be great at financial modeling for the full-time interview process. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep207
8/4/20224 minutes, 56 seconds
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Episode 206: How Steve Failed His First Superdays Before Securing an Offer With WSMM's Help

Our client Steve came to us at the beginning of junior year, after having failed a couple of superday interviews on his own. He was referred to us by our client Bradley after seeing how much better Bradley did during with recruiting. Despite coming to us quite late for help, hear Steve talk about how he was ultimately able to secure a middle market offer that ended up being a phenomenal fit with his background. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep206
8/3/202248 minutes, 38 seconds
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Episode 205: How to "Control" the Interview

Did you know that when you are answering interview questions, it’s actually possible to lead the interview in the direction that you want them to go in? The benefit of doing this is that you can almost steer them into asking you the questions that you want to be asked, which results in less curveball questions and you giving better answers that you’ve already prepared ahead of time. But this is more advanced and is easier said that done, so how exactly do you do it? Hear me coach one of my students on how to do exactly this. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep205
8/2/20224 minutes, 56 seconds
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Episode 204: Cost of Capital in M&A vs LBO

In an acquisition, cost of capital is one of the most important assumptions that go into determining whether the deal is favorable or not. Cost of cash is the cheapest, followed by cost of debt, and then cost of equity (most expensive). But when it’s a private equity firm that’s the buyer in the deal, they actually prefer using debt over cash in all of their transactions. Why is that? Hear me explain the difference between an M&A deal and a LBO deal when thinking about cost of capital. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep204
7/28/20226 minutes, 29 seconds
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Episode 203: How Shawn Got 3 Investment Banking Offers Despite Being International Student w/Low GPA

Our client Shawn was a sophomore international student with a 3.2 GPA when he joined our program. Hear his advice on how to recruit effectively as an international student when the bar is higher due to the need of a visa sponsorship. Also hear how he was able to get not just one, but three different offers despite the odds being seemingly stacked against him. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep203
7/27/202251 minutes, 31 seconds
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Episode 202: Main Drivers of LBO Returns

A lot of people get confused by the concept of an LBO, or leveraged buyout. It’s basically just describing the mechanics of how a private equity firm acquires companies using debt to fund a part of the transaction, and then pays down that debt using the free cash flow generated by the business. But why are LBOs so effective? What are the different ways that a private equity firm can make money through an LBO? Hear me explain the 3 main drivers of LBO returns. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep202
7/25/20226 minutes, 36 seconds
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Episode 201: How Nishant Got a Bulge Bracket Offer as an International w/o Much Experience

Our client Nishant is an international student from Dubai who secured his summer internship offer from a bulge bracket bank. As someone coming from a non-target school without much finance experience, hear Nishant discuss the importance of not being content with the status quo, why you can never have too much help, and how he stacked the odds in his favor to maximize his chances, and ultimately got the job. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep201
7/20/202257 minutes, 40 seconds
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Episode 200: When Should You Start Thinking About Your Next Internship

These days, it’s no longer enough to have just one relevant internship on your resume if you want to be a competitive candidate. Most of the top candidates we see have at least 2 to 3. So if you just got your first internship, when is the right time for you to start thinking about your next one? How long do you need to stay at the current one, and when should you start searching for the next one? Hear my thoughts on the sweet spot for internship length so that you can really maximize your resume to its fullest extent. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep200
7/18/20228 minutes, 22 seconds
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Episode 199: Networking With Summer Interns or Brand New Analysts?

When you’re networking, it’s always the easiest to network with people that you already know on a personal level. The problem is, a lot of times the people you know personally are either still just summer interns, or maybe incoming analysts or analysts who just started on the job. Can these people actually help you though? Is it worth it to spend time and effort networking with them? Hear me share my thoughts on this exact topic. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep199
7/15/20227 minutes, 30 seconds
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Episode 198: How Dylan Got Into a Bulge Bracket Investment Bank With a 3.4 GPA and Late Start

Our client Dylan recently received a bulge bracket summer internship offer despite completely missing the accelerated recruiting timeline and only having a 3.4 GPA. Hear Dylan talk about his recruiting process and how he was able to turn it around and get an amazing outcome in the end. He also gives his advice to those of you who are still recruiting. Make sure you check this interview out! Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep198
7/13/202231 minutes, 28 seconds
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Episode 197: Networking As a Non Target Student

Most people focus their networking efforts on investment banking analysts because they’re the closest in age and most approachable. But does this approach work when you’re a non-target student? What changes do you need to make to your approach, if any? Hear me coach a non-target student on what she should be doing differently. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep197
7/11/20224 minutes, 52 seconds
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Episode 196: Taking Networking Trips

If you are really ambitious with your networking, you don’t have to limit your networking conversations to just phone and zoom meetings. Once you’ve built up enough networking contacts, you can actually plan a networking trip out to New York (or whatever office location you plan on applying for) to try and meet with your contacts in person. How do you go about doing something like this? And is it even worth doing? Watch me discuss the pros and cons of doing this with one of my students. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep196
7/7/20224 minutes, 48 seconds
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Episode 195: How Jerry Broke Into a Top Middle Market Bank as an International Student

Our client Jerry was an international student with a 3.3 GPA who decided to recruit for investment banking pretty late in the recruiting process. We helped him get two offers but one got rescinded for sponsorship reasons, causing him to delay graduation to recruit again. Hear how he ultimately got an offer from one of the top middle market banks despite reduced visa sponsorships during COVID-19. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep195
7/6/202245 minutes, 21 seconds
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Episode 194: Skills and Interests on the Resume

On the very bottom of your resume, you should have a “Skills and Interests” section. If you have any sort of certifications, that would belong here as well. How important is this section thought? How much time should you spend trying to beef this section up? What kind of skills should you be including / excluding? Hear me answer these questions for my students. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep194
7/4/20226 minutes, 31 seconds
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Episode 193: Showing Leadership on the Resume

Aside from your professional experience, your leadership experience is the other really important section you have on your resume. How do you demonstrate leadership though? What kind of experiences do you need to have? And do you have to be the president of some club on campus for it to qualify as leadership? Hear me give our students advice on how to show off their leadership qualities. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep193
6/30/20224 minutes, 6 seconds
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Episode 192: How Simarleen Secured a FT Offer From Jefferies

Our client Simarleen interned at Truist during both her sophomore and junior summer. Unfortunately for her, she didn’t receive a full-time return offer because of COVID-19. Typically, recruiting for a full-time offer is already much harder than getting a summer internship because there are a lot fewer spots. Recruiting without a return offer makes it even harder, since banks will question why you didn’t get an offer. Hear how Simarleen was able to overcome these odds to get an offer from an even better bank. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep192
6/29/202231 minutes, 13 seconds
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Episode 190: How to Forecast a SaaS Company

Forecasting the revenue of a company is one of the most important things that you need to get right when valuing a business. However, revenue forecasting is not the same for all businesses. In fact, SaaS businesses have a unique business model that makes their revenue drivers different from that of most other businesses. Given how popular SaaS companies have become in the private equity world as LBO targets, it’s become more and more important to understand this difference. Watch me coach a student on how to forecast the topline for a SaaS business. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep190
6/23/20226 minutes, 5 seconds
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Episode 189: ELEVATE Program Session 8 Ximena-Acing Hirevues / 3 Statements

In this session, we answer some questions Ximena had about how to ace Hirevues, which are becoming more common as the first initial screen that banks use during the interview process. She has also started studying for technical interviews, so we answer some of her questions around the three financial statements. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep189
6/22/202244 minutes, 50 seconds
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Episode 188: What's the Hardest Thing You've Had to Do

Investment banking is a pretty tough job, and not everyone is cut out for it. So sometimes, bankers like to ask “what is the hardest thing you’ve ever had to do” to get a sense for how you handle adversity. If you don’t have a good answer prepared for this question, you risk looking like you’re not banker material. Watch me coach a student on how to answer this question. I also give him some advice on what to do when a question catches him off guard. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep188
6/21/20225 minutes, 38 seconds
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Episode 187: Industry VS. Product Groups

When you apply for a big investment bank, you’re not just applying for the bank itself. What matters just as much, if not more, is which group at the bank you get placed in. There are industry groups, and then there are also product groups. It can be confusing what the difference is, and how they split up the responsibilities or work together. Watch me explain to my student the difference between the two types of groups, and how they both fit into the investment banking ecosystem. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep187
6/16/20228 minutes, 18 seconds
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Episode 186: How Jack Chose Investment Banking Over Consulting and Ended Up at an Elite Boutique

Our client Jack joined WSMM right before sophomore year, when he was still choosing between investment banking and consulting. Prior to joining WSMM, he already had a pretty good resume with his school, GPA, and relevant experiences. With that said, he knew that anything less than a bulge bracket or elite boutique bank would be a disappointment. Hear how he ultimately decided on investment banking and landed an elite boutique offer. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep186
6/15/202232 minutes, 50 seconds
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Episode 185: How to Network Without Being Spammy

When you network with investment bankers, you have to send out a lot of emails because not everyone will respond. This is especially true if you start late with your networking, because then you’re in a rush and have to cram even more networking emails in a short amount of time. But the problem is - if you’re sending the same email to everyone in the office, how can you avoid coming across as spammy and getting blacklisted as a result? Hear me coach my student on how to avoid being labeled a spammer. With some careful planning, you can send a lot of networking emails all at once and still be OK. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep185
6/13/20224 minutes, 16 seconds
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Episode 184: Common Issues for Non-Target Networking

Non-target school students typically find it more difficult to network because they don’t have as many alumni working in investment banking. Because of this, they often wonder if it makes sense to network with professionals that work in other divisions at the investment bank, such as sales & trading or private wealth management. Another issue is that the alumni that they do speak with often don’t have any influence to give them referrals. Hear me coach one of our non-target students on what to do in these type of situations. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep184
6/9/20228 minutes, 56 seconds
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Episode 183: ELEVATE Program Session 7 Going Through Ximena's "Market Related Questions" Answers

In this session, we go through Ximena's answers for all the market related questions that typically come up in investment banking interviews. For example, questions around macroeconomic or industry trends that you've been following, an investment banking deal that you find interesting, and stock pitch questions. All of these questions require you to diligently follow the markets and also come prepared with intelligent commentary about what's happening in the world. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep183
6/8/20221 hour, 23 minutes, 36 seconds
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Episode 182: Interviewer Being Mean to You?

What do you do when you run into an interviewer who acts totally disinterested in what you have to say? Does that mean they actually dislike you? Or are they just stress testing you to see how you react? Hear me answer this question so that you know how to handle this type of situation the next time it comes up! Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep182
6/2/20223 minutes, 10 seconds
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Episode 181: How Jack Chose Investment Banking Over Consulting and Ended Up at an Elite Boutique

Our client Jack joined WSMM right before sophomore year, when he was still choosing between investment banking and consulting. Prior to joining WSMM, he already had a pretty good resume with his school, GPA, and relevant experiences. With that said, he knew that anything less than a bulge bracket or elite boutique bank would be a disappointment. Hear how he ultimately decided on investment banking and landed an elite boutique offer. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep181
6/1/202232 minutes, 50 seconds
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Episode 180: Best Demeanor to Have During Interviews

When you’re interviewing for a job, what kind of demeanor is the most effective? For example, is it better to be more serious and professional, or to be more upbeat and bubbly? This question came up recently in one of our coaching sessions, and I think it’s a good question. Hear my answer to this question so that you can maximize your chances of passing your interviews. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep180
5/30/20225 minutes, 38 seconds
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Episode 179: What to Do if a Banker Reschedules Last Minute

Oftentimes when you schedule a networking call with a banker, they will have to reschedule at the last minute. This is very normal because “firedrills” come up at work all the time, and the banker is always going to prioritize their clients over your networking call. When this happens, what is the best way to respond to make sure that you can still chat with the banker at a later time? Hear me coach a student through how to respond in this type of situation. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep179
5/26/20225 minutes, 39 seconds
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Episode 178: ELEVATE Program Session 6 Going Through Ximena's "Guaranteed Questions" Answers

In this session, we start working on Ximena's behavioral answers by giving her feedback on what we call "the guaranteed questions". These questions include tell me about yourself, or walk me through your resume, why investment banking, and why our bank. These are usually the first and most important questions that get asked in any interview, so it's crucial to knock these questions out of the park if you hope to get an offer. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep178
5/25/20221 hour, 30 minutes, 49 seconds
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Episode 176: Can FCF be Positive if EBITDA is Negative?

Most of you know that EBITDA is a proxy for cash flow. However, for some companies, it’s actually possible to have positive free cash flow when their EBITDA is negative. Can you guess how that might be? Hear me coach a student on this somewhat tricky technical question that gets asked. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep176
5/19/202215 minutes, 16 seconds
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Episode 175: How Jared Landed at Jefferies From a Non-Target by Networking With 350 Bankers

Our client Jared is a student from a small non-target liberal arts school that has barely sent any alumni to Wall Street in recent years. Despite these odds, Jared learned how to network from WSMM and ended up speaking with 350 bankers during his recruiting process. Hear how he was able to get selected for interviews with 10 firms, move on to multiple superdays, and eventually secure an offer from Jefferies. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep175
5/18/202243 minutes, 8 seconds
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Episode 174: How to Explain Changes in Operating Working Capital

Changes in operating working capital is one of the most important variables when calculating the free cash flow of a business. However, it’s a relatively difficult concept to grasp and explain, especially for someone who has never run an actual business before. They key to explaining this is understanding when an event is a USE of cash versus a SOURCE of cash. Hear me coach my student on how to explain this concept in a clear and concise way. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep174
5/16/20224 minutes, 26 seconds
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Episode 173: How to Calculate Fully Diluted Equity Value

When calculating the equity value of a business, you want to make sure you’re using the fully diluted share count, not just the basic share count. But how do you calculate the fully diluted share count? What are the different types of dilutive securities you have to take into account? And how does each type of dilutive security differ when it comes to calculating the dilution? Hear me coach a student through how to answer this question, which is often not well understood by candidates. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep173
5/12/20227 minutes, 7 seconds
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Episode 172: ELEVATE Program Session 5 Resume Questions

In this session, we give Ximena feedback on the next set of behavioral questions, including why she's interested in a particular coverage group within investment banking. We also focus on all the resume related questions, such as why she chose her school and major, as well as walking through the most relevant internship experiences she's had to date, which are her search fund internships. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep172
5/11/20221 hour, 6 minutes, 9 seconds
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Episode 171: Most Common Technical Interview Questions

What are the most common technical topics that get asked about in interviews? This question is especially important if you’re behind on your interview prep and you don’t have time to learn everything. In case you didn’t know, some topics actually do show up a lot more than others. You want to try to prioritize those topics first in your studying. Watch me answer this question for one of my students. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep171
5/9/20223 minutes, 52 seconds
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Episode 170: Do I Have to Network Before I Apply

One of the most common questions I get asked is “Sam, do I have to network first before I apply to a firm, or can I apply first and then network?” This question comes up because oftentimes, students get caught off guard by how early the recruiting process is starting, and haven’t done any networking yet up to that point. So does the order of which you do first really matter? Hear me explain this to one of my students, so that you can maximize your chances of getting interviews. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep170
5/5/20226 minutes, 23 seconds
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Episode 169: How Chan Went From a Liberal Arts Background to Landing an Offer at a BulgeBracket

Our client Chan was a liberal arts student who didn’t have much of a finance background. He thought he had a solid shot at breaking into investment banking, but joined WSMM sophomore year because he didn’t want to just break in -- he wanted to break into the best groups at the best banks. Hear how he was able to do exactly that within just 4 months of joining the program, ultimately receiving an offer from one of the top groups at GS/MS/JPM. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep169
5/4/20224 seconds
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Episode 168: Front Office vs. Middle Office vs. Back Office

Sometimes students get confused about the difference between the “front office” roles at an investment bank versus the “middle office” or “back office” roles. Other times, they know there’s a difference, but are wondering if it’s possible to lateral from a middle or back office role to a front office role. If you don’t know the answer to the above questions, it’s important that you learn it so that you don’t go down the wrong path. Hear me walk a student through the difference between each one, and whether it’s a viable way to break into investment banking. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep168
5/3/20224 minutes, 35 seconds
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Episode 163: How Pavan Landed a Guggenheim Offer as a Masters in Finance From a Non-Target School

Our client Pavan studied at a small non-target school called Case Western. He realised that he wanted to get into banking towards the end of freshman year, but couldn’t get any interviews. During senior year, after realizing his own strategies weren’t working and that time was running out, he joined WSMM. Hear how he was able to secure an offer at an elite boutique despite his extremely late start with recruiting and being from a non-target school. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep163
4/20/202258 minutes, 23 seconds
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Episode 162: How to Sanity Check Your DCF

When you do a discounted cash flow, you can get a wide range of outcomes. Depending on what you assume for your revenue growth rate, margin assumptions, and other factors like working capital and capex, your valuation could be much higher or lower. So how do you know if the valuation range you arrive at is at least in the correct ballpark? Hear me coach my student through how this is done. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep162
4/18/20227 minutes, 51 seconds
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Episode 161: How to Talk About Your Internship Experience

Aside from “tell me about yourself”, “why investment banking”, and “why our bank”, the next most likely question you’ll get during interviews is “walk me through this internship experience on your resume”. In other words, you need to know how to discuss every single experience you have listed on your resume (because you never know which one the interviewer will ask about)… And you need to do it in just the right amount of details. But this is easier said than done… and a lot of students do a poor job with it. Hear me coach this student on how to improve this answer. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep161
4/14/20228 minutes, 17 seconds
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Episode 160: ELEVATE Program Session 3 Diversity Program Recruiting

In this session, we discuss the importance of diversity programs and strategize on how Ximena can take advantage of these additional recruiting channels as a Latina student. We also game plan on all the things she needs to start doing in order to be prepared for the diversity recruiting process. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep160
4/13/202242 minutes, 11 seconds
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Episode 156: How to Figure Out a Company’s KPIs

To really understand whether a business is doing well, you need to first figure out what KPIs to look at. “KPI” stands for “key performance indicators” and these are usually leading indicators that will help you forecast your revenue and expenses ahead of time. This is a more advanced topic but it can come up in interviews, especially if you get a case study question. Hear me coaching one of my students on how to figure out the right KPIs for a business. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep156
4/4/20228 minutes, 4 seconds
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Episode 155: What to Do If Your Internship is BS

A lot of times students take on internships to get more relevant experience, only to find that they are not getting much in terms of real responsibilities. This is problematic because the student then has trouble writing about the internship on their resume… And even if they make up some fake bullet points, they get exposed during the interview when they can’t speak to the internship intelligently. Listen to this podcast where I coach a student who’s in this exact situation. I give him some ideas on how to get the most out of this experience. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep155
4/1/20225 minutes, 44 seconds
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Episode 154: ELEVATE Program Session 2 Setting Up Ximena's Networking Game Plan

In this session we review the initial draft of Ximena's networking contact log, strategize on which banks she wants to target, and how to set goals for how many bankers she should reach out to throughout her networking process. We also discuss who she should target to get better conversion rates for the amount of effort she's putting in. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep154
3/30/202239 minutes, 48 seconds
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Episode 153: Tell Me About a Time When You Had to Manage Tight Deadlines

A common situational question that bankers like to ask is “tell me about a time when you had to manage tight deadlines.” They want to see how you would behave in a high pressure environment that requires you to juggle multiple competing responsibilities at once. But how do you answer these questions well besides just saying things like “work harder” or “sleep less”? Are there mental frameworks you can use to make your answer more structured? Listen to this podcast where I ask a student this question during our mock interview, and give him feedback on how to improve it afterward. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep153
3/28/202213 minutes, 24 seconds
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Episode 152: Can I Get IB Referrals From Employees in Other Divisions?

Should you spend time networking with someone who works at a bank you’re interested in, but doesn’t work in the investment banking division? Can someone who works in, say, private wealth management, refer you for a job in the investment banking division? The answer is it depends. Listen to this podcast where we discuss how you should be allocating your networking time and effort to get the best results. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep152
3/24/20225 minutes, 20 seconds
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Episode 151:How Jenn Went From Getting No Interviews to Landing an Offer From PJT Partners

Our client Jenn is a sophomore who has already secured her junior summer offer at PJT Partners (as of mid-April). Hear how she went from being someone with no finance experience and didn't know how to get her foot in the door, to getting offers for sophomore summer internships with two global banks, followed by her junior summer internship offer - all just within 3.5 months of joining WSMM. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep151
3/23/202243 minutes, 1 second
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Episode 150: Should I Network With Senior Bankers?

Most students focus the majority of their networking efforts on bankers at the analyst level. This is primarily because junior bankers are generally more accessible, and it’s also easier to build rapport with someone who’s closer in age. But is this enough? Or should you be trying to network with senior bankers as well? Hear this podcast where we discuss whether it’s important to network with senior bankers, and how you might go about doing something like that. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep150
3/21/20226 minutes, 48 seconds
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Episode 149: How to Reconnect With Bankers You’ve Already Spoken To

Most of the time, you will have bankers that you networked with months before having to submit your applications. After all, you can’t wait until the last minute to do all of your networking, there simply isn’t enough time. But how do you reconnect with these bankers if it’s been awhile? And how will they even remember who you are? Hear this podcast to learn how to do this and improve your referral rates. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep149
3/17/20223 minutes, 10 seconds
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Episode 148: How Luke Got Into Evercore From a Non-Target That Sends 2 Students Into IB Each Year

Our client Luke is a sophomore who just received a junior summer internship offer from Evercore. He attends a non-target school where just two students graduate into investment banking each year. Hear him talk about how he overcame this obstacle of coming from a non-target school to get an interview from every bank he applied to, before eventually breaking into one of the top elite boutiques on Wall Street. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep148
3/16/202236 minutes, 59 seconds
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Episode 147: Do Different Industry Groups Have Different Technical Questions?

Did you know that some industry groups actually have different technical questions that they ask during interviews? This means that you have some extra studying to do if you are interviewing for these groups. You certainly don’t want to spend time studying for questions you don’t need to know… but you also don’t want to be blindsided during the interview. Listen to this podcast and find out which groups require you to do some extra prep. Knowing this can make or break you! Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep147
3/14/20222 minutes, 57 seconds
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Episode 146: When to Stop Networking

One of my students recently asked me if it would be OK for him to stop networking with a certain bank, because he had already been networking with multiple people at the firm for awhile. Given the limited amount of time you have to network, how do you know when you’ve done enough? I walked him through the two main objectives you must achieve during your networking processes. Once you’ve accomplished both of these goals, you can move on. Listen to this podcast and find out what these two objectives are. This could end up saving you a lot of time from unnecessary networking. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep146
3/10/20224 minutes, 34 seconds
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Episode 145: ELEVATE Program Session 1 Transforming Ximena's Resume

In this session, we introduce Ximena, who is the first student to go through our ELEVATE Scholarship Program where we help high potential students break into investment banking with a full scholarship to our program. We talk about her background a little bit, and then spend most of the session taking a fine comb through her resume. Check out the difference in her resume before she started working with Wall Street Mastermind, to the final draft we ended up with at the end. Having this much improved resume is going to give her a strong foundation for her recruiting efforts, as she uses this resume for all of her networking and application processes. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep145
3/10/202257 minutes, 14 seconds
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Episode 144: Tell Me About a Time When You Solved a Complex Problem

A common question during investment banking interviews is to talk about a time when you had to solve a complex problem. The interviewer wants to know that you’re capable of doing this, because that’s part of the job. Now, this can be a tricky question to come up with good examples for… Hear me brainstorm ideas with a student, and also talk about what to do if you don’t have any good examples to use. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep144
3/7/20228 minutes, 54 seconds
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Episode 143: Behavioral Answer Audit - Why Investment Banking

“Why investment banking” is probably the second most important interview question you’ll get during the interview (after “tell me about yourself”). Everyone is going to have different answers to this question, it should not be one-size-fits-all. But some answers are better than others. Hear me give feedback to the three reasons one of my students provided for this question. Some of them definitely needed improvement! Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep143
3/3/20228 minutes, 29 seconds
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Episode 142: How Will's Mindset Helped Him Land an Offer From Centerview

Our client Will comes from a low-income family, and had to take out loans and work part-time just to go to USC. Despite WSMM being a major financial investment for him, he did what most in his position would be too scared to do and invested in himself. Within 4 months, he had secured 3 job offers. He will be going to Centerview, one of the most elite and selective investment banks on Wall Street (annual class size <20). Hear him talk about how it feels to completely change not only his own life, but that of his family's. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep142
3/2/202242 minutes, 50 seconds
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Episode 141: Behavioral Questions That Most Get Wrong

When it comes to answering behavioral questions, it’s always hard to tell if your answer is what the banker wants to hear. Because there’s no “right” or “wrong” answer, unlike a technical interview question. What are some of the behavioral questions that most candidates answer poorly though? Hear this podcast to find out. You might be surprised at how basic some of these questions seem. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep141
2/28/20223 minutes, 44 seconds
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Episode 140: How to Reach Out to Networking Contacts When Submitting Applications

Let’s say you had some networking conversations that went well awhile back. And now the bank’s application is open, and you’re about to apply. What do you do at this point to get those networking contacts to help you out? Should you apply first, then reach out to them? Or reach out to them first, then apply? Find out how I would approach this situation. It can get pretty nuanced! Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep140
2/24/20226 minutes, 23 seconds
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Episode 139: How Kyle Secured 3 Investment Banking Offers to Follow in His Dad's Footsteps

Our client Kyle was a rising junior and the son of a long-time investment banker and private equity investor. Ever since he was young, he's wanted to follow in his dad's footsteps. Hear him explain why he decided to get help from Wall Street Mastermind despite already having his dad in his corner, as well as how we ended up with three different offers from top tier banks to choose from. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep139
2/23/202240 minutes, 5 seconds
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Episode 138: What to Expect in a First Round Interview

If you have a first round interview coming up, you’re probably wondering what you should expect to be asked. After all, it’s just a 30 minute interview, which goes by pretty quickly. Is the 1st round interview more behavioral, or technical, or both? Hear my thoughts on this question. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep138
2/21/20224 minutes, 11 seconds
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Episode 137: What are the Most Common Technical Interview Questions?

One of the most popular questions I get from students is “Sam, what are the most common technical concepts I’ll get asked about in interviews?” To be honest, you should learn everything no matter what, there really is no point trying to guess what will show up in an interview. But what if you are short on time and can’t prepare for everything? In that case, you’ll have to make some educated guesses and tradeoffs during your preparation. Listen to this podcast to find out which technical concepts you are most likely to be tested on. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep137
2/18/20223 minutes, 53 seconds
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Episode 135: The Key to a Good Elevator Pitch

Having a good elevator pitch is one of the most important things you need when it comes to networking. It’s what establishes the first impression that investment bankers have of you. A common mistake that people make when it comes to their elevator pitch, is not having enough “flow” in their story... And it ends up sounding like an itemization of everything on their resume… which is honestly very boring. Hear me coach a student on how to improve his elevator pitch. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep135
2/14/20227 minutes, 5 seconds
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Episode 134: How to Prep for a Networking Call

Recently, one of our students told me that he spends 1-2 hours preparing questions before each of his networking calls… I was shocked because that is WAY too long - ain’t nobody got time for that! Instead, I told him it should take no more than 5 minutes to prep for each call, and I walked him through a framework on how to do just that. Click the image below to watch me give him this piece of networking advice. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep134
2/10/20224 minutes, 58 seconds
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Episode 133: How Krish Made the Rare Successful Pivot From Sales and Trading Into Investment Banking

Our client Krish came to us as a junior trader/desk analyst on the leveraged loan desk at Cantor Fitzgerald. He wanted to switch from sales and trading to investment banking, and wanted our help with the technical interview preparation process. Hear him talk about why he chose to get our coaching, and why that was more effective than the interview guides and financial modeling courses he was using. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep133
2/9/202237 minutes, 59 seconds
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Episode 132: What If the Networking Call Doesn’t Result in a Referral?

You’ve probably experienced this before: You reached out to a banker to network with them. The call goes well, you have a pleasant conversation. At the end of the call, the banker tells you to “stay in touch” and that they’ll “keep you in the loop on hiring.” But they don’t offer to give you the referral. What does this mean exactly? Where do you go from here? Was that a wasted effort? Hear me coach our students on how to handle this common situation. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep132
2/8/20225 minutes, 12 seconds
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Episode 131: How to Sound Knowledgeable About an Industry

A lot of times during interviews or even networking calls, you will get asked industry-related questions. This is especially true if you’re interviewing for a specific industry coverage group (i.e. TMT, healthcare, FIG, etc.), or perhaps a smaller bank that only specializes in specific verticals (i.e. FTPartners for fintech). In these instances, it’s important for you to be well prepared when it comes to answering any industry-related questions because that’s how the banker will determine if you have a genuine interest in the industry they cover. So how do you do this? What questions do you need to prepare for? Hear me explain this to one of our students. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep131
2/4/20225 minutes, 58 seconds
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Episode 129: Answering “Why Investment Banking”

One of the most important questions that is guaranteed to come up in your investment banking interview is “why investment banking?” If you can’t give a compelling reason for why you want to have a job that makes you work 80-100 hours a week, you’re not going to be hired. What kind of answers are bankers looking for when it comes to this question though? Hear me coach my student on how to improve his answer for this question. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep129
1/31/20228 minutes, 29 seconds
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Episode 128: Tell Me About a Time When You Solved a Complex Problem

Situational questions are very common during investment banking interviews and you definitely need to prepare for them. This is when the interviewer asks you “tell me about a time when you…” One of the most important things when it comes to answering situational questions is choosing the right example to use for your story. Hear me and my student talk through how to do this for “tell me about a time you solved a complex problem.” Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep128
1/27/20228 minutes, 52 seconds
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Episode 127: How Takashi Used WSMM to Get a Bulge Bracket Investment Banking Offer in Asia

Our client Takashi is someone who didn't have any background, resources, or information in investment banking. Despite this, he leveraged Wall Street Mastermind's help to secure an investment banking offer from Bank of America in the Tokyo office. Hear him talk about the difference between recruiting in the US and Asia, and why WSMM's program can help you no matter which office you recruit for. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep127
1/26/202232 minutes, 19 seconds
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Episode 126: How to Ask for More Time After Receiving an Internship Offer

Have you ever received an internship offer from a firm, while you were still waiting to hear back from other interviews? This can become a tricky situation, especially if the firms you’re waiting on is actually your top choice. Oftentimes, the offer you just received comes with an exploding deadline too, and you are being pressured into making a decision. In this situation, how can you ask for more time on the offer you just received? What is the one thing that you CANNOT say? Check out this podcast to hear the advice I gave one of our students recently on this exact topic. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep126
1/24/20225 minutes, 39 seconds
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Episode 125: How Much Effort Should I Spend on Customizing Networking Emails?

You probably already know that networking is an absolute necessity if you want to maximize your chances of getting selected for investment banking interviews. You also most likely know that the first step of networking is sending cold emails to the banker to ask them for a quick chat. If you haven’t been getting responses to your cold emails, one of the reasons is probably because your emails are too generic and cookie cutter. But how much time and effort should you spend on customizing each email? What’s the pros and cons of doing that, versus just copy/pasting from an email template? Hear this podcast to find out when you should be using each approach. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep125
1/20/20227 minutes, 6 seconds
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Episode 123: How Nathan Overcame Doubts About WSMM and Secured Sponsorship for an IB Internship

Our client Nathan joined halfway through sophomore year as an international student. Despite having someone who had never used WSMM warning him that the program was a total scam, he did his own research and decided to take the plunge. Hear the difference WSMM made for him and how we helped him secure a banking internship despite a significant reduction in visa sponsorships during COVID-19. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep123
1/12/202253 minutes, 20 seconds
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Episode 122: How Harrison Spent His Free Time on Learning Technicals and Got Multiple Offers

Our client Harrison joined WSMM halfway through his sophomore year in order to get a clear roadmap on how to maximize his chances of breaking into investment banking from a non-target school. The biggest thing he wanted was efficiency in his preparation process, and that's what he got. Hear how he was able to spend no more than 5 hours of free time studying technicals, and still got multiple internship offers. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep122
1/5/202246 minutes, 1 second
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Episode 121: How To Check in If You’ve Been Ghosted by an Interviewer

Have you ever had an interview that went really well, but you didn’t hear back for a long time? You are probably wondering if you have been dropped from the recruiting process. How should you follow up with them in this situation to see what your status is? One of my students had the same problem with his interview process at Piper Sandler. Check out the advice I gave him about how to follow up with the interviewer in a non-obtrusive way. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep121
1/3/20225 minutes, 46 seconds
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Episode 120: Can a Non-Banker Connection Lead To an Investment Banking Offer?

Are you at a non target school that has very few banking alumni… and even the ones that are on Wall Street are not in investment banking? One of my students asked me if a Sales & Trading alumni connection at Deutsche Bank can help him land a banking offer at Deutsche Bank. Should he keep that relationship alive? Hear my response to his question on how to logically think this through. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep120
12/30/20218 minutes, 56 seconds
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Episode 119: How Sriman Landed an Investment Banking Offer w/ a 3.5 GPA

Our client Sriman recently received an offer from an upper middle market investment bank despite only having a 3.5 GPA and not knowing how to network or answer technical questions initially. Hear Sriman talk about how he was able to improve his resume, networking, technical knowledge, and behavioral interviewing skills all at once. You do not want to miss Sriman's advice! Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep119
12/29/20211 hour, 2 minutes, 45 seconds
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Episode 118: Is Your Elevator Pitch Canned?

Ever feel like your elevator pitch sounds a bit canned? Meaning you feel like you sound like you are reading off a script? A lot of the times, you may just need someone else to listen to it because we are our harshest critiques. Hear me give advice to one of my students about his elevator pitch that he thought sounded canned. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep118
12/27/20217 minutes, 11 seconds
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Episode 117: Why Our Bank? Middle Market Edition

“Why Our Bank” is one of the very first questions bankers typically ask during interviews. It is pretty easy to answer that question for a top tier bank, but how would you answer that for a middle market bank? They might be wondering why you would choose a middle market bank over a bulge bracket or elite boutique bank, and you can’t really say it’s because you can’t get into a top tier bank. Check out my response to this question that one of my students asked me. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep117
12/23/20219 minutes, 29 seconds
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Episode 116: How Zeb Went From 0 to Having 7 Interviews and a Middle Market Investment Banking Offer

Our client Zeb attends NYU, but in the College of Arts and Sciences, which is a non-target, unlike Stern. Prior to joining Wall Street Mastermind, he had applied to ~20 firms and gotten zero interviews. After working with us, he got interviews from 7 different firms, before eventually accepting an offer from his top middle-market bank. Hear him talk about what enabled him to make such a huge turnaround! Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep116
12/22/202137 minutes, 55 seconds
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Episode 115: How to Answer Weakness Questions

Talking about a weakness is a behavioral question that many people mess up on. You don’t want to give them a real weakness that would hurt your interview, or just give them a strength and try to dress it up as a weakness (i.e. “I’m too much of a perfectionist sometimes”). So how should you handle it? Hear me give advice to this student on how to properly answer this question to use your weakness in your favor. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep115
12/20/20216 minutes, 39 seconds
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Episode 114: How to Keep Networking Connections Warm

Have you ever had a great networking conversation with a banker, where they even agreed to give you a referral at the end of the chat? Only problem is, because you started networking early (like you should), applications aren’t open until at least months away? In these instances, what should you do to keep those networking connections you’ve made warm? How do you make sure that the bankers won’t forget about you when recruiting actually starts? Listen to this podcast where I give step-by-step tips to keep networking connections warm even if recruiting is months away. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep114
12/16/202110 minutes, 3 seconds
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Episode 113: How Dean Learned His Technicals in Just 1 Week and Got an Offer

Our client Dean was able to secure a summer analyst offer despite going to a non-target school and not having any relevant finance experience. What's even more impressive is that he learned all of his technicals in just one week (yes, with our help). Hear Dean talk about how he was able to "bankify" his story and shorten his preparation time to still be successful despite the accelerated recruiting timeline. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep113
12/15/202138 minutes, 18 seconds
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Episode 112: Why This Industry Group

There are times when you might be interviewing with a bank or group that covers a specific industry. This could either happen if you’re interviewing for a regional office outside of New York (i.e. SF = tech, Houston = oil & gas, Chicago = industrials, etc.), or if you’re interviewing with a smaller bank that specializes in a certain vertical (i.e. FTPartners = fintech). Even if you interview for the NYC office, you’ll eventually have to go through the group placement process. During these times, it’s important that you know how to answer why you are interested in the particular industry that the bank or group covers. In this video, one of our students answers why he is interested in the cannabis group at the bank he’s interviewing for. Hear me give advice to him on how to answer this question in a way that not only demonstrates genuine interest, but also shows off his industry knowledge as well. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep112
12/13/20218 minutes, 47 seconds
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Episode 111: Walk Through an M&A Deal You’ve Been Following

One of the most basic questions you might get asked during an investment banking interview is to walk through an M&A deal you’ve been following. Finding a deal to talk about is the easy part, they’re a dime a dozen… But actually demonstrating an understanding of the strategic rationale behind the deal and having an opinion on whether it was a good deal - THAT’s the hard part. Do you know what talking points you need to touch on to impress the banker? Check out this podcast where I walkthrough the steps on how to present an M&A deal the correct way. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep111
12/10/20217 minutes, 44 seconds
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Episode 110: How Megan Landed a JPMorgan Offer as International Student at a Small Non-Target School

Our client Megan is an international student who didn't start learning English until 9th grade. Attending a small non-target liberal arts school, she had very few alumni on Wall Street to reach out to, and little to no relevant resources on campus. Despite all of these obstacles, hear her talk about how she was able to land superdays with both Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan, before ultimately accepting an offer with the latter. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep110
12/8/202143 minutes, 35 seconds
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Episode 109: How to Get More Responses from Cold Networking

Are you sending a lot of cold emails to bankers but getting little to no response? What are you doing wrong? How can you get more bankers to be willing to connect with you? One of my students had the same problem. Listen to this clip where I work with him to figure out what went wrong. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep109
12/7/20218 minutes, 46 seconds
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Episode 108: How to Value a Company

You will almost certainly get asked to value a company during your investment banking interview. When it comes to valuation, there are a few different ways to go about it. In this video, a student is asked to value a cannabis company specifically. Hear me give advice to him on how to answer this question in the most effective and concise way. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep108
12/2/20218 minutes, 39 seconds
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Episode 107: How Nathan Secured an Elite Boutique Offer Without Joining Any Organizations on Campus

Our client Nathan realized during sophomore summer that he needed more recruiting help. Originally, he thought he could just DIY, which led him to not join any business clubs on campus. After a lot of time surfing Google and WSO, he realized he couldn't find everything he needed and that recruiting felt like a black box. Hear how having a one-stop-shop with WSMM helped him secure an elite boutique offer. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep107
12/1/202135 minutes, 49 seconds
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Episode 106: Talk About a Deal You've been Following

Aside from a recent trend, you may also get asked to talk about a deal you’ve been following during your investment banking interview. To do this effectively, you not only need to choose the right deal to talk about, but you also need to research the deal inside and out. What are the different components of a great answer when talking about investment banking deals? Hear me give feedback to one of our students on the deal he picked and how to best discuss this deal. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep106
11/29/20217 minutes, 5 seconds
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Episode 105: Walk Me Through the Pros and Cons of Valuation Methodologies

One of the most important technical concepts for you to learn is valuation. Because everything you do in investment banking revolves around it. Asking about the pros and cons of the different valuation methodologies is one of the most common questions for interviewers to test someone on their understanding of valuation. Hear how I explained these pros and cons to one of our students recently. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep105
11/26/20216 minutes, 43 seconds
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Episode 104: How David is Skipping IB and Going Straight to Buyside Investing w/ a $2Bn AUM Fund

Our client David just finished sophomore year and recently accepted an offer at a $2Bn growth equity firm for his junior summer. He dropped out of processes with top banks like Goldman TMT, MS Tech, Moelis LA, Qatalyst, and PWP, just to name a few... Despite having some resources already, hear him talk about why he still wanted my help, and how this allowed him to get an outcome that most people can only dream of. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep104
11/24/202143 minutes, 58 seconds
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Episode 103: How to Discuss an Industry Trend During Investment Banking Interviews

One thing you might be asked during an interview is to talk about a recent trend you have been following. To do this effectively, you first need to do a lot of research in order to sound intelligent about your chosen topic. Furthermore, the topic you choose cannot be too broad or obvious. In this video, one of our students talked about a cannabis trend that he has been following. Hear me give feedback on the trend he picked and how he answered this question. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep103
11/23/20216 minutes, 4 seconds
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Episode 94: No Alumni at Your Dream Investment Bank?

Oftentimes students want to apply to a specific bank but can’t find any alumni to contact. This is especially prevalent for non-target school students and sometimes even for semi-target school students. What do you do in this case? Listen to see my advice about how to go about the networking process when you don’t have any connections. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep94
11/22/20216 minutes, 39 seconds
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Episode 102:Tell Me About Your Greatest Weakness

“Tell me about your greatest weakness” is a behavioral question that many people mess up on. On the one hand, you don’t want to give them a weakness that will cause them to not want to hire you. On the other hand, you can’t just give them a strength and try to dress it up as a weakness (i.e. “I’m too much of a perfectionist sometimes”). So how should you handle it? Hear me give advice to this student on how to properly answer this question to use your weakness in your favor. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep102
11/18/202110 minutes, 42 seconds
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Episode 101: How Kyle Went From Community College Transfer to Getting Into IB at the Last Minute

Our client Kyle started school at a community college, but then transferred to UC Berkeley junior year. He thought his life was set, until senior year when he realized he wanted to become an investment banker. Now only was he extremely late to the game, most of his competition had been preparing since freshman year. Hear how he beat the odds with WSMM’s help, despite his extremely late start in the recruiting process. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep101
11/17/202149 minutes, 46 seconds
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Episode 100: Should a Regional Target School Student Try for NYC Positions?

I get this question a lot, especially from students who go to semi target schools that primarily place into regional offices (think SF Bay Area, Chicago, Houston, etc.)... Because many students would rather work in NYC if they can. Is it worth trying for NYC even if it’s harder to break into though? Listen as I give this student my advice on making his career location decision. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep100
11/16/20213 minutes, 57 seconds
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Episode 99: Can You get into Investment Banking if You’re Not a Business/Finance Major?

Are you majoring in something other than business or finance but want to get into investment banking? You may be wondering if it is even possible. How are you supposed to compete with a finance major during the technical interview? Watch here as I show a student how to best prepare for investment banking as a non business/finance major. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep99
11/12/20214 minutes, 12 seconds
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Episode 98: How Justin Missed Out on a Return Offer and Recovered by Securing a Full-Time Offer

Our client Justin is a rising senior who did well during his summer internship but unfortunately wasn't given a return offer due to COVID-19. Knowing how much more difficult the full-time recruiting process is, he decided to work with WSMM to maximize his chances. Hear him talk about how he was able to secure a full-time offer without having a return offer, and despite the depressed job market during the pandemic. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep98
11/10/202137 minutes, 50 seconds
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Episode 97: How Can Freshmen Prepare for Investment Banking Recruiting?

Many of you might be realizing that you want to get into banking as early as freshman year. Given the accelerated investment banking recruiting timeline these days, it’s not even really “early” to start preparing as a freshman anymore! But what are some things you can do during your freshman year to start preparing yourself for recruiting? Watch this to see what my advice is to a freshman who asked me this question. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep97
11/9/20216 minutes, 17 seconds
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Episode 96: How Do You Leverage the Network You Develop During Your Finance Internships?

The most qualified investment banking applicants start building up their resume by doing relevant finance internships during freshman and sophomore year. An additional benefit to doing these internships is on the networking side, because the people you work for will most likely know other Wall Street professionals that they can introduce you to. But that’s obvious. A freshman from a non-target school recently asked me how he should go about leveraging the networking he’s built through the hedge fund internship he’s currently doing. Check out the advice I gave him - it wasn’t really what he expected, but it’s the less obvious angle that is arguably even more important to think about. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep96
11/4/20217 minutes, 38 seconds
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Episode 95: How Pedro Secured Offers From Morgan and Evercore Despite Being an International Student

Our client Pedro is an international student at Wharton. During freshman year, he applied to many bulge bracket diversity programs, but failed 5-6 first round interviews in a row. He quickly realized that getting interviews wasn’t a problem for him, but none of it mattered if he couldn’t ace the interviews. Hear how he joined WSMM junior year, completely transformed his interviewing skills, and landed offers from both Morgan Stanley and Evercore. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep95
11/3/202134 minutes, 31 seconds
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Episode 93: How Saksham Went From a Non-Target International Student to Landing an Offer

Our client Saksham had two big disadvantages when it came to recruiting, being both a non-target student and an international student. Despite these obstacles, he became one of just two students in the last 3-4 years who got into investment banking from his school without being a part of the investment banking club on campus. He was also the only student from his school to get an offer from the New York office, while most others ended up in Chicago. Hear how he was able to get such an amazing outcome. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep93
10/27/202142 minutes, 48 seconds
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Episode 92: Building a DCF for a Pre-Revenue Business

The DCF is one of the most commonly tested topics during an investment banking interview. Recently a student of ours talked about doing a DCF for a pre-revenue business during a mock interview. This sounded like the exact type of thing an interviewer would ask about, so we tested him on it. Hear this podcast to see how to answer this somewhat tricky question! Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep92
10/25/20219 minutes, 1 second
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Episode 91: How to Ask Industry Specific Questions During a Networking Chat

Networking is one of the most important things you can do to get investment banking interviews. Without referrals from your networking contacts, you will get very few interviews. One of the best ways to stand out during a networking chat is to ask intelligent questions that show you’ve done your homework. After all, if you just ask the same cookie cutter questions that everyone else is asking, the banker is not going to remember you. Hear this podcast where I explain how to ask intelligent questions during networking to help yourself stand out from the competition. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep91
10/21/202110 minutes, 36 seconds
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Episode 90: How Kevin Went From a Non-Target MBA Program to Landing Multiple Bulge Bracket Offers

Our student Kevin had been dreaming of IB for 15 years before joining WSMM. In between, he tried entrepreneurship, worked in ministry, served in the Army, got a Masters in Finance, and worked at a state prison. Unable to break into IB, he decided to join WSMM during his MBA program at Florida A&M. Hear how he landed multiple bulge bracket offers with our help despite not having any prior finance work experience. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep90
10/20/20211 hour, 4 minutes, 1 second
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Episode 89: What is the difference between CapEx and OpEx?

One of the technical concepts that trips up many students is the difference between capital expenditures and operating expenses. It’s not as complicated as you think though - once you understand the difference it’s really quite simple. Listen as I explain what they are to one of our students. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep89
10/18/20218 minutes, 20 seconds
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Episode 88: How Alex Landed a Job With WSMM’s Help, Got an Even Better Offer with Jefferies

Our client Alex originally came to us as a senior from a non-target after failing to secure an investment banking summer internship. We helped him go from a middle office internship to a full-time middle market private equity offer, which was an amazing outcome. However, his offer got rescinded when COVID-19 hit. Hear how Alex used WSMM to recruit for a second time, and this time around ended up with an even better full-time offer from Jefferies. To see if we can help you, schedule a free strategy session here: www.wallstmastermind.com/apply/?utm_source=soundcloud-interviews-alex On this free strategy session, we'll talk about how the recruiting process is going for you, and help you figure out if and how you can overcome the challenges you're currently experiencing.
10/13/202143 minutes, 29 seconds
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Episode 87: Tell Me About Yourself. Non-Business Major Edition

One of the most common questions that you will get asked during an interview is “tell me about yourself.” Do well on this question, make a good first impression, and the rest of your interview becomes much easier. The opposite is also true. Watch how I help this student craft his answer to this question in a way that will make him stand out against students who are seemingly more qualified on paper. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep87
10/12/202117 minutes, 12 seconds
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Episode 86: Walking Through a Multi-step 3-Statement Question

We are seeing more and more interviewers today ask “multi-step” three statement questions to really test a candidate’s knowledge. Watch me walk this student through an example of this type of question in this video. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep86
10/8/202110 minutes, 28 seconds
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Episode 85: How Andy Confidently Turned Down a PE Offer Before Landing an Offer at Goldman

Our client Andy had all the typical resources at his disposal (interview guides, finance clubs, etc.). He joined WSMM after realizing how those resources really weren't enough to stand out. Hear him talk about how WSMM helped him secure interviews with almost every bank he applied to, get multiple superdays, and even confidently turn down a private equity offer before eventually getting an offer at Goldman Sachs. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep85
10/7/202128 minutes, 42 seconds
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Episode 84: Pros and Cons of the Three Valuation Methodologies

One of the most common technical interview topics is valuation. Because everything you do in banking revolves around it. Watch how I explained these pros and cons to one of our students recently. Book a Virtual Coffee Chat with an Upperclassmen Who Secured an Offer: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep84
10/5/202116 minutes, 17 seconds
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Epsiode 83: What You Should do Freshman Year

Are you an underclassman who is interested in getting into investment banking? Watch me explain what types of things to focus on right now to take advantage of that early start in the recruiting process. Schedule a free strategy session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep83
10/1/20216 minutes, 16 seconds
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Episode 82: How to Explain the Mid-Year Convention in a DCF

One of the technical concepts that trips up a lot of candidates is the mid-year convention in a DCF. You not only need to know what it is, and how it works… But the tricky part is how to explain it in a concise and articulate manner to your interviewer (this is where most people mess up). It’s really not that hard though! Watch as I explain this concept to a student step by step. Schedule a free strategy session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep82
9/28/20218 minutes, 55 seconds
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Episode 81: What was an Interesting Pitch You got to Work on?

One of the most common questions asked during full time recruiting is talking about a deal or pitch that you got to work on. However, what if you feel like you didn’t actually do that much? Check out how I was able to help this student turn his minimal role on the pitch to something he can talk about and be proud of during his interview. Schedule a virtual coffee chat at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep81
9/24/202113 minutes, 56 seconds
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Episode 80: What are the Drivers that Affect Accretion / Dilution?

One of the more advanced topics in investment banking technical interviews involves doing M&A math… also known as “accretion / dilution.” I recently did a mock interview with one of our students where we went over this exact topic, and I thought it would be a great opportunity for you to learn how to answer this question as well. Schedule a free strategy session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep80
9/21/20217 minutes, 25 seconds
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Episode 79: What are Valuation Multiples?

Valuation is one of the four major topics you’ll get tested on in investment banking interviews (the other three are accounting, M&A, and LBO). It might even be the most important topic, because everything you do in investment banking revolves around valuation in one way or another. If you’re not well versed on how valuation multiples work yet, check out this short episode to learn this very important topic. Schedule a free strategy session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep79
9/8/202116 minutes
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Episode 78: How Paolo Got Into IB as an MBA After Recruiting Unsuccessfully From a Non-Target School

Full transcript here: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Lf3PWakIdcZnaYmGbP6vHOHsiphoqJor Our client Paolo is a perfect story of perseverance and resilience. After trying to recruit for investment banking unsuccessfully from a non-target school back in college, he went back to business school to reapply for summer associate positions. After not seeing much success initially, hear him talk about how WSMM helped him turn it around just in time before the recruiting cycle ended. To see if we can help you, schedule a free virtual coffee chat with one of our upperclassmen students here: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep78 On this call, we'll talk about how the recruiting process is going for you, and help you figure out how you can overcome any challenges you're currently experiencing.
9/7/202138 minutes, 10 seconds
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Episode 77: How to Pitch a Stock

One question that we see a lot of students struggle with during interviews is “pitch me a stock you like.” The reason why this question can be tricky is because it’s very open-ended, and you can’t really just memorize the “right” answer. A student of mine recently asked me how to answer this question, and I thought I’d share my tips with you too. Schedule a free strategy session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep77
9/3/202110 minutes, 31 seconds
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Episode 76: How Kelly Went from Being an Already Good IB Candidate to Being One of the Best

Our client Kelly studied at a top target school and was actually pretty qualified for investment banking. Although he knew he could probably get into banking by himself, he didn’t want just any bank; he wanted to be at one of the top groups in a top bank. To do that, he knew the resources at school weren’t enough to help him stand out. Hear what he did with WSMM to help him land offers from two of the top three technology investment banking groups on Wall Street. To see if we can help you, schedule a free strategy session here: www.wallstmastermind.com/apply/?utm_source=soundcloud-interviews-kelly On this free strategy session, we'll talk about how the recruiting process is going for you, and help you figure out if and how you can overcome the challenges you're currently experiencing.
8/29/202144 minutes, 13 seconds
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Episode 75: How Selin Went From Having Self Doubt to Getting Goldman Sachs TMT

Selin discovered investment banking during sophomore year, but wasn't sure if she was good enough to break into such a competitive field. Despite some help from the finance club members, she got rejected from all of her applications. Hear how joining WSMM helped her secure a sophomore summer internship from Deutsche Bank, followed by a junior summer internship from Goldman Sachs' TMT group. To see if we can help you, schedule a free strategy session here: www.wallstmastermind.com/apply/?utm_souce=podcastep75 On this free strategy session, we'll talk about how the recruiting process is going for you, and help you figure out if and how you can overcome the challenges you're currently experiencing.
8/25/202137 minutes, 41 seconds
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Episode 74: How to Start a Networking Conversation With Investment Bankers

If you’re just starting to network with investment bankers, one of the most intimidating parts of the process is probably figuring out what to talk about during the conversation. I recently answered this question for one of my students where we talked about exactly how to do this. If you’ve been having trouble with this, this podcast is for you. Schedule a free strategy session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep74
8/18/20215 minutes, 19 seconds
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Episode 73: Are Recommendations on Linkedin Necessary for Recruiting?

Some of you probably have seen a recommendations section on Linkedin where past coworkers/connections can vouch for you. But is it really necessary for recruiting? Will recruiters actually look seriously at your recommendations? Check out what I said about the importance of recommendations and how to go about getting them. Schedule a free strategy session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep73
8/11/20213 minutes, 10 seconds
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Episode 72: How to Network if You are From a Non-Target School

Are you from a non-target school that has very few alumni working in investment banking? When networking, what can you do aside from just reaching out to alumni from your school? Check out my response from a recent Q&A I did. Schedule a free strategy session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep72
8/9/20213 minutes, 14 seconds
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Episode 71: How Bradley Landed Every Top Tier Investment Banking Offer He Applied For

Full transcript here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GukUSOgfyPRZsMT40r7eE1q8xDG4KiLW/view?usp=sharing Our client Bradley is a rising junior who has already secured offers from banks like Perella Weinberg, Citi, and Evercore. As of this interview, he's also been fast-tracked to superday interviews with Goldman Sachs (both NYC and SF). Hear him talk about how he went from a bioengineering major who knew very little during his sophomore year, to securing offers from every bank he's applied to so far (100% offer rate). To see if we can help you, schedule a free strategy session here: www.wallstmastermind.com/apply/?utm_source=podcastep71 On this free strategy session, we'll talk about how the recruiting process is going for you, and help you figure out if and how you can overcome the challenges you're currently experiencing.
8/8/202153 minutes, 22 seconds
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Episode 69: Do Different IB Groups Require Different Technical Preparation

Are there different technical concepts for different investment banking groups? Depending on what group it is, there may or may not be some extra technical concepts that you’ll have to learn. Listen to this short podcast to learn which groups require extra preparation on your part, so that you don’t get caught off guard. Schedule a free strategy session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep69
8/5/20213 minutes, 24 seconds
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Episode 68: What to do if You Have No Relevant Finance Experience

Wondering what to do if you want to break into investment banking but don’t have relevant finance experience? This is a common question that a lot of students have, you’re not alone. Listen to this podcast where I talk about what you can do if you’re currently in this situation. Schedule a free strategy session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep68
8/4/20213 minutes, 52 seconds
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Episode 67: How do I Follow up After a Networking Call to Keep the Connection Warm?

Someone recently asked me what is the best way to follow up with bankers after the initial networking call. If you’ve also been having a lot of networking conversations but most of it is not leading to anything, this may be the missing piece of the puzzle for you. Schedule a free strategy session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep67
7/31/20215 minutes, 51 seconds
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Episode 66: Is Applying for Junior Summer Internships In September or October Too Late?

I recently got asked this question during an AMA, and I wanted to share because a lot of you are probably wondering the same thing. The answer is it really depends on what type of bank you’re aiming for. Check out this short audio to learn more about the recruiting timeline. Schedule a free strategy session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep66
7/29/20212 minutes, 57 seconds
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Episode 65: Is Investment Banking Summer 2022 Recruiting Over?

Are you wondering if it is too late to get an investment banking summer internship offer? At this point in time, what types of banks are still recruiting? Listen to me as I break down the timelines for summer internship recruiting and teach you a way to get into your top choice bank full time if you missed the deadline for this year. Schedule a free strategy session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep65
7/27/20215 minutes, 27 seconds
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Episode 64: How Much Do Investment Bankers ACTUALLY Make

You’ve probably heard that investment banking is one of the highest paying jobs you can get right out of school. But how much do you make exactly anyway? Listen to this podcast to find out how much investment bankers actually make and the different factors you can think about to make sure you land the highest paying job possible right out of school. Schedule a free strategy session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep64
6/25/202119 minutes, 51 seconds
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Episode 63: Investment Banking EXPLAINED

Most people don’t have a good idea of what investment bankers actually do. They think it has to do with picking stocks (it has nothing to do with that)… and know that it’s a high paying job with long hours. But there’s actually a lot more to it than that! In this podcast, we give an in-depth overview of the career path so that you can see if it’s right for you. Want the free gift mentioned at the end of this episode? https://www.linkedin.com/posts/samshiah_investmentbanking-wallstreet-wallstreetmastermind-activity-6810195810182152192-x4SK
6/14/202114 minutes, 50 seconds
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Episode 62: BILLIONAIRES Who Started Their Careers On Wall Street

Many students talk about exit opportunities when they’re asked why they want to start their career on Wall Street. But what kind of exit opportunities does that entail, exactly? Listen to this episode to find out!
6/1/202114 minutes, 5 seconds
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Episode 61: How To Become A Millionaire By Age 30 (Through Investment Banking)

Hey there! My name is Sam Shiah and I'm the founder of Wall Street Mastermind. I grew up in an immigrant family that didn't have a lot of money. But before I turned 30, I had achieved my goal of becoming a millionaire. Listen to this podcast to learn about my career path, including why I chose to start in investment banking, followed by stints in private equity and several of the hottest Silicon Valley startups before launching Wall Street Mastermind. And of course, I'll talk about what I think were the factors that enabled me to accomplish my financial goals along the way.
5/25/202119 minutes, 43 seconds
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Episode 60: With Ex-Rothschild Restructuring Banker / Oaktree / DE Shaw / Wharton MBA

In this podcast, I got a great opportunity to interview my friend Will, who worked in restructuring during the 2008 financial crisis at Rothschild, which is one of the top restructuring shops out there. We talked about his career, the exit opportunities coming out of restructuring, what is restructuring anyway, and whether it makes sense to go to business school. Listen to this episode to learn about if restructuring is the path for you.
4/30/20211 hour, 2 minutes, 40 seconds
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Episode 59: Ex-Morgan Stanley Banker’s Thoughts on Goldman Analyst Survey

By now you've probably seen the analyst survey that came out of Goldman Sachs. Are investment banking hours really that bad? Is it really worth it to work in investment banking? My opinion might surprise you, check it out! Schedule a Free Strategy Session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep59
4/17/202129 minutes, 45 seconds
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Episode 58: Candid Thoughts About Wall Street Mastermind From WSMM Client Justin

Listen to this interview I did with my client Justin about how he was able to convince his mom to help him out, despite them being strapped for resources. Also hear about what his mom thinks of the decision to join WSMM in hindsight! Schedule a Free Strategy Session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep58
4/2/202139 minutes, 35 seconds
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Episode 57 : The Hidden Benefit for Investment Banking Networking

The investment banking networking process can be long and grueling. But if you adopt this mindset, every networking conversation becomes a win. Check it out! Schedule a Free Strategy Session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep57
3/23/20214 minutes, 33 seconds
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Episode 56 : The Importance of Three Financial Statements in Investment Banking

What are the 3 financial statements and why should you learn this before you study for any of the other investment banking technical concepts? Let's find out! Schedule a Free Strategy Session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep56
3/18/20219 minutes, 35 seconds
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Episode 55: What IS Investment Banking (It's NOT Investing In Stocks!)

We see a lot of confusion out there about what investment banking actually is. No, your job is not to pick stocks to invest in. Watch this if you're new to the field! Schedule a Free Strategy Session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep55
3/16/202110 minutes, 51 seconds
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Episode 54: 3 Guaranteed Questions for Your Investment Banking Interview

There are 3 questions that are almost guaranteed to show up in every investment banking interview. Check out our tips on how to ace these questions! Schedule a free strategy session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep54
3/12/20219 minutes, 16 seconds
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Episode 53: How To Overcome A Low GPA If You're Recruiting For Investment Banking

You've likely heard that you need a near-perfect GPA to break into investment banking. It's not true! Here are things you can do to overcome a low GPA. Schedule a free strategy session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep53
3/11/202110 minutes, 33 seconds
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Episode 52: How To Find Your Passion

A popular piece of career advice that's out there tells people to find their passion and pursue it as a career. Is this sound advice though? Let's discuss. Schedule a free strategy session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep52
3/9/202111 minutes, 4 seconds
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Episode 51: 4 Most Common Mistakes With Three - Statement Questions

You are guaranteed to be asked about the three financial statements in your technical interview. Check out the most common mistakes that you must avoid. Schedule a free strategy session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep51
3/6/20219 minutes, 26 seconds
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Episode 50 : How To Decide Which Investment Bank To Work For

There are so many great investment banks out there, how do you decide which one you should work for? What are the factors to consider when ranking your options?   Schedule a free strategy session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep50
3/4/202111 minutes, 4 seconds
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Episode 49: The Old Way Vs. The New Way Of Learning Investment Banking Technicals

The way most people prepare for technical interviews hasn't changed for the last 15 years. But in the last 3 years, a small minority have found a better way. What is it?   Schedule a free strategy session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep49
2/27/202111 minutes, 4 seconds
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Episode 48: Why Do We Care About How Much Money We Make

It seems like whenever the topic of money comes up, it's a sensitive subject. But at the end of the day, why do we want to make money anyway? What do you think?   Schedule a free strategy session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep48
2/25/202111 minutes, 4 seconds
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Episode 47: 3 Keys to Getting Your First Finance Internship

One of the biggest challenges for students who want to break into investment banking is getting that first finance internship. Here are some tips to keep in mind. Schedule a free strategy session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep47
2/18/202111 minutes, 1 second
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Episode 46: Relationship Between The 4 Different Areas Of Technicals

Before you start studying for investment banking technical interviews, check out this important context you should know that will help you understand everything better. Schedule a free strategy session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=fbgrpwkvid
2/17/202110 minutes, 29 seconds
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Episode 45: 3 Things To Look For When Getting Investment Banking Recruiting Advice From People

The quality of the advice is only as good as the source you get it from. Check out the 3 things to look for when it comes to getting investment banking recruiting advice. Schedule a free strategy session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep45
2/15/202111 minutes, 4 seconds
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Episode 44: 4 Reasons Why Technology Investment Banking Is The Best Coverage Group To Work For

Working in technology investment banking is one of the best career decisions I've ever made. Check out these very compelling reasons why tech IB is the way to go. Schedule a free strategy session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep44
2/12/202111 minutes, 1 second
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Episode 43: Investment Banking Exit Opportunities - PE vs. Hedge Funds vs. VC

Many investment banking analysts want to exit after 2 years to buyside jobs like private equity, hedge funds, or venture capital. What are the pros and cons of each? Schedule a free strategy session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep43
2/10/202120 minutes, 22 seconds
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Episode 42:The 4 Most Common Mistakes Students Make With Investment Banking Behavioral Answers

After editing the behavioral answers of over 300 investment banking candidates, here are the 4 most common mistakes we see students make. Listen and learn! Schedule a free strategy session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep42
2/6/20219 minutes, 59 seconds
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Episode 41: The Secret About The Investment Banking Resume Selection Process

There's a dirty little secret about what goes into the investment banking resume selection process. Find out what this secret is, it'll help you get more interviews! Schedule a free strategy session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep41
2/4/20218 minutes, 29 seconds
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Episode 40 : Is Everything You Need For Investment Banking Recruiting Already On Google

Is everything you need to know to successfully recruit for investment banking already available for free online through Google, YouTube, and online forums? Let's find out! Schedule a free strategy session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep40
2/2/202110 minutes, 54 seconds
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Episode 39 : AMA With Investment Banking Vice President From A Top Bulge Bracket Bank

Hear the raw unfiltered truth from a vice president at a top bulge bracket bank who has also worked in private equity. This Q&A is full of golden nuggets! Schedule a free strategy session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep39
1/31/20211 hour, 8 minutes, 35 seconds
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Episode 38: Top 3 Reasons Why You're Not Getting Responses When Networking With Investment Bankers

Hear the raw unfiltered truth from a vice president at a top bulge bracket bank who has also worked in private equity. This Q&A is full of golden nuggets! Schedule a free strategy session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep38
1/28/20218 minutes, 54 seconds
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Episode 37: Actual Acceptance Rate At Various Top 20 Investment Banks

Ever wonder what % of the applicants actually get accepted by top banks like Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley? Listen to this episode to find out. Schedule a free strategy session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep37
1/26/202110 minutes, 42 seconds
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Episode 36: How To Get To $1 Million In Net Worth By Age 30 (Numbers Inside)

Getting to $1 million by age 30 might be easier than you think, but it depends on where you start. Listen to this episode to know the math behind it all! Schedule a free strategy session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep36
1/25/202125 minutes, 10 seconds
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Episode 35: What Is The Best Major For Investment Banking

Does your major really matter? Today we’re breaking down one of our most popular questions. Listen to this episode to find out... the answer may surprise you! Schedule a free strategy session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply/?utm_source=podcastep35
1/20/202113 minutes, 42 seconds
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Episode 34: Types Of Investment Banking Behavioral Questions

In this episode we break down different categories of investment banking behavioral interview questions so that you have a good idea what to expect. Keep listening to hear the 5 most common types of investment banking behavioral questions. Schedule a Free Strategy Session at: www.wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep34
1/4/20219 minutes, 15 seconds
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Episode 33: Which Is Better Working In Investment Banking Or Consulting

Investment banking or management consulting? Which one is better? What are the differences? Keep listening to this episode to find out. Schedule a Free Strategy Session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep33
1/4/202110 minutes, 3 seconds
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Episode 32: Should You Join Investment Banking Feeder Clubs?

A lot of schools these days have investment banking "feeder" clubs. What are investment banking feeder clubs? Keep listening to this episode to find out what these university clubs are and also why they can help you land a job in investment banking. Schedule a Free Strategy Session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep32
12/28/202019 minutes, 38 seconds
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Episode 31: What Type Of Investment Bank Is Best For You - Bulge Bracket Or Elite Boutique

What type of investment bank is best for you? Whether it is bulge bracket, middle market, elite boutique or even regional boutique do you know what type is best for you? Listen to this episode to find out Schedule a Free Strategy Session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep31
12/18/202017 minutes, 28 seconds
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Episode 30: 3 Tips To Acing Investment Banking Hirevues

Do you wanna know how to ace investment banking Hirevues? A lot of banks have replaced their first round interview with Hirevues. Listen to this episode to know how you can prepare yourself to crush any Hirevue that comes your way. Schedule a Free Strategy Session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep30
12/18/202015 minutes, 25 seconds
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Episode 29: Why Your Accounting Class In School Won't Help You For Your Investment Banking Interview

Do you wanna know why your college accounting class won't fully prepare you for investment banking interviews? Listen to this episode to find out Schedule a Free Strategy Session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep29
12/14/20206 minutes, 42 seconds
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Episode 28: What Not To Put On Your Resume For Investment Banking Applications

There are a lot of do's and don'ts when it comes to constructing the perfect investment banking resume but in this episode we outline a couple of the most crucial things to avoid. Keep listening to find out! Schedule a Free Strategy Session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep28
12/11/20206 minutes, 53 seconds
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Episode 27: What Does Lebron James Spending $1.5m/Year On His Body Have To Do With IB Recruiting

You're probably thinking Lebron James spending $1.5M a year on his body doesn't have to do anything to do with Investment Banking but, listen to this episode to learn about a mindset that he possesses that is vital to success, all shapes and sizes. Schedule a Free Strategy Session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep27
12/8/202010 minutes, 10 seconds
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Episode 26: Why You Can't Wait Until You Get An Investment Banking Interview To Start Preparing

If you wait to start learning your technicals until after you get an investment banking interview it's going to have an impact on how effective you're are able to network with bankers and ultimately how many interviews you're able to land. Listen to this episode to find out why it's important to learn your technicals while networking during the investment banking recruiting process. Schedule a Free Strategy Session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep26
12/8/202010 minutes, 15 seconds
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Episode 25: What To Do If You're Late To The Investment Banking Recruiting Process

Are you late for the investment banking recruiting process? In this episode, we break down exactly what you can do to still land the job if you're late in the game. Keep listening to find out! Schedule a Free Strategy Session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep25
12/4/202020 minutes, 22 seconds
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Episode 24: Do Investment Bankers Really Work 100 Hours A Week

There are a lot of myths and rumors that go around about investment banking. In this episode we break down the truth about how many hours investment bankers really work, keep listening to find out for yourself. Schedule a Free Strategy Session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep24
12/3/20206 minutes, 3 seconds
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Episode 23: 4 Steps To Acing Investment Banking Behavioral Interviews

There are 4 steps to acing investment banking behavioral interviews. Listen to this podcast to find out how Wall Street Mastermind can help you achieve exactly that. Schedule a Free Strategy Session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep23
11/30/20205 minutes, 38 seconds
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Episode 22: The Actual Purpose Of Having A Good Investment Banking Resume (it's Not What You Think)

The purpose of having a good resume is not so you can just submit it and get selected for interviews… It’s to get you more networking conversations and also to steer the interview in the direction that you want it to go in. Schedule a Free Strategy session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep22
11/26/20205 minutes, 34 seconds
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Episode 21: Investment Banking Recruiting Mindset - Why You're 3 Feet Away From Gold

Did you know I got rejected by almost 20 banks when recruiting for my full time position after not recieving a return offer from Bear Stearns in 2007 after they went bankrupt. If I had given up right then and there I would've never gotten to where I am today. Listen to this podcast to hear why you could be 3ft away from gold when it comes to the investment banking recruiting process. Schedule a Free Strategy Session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep21
11/24/20205 minutes, 28 seconds
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Episode 20: Investment Banking Financial Modeling Courses - Why It's A Waste Of Time And Money

Investment Banking Financial Modeling Courses are a waste of time and money listen to this podcast to find out why. Schedule a Free Strategy Session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep20
11/23/20206 minutes, 1 second
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Episode 19: Investment Banking Resume - Ranking The Types of Relevant Experience

In this podcast we breakdown the top relevant experiences you can put on your resume for a career in investment banking. Whether it's a private equity internship, hedge fund, or a search fund internship listen to this podcast to learn what bankers look for on your resume. Schedule a Free Strategy Session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep19
11/20/20206 minutes, 1 second
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Episode 18: Investment Banking Behavioral Interviews - How To Figure Out What Bankers Want To Hear

What do Investment Bankers Want to Hear in Technical Interviews? In this video, I give you an idea of what bankers are looking for in your interview answers keep watching to find out! Schedule a Free Strategy Session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep18
11/19/20205 minutes, 59 seconds
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Episode 17: The Best Investment Banking Offers Get Taken First

Do you know why the best investment banking job offers get taken first? The answer might surprise you. Keep listening this podcast to find out why elite boutique and bulge bracket banks are so quick to hand out offers. Schedule a Free Strategy Session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep17
11/17/20206 minutes, 5 seconds
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Episode 16: The Key Mindset That The Best Investors In The World Have

If you don't have a good mindset when it comes to investing, chances are more likely than not you that won't make a very good investment banker. Listen to this podcast to learn about the key mindset that the best investors in the world share and how it's vital to being an investment banker. Schedule a Free Strategy Session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep16
11/12/20206 minutes, 5 seconds
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Episode 15: The 7 Factors To Determine If You Can Break Into Investment Banking

The TOP 7 Factors that could determine whether or not you're suited for a career in investment banking. Keep listening to this podcast episode to see if you have what it takes to be an investment banker. Schedule a Free Strategy Session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep15
11/11/20206 minutes, 5 seconds
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Episode 14: How Much Money Do Investment Bankers Make

Do you know how much money investment bankers really make? In this video, I talk about a couple studies that show just how much investment bankers make. Keep listening to find out for yourself Schedule a Free Strategy Session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep14
11/10/20206 minutes, 10 seconds
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Episode 13: How Investment Banking Can Make Your College Tuition A Worthwhile Investment

An average college student today can graduate with upwards of $100,000+ in student loans. Meanwhile, the average salary for a college graduate in the US is only $50,000. On average, it’s taking people 20-30 years to pay off their student loans. This is why more and more families are feeling like college is a bad investment. In this podcast episode, Sam breaks down the math for you to explain how a job in investment banking can change all of that. Schedule a Free Strategy Session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep13
11/9/20206 minutes, 10 seconds
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Episode 12: How Investment Banking Technical Interviews Have Gotten Harder Over Time

Investment Banking Technical Interviews are getting harder and harder, but do you know why? Keep listening to find out. Schedule a Free Strategy Session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep12
11/6/20206 minutes, 10 seconds
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Episode 11: Investment Banking Acceptance Rate Comparison

Did you know you have just about as good of a chance working in investment banking as you do joining the NBA? It's true, most investment banks have an offer rate of 1% or less. Listen to this podcast to learn how hard investment banking is to break into and how we are here to help. Schedule a Free Strategy Session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep11
11/5/202010 minutes, 38 seconds
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Episode 10: The Two Most Common Challenges With Behavioral Answers

Do you know the 2 Most Common Challenges that students face when preparing for Investment Banking behavioral interviews? We've talked to hundreds of students trying to break into investment banking and they all have these two things in common. Keep listening to find out! Schedule a Free Strategy Session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep10
11/4/20206 minutes, 3 seconds
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Episode 9: How Does Networking Work Exactly Step-by-Step Instructions

Networking is the most overlooked process when it comes to preparing for investment banking recruiting yet it's arguably the most important. To be an efficient networker, It's important to understand just how networking works. Keep listening to find out! Schedule a Free Strategy Session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep9
11/3/20206 minutes, 3 seconds
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Episode 8: How To Learn Your Technicals In The Right Order

The key to successfully nailing your technical interview questions is by learning them in order that way you understand them conceptually and not just spitting out answers you memorized. Keep listening to hear the most effective way to prepare for technical interview questions. Schedule a Free Strategy Session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep8
11/2/20205 minutes, 26 seconds
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Episode 7: How to Craft Bullet Points for Your Resume That Work Every Single Time

Is your resume hard to read? Do you have bullet points all over the place? If so you and your resume might benefit from this video. Keep watching to learn the best way to format your resume for Investment Banking. Schedule a Free Strategy Session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep7
10/30/20204 minutes, 36 seconds
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Episode 6: Busting the #1 Myth When it Comes to Investment Banking Networking

When it comes to Networking for Investment Banking you don't have to ONLY network with alumni. I hear a lot of students who think they can only network with people that went to their school. Listen more to find out why that's not true Schedule a Free Strategy Session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep6
10/29/20204 minutes, 37 seconds
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Episode 5: Should You Spend More Time On Technical or Behavioral Interview Prep?

Are Technicals or Behaviorals more important? Listen to this quick podcast to find out why you are probably allocating your Interview preparation incorrectly. Schedule a Free Strategy Session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep5
10/28/20205 minutes, 35 seconds
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Episode 4: The Best Time to Start Preparing for Investment Banking Recruiting

The Investment Banking recruiting timeline is getting pushed earlier and earlier every year. Some firms now are recruiting 21+ months in advance. This is just bonkers. Keep listening to hear what I have to say about this. Schedule a Free Strategy Session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep4
10/27/20204 minutes, 27 seconds
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Episode 3: The Only 4 Things You Need to Recruit Successfully for Investment Banking

Do you know the TOP 4 things you NEED to know about #InvestmentBanking Recruiting? Your resume is only one, do you know the other 3? Keep watching to find out. Schedule a Free Strategy Session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep3
10/26/20204 minutes, 34 seconds
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Episode 2: If You Want to Be Successful Don't Let People Tell You This One Thing

I hear a lot of students tell me excuses about why they can or cannot do something. This is exactly the mindset you DON'T want to have if you want to be successful at recruiting for #InvestmentBanking Schedule a Free Strategy Session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep2
10/20/20205 minutes, 14 seconds
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Episode 1: What This Podcast Is All About

In this episode, Sam discusses what this podcast is about and the type of investment banking recruiting advice you can expect by tuning in. We hope you enjoy this podcast and look forward to helping you on your recruiting journey! Schedule a Free Strategy Session at: wallstmastermind.com/apply?utm_source=podcastep1
10/7/20203 minutes, 7 seconds