Go From Undergrad to Investment Banking

Everyone here is so like-minded. The atmosphere of TBO is way more relaxed than what you might typically expect from a finance prep group. TBO has proven to be a fantastic resource for me in many different areas of recruiting. 

Attending the TBO Summit over the summer was a lot of fun as well and I’m so happy they were able to put it together. There’s no way I can even compare this to another program.

The recruiting process was originally a very foreign process to me. I was trying to figure out the networking process, where all the banks were, and how the application process works (which happens to be a lot different than the college application process). 

When I learned about The Banking Offer and everything that the Sophomore Spark offers, it sounded like something that I needed and a resource that could nearly guarantee me an internship.

Whether it was teaching some of the technical aspects or how to approach the behavioral questions, TBO always had helpful advice for me. The mentors were also able to instill a sense of confidence that allowed me to feel well-prepared for any interview or coffee chat I had with a banker.  

As a Freshman, the recruiting process seemed like it would be very difficult for me when I’d become a Sophomore. I didn’t really understand all the things that go into it, such as the organization, the networking calls, and the emails you need to send out to bankers. There are so many different components you need to take into account to even have a chance at getting a first-round interview at a bank. 

But TBO helped me completely demystify the process. Their mentors tell you the best ways to send out a networking email and what to say during your coffee chats with bankers. Having that support team constantly is a big part of why I ended up going into the interview process with a positive mindset and really delivering on what I expected myself to deliver. 

Whenever I had questions, I’d always ping the chat I shared with my mentors and the team would always be there to help me out. They’d help with anything from reading over an email that I was about to send to a banker or how to properly approach a networking call with an MD. 

The workshops and office hours that the senior mentors at TBO hosted were all incredibly helpful – perfect timing because I was in the interview process and needed a quick refresher! Faizan personally reached out to me to help with interview prep and helped me choose which firm to accept an offer from!

TBO is a unique community of extremely driven and intelligent people and I’m so proud to be surrounded by great influences that I know will always push me to be the best and ensure my success. Banking is such a competitive field but everyone is willing to help each other here, explain concepts, and even share opportunities for everyone to apply to. Together, the workshops and resources have given me great insights as to how to best prepare myself for the role.

When I was in the middle of the investment banking recruiting process, members of TBO were so generous with their time and thoroughly walked me through any technical concepts I was struggling with. Additionally, the fireside chats that TBO hosts were really informative in terms of learning how to prepare for summer analyst interviews as well as how to succeed during the internship.

For me, the most valuable aspect of TBO has been the interview preparation it offers – whether it is to hop on a Zoom call to do a mock interview with one of the mentors or observing other students’ mock interviews. Above all, TBO has helped guide me through the daunting interview process – everything from technical prep to general career advice.

The cost of university only increases year over year. And that was a huge factor in my decision to pursue a career in investment banking. Starting your career in IB is one of the best things you can do. It’s fairly lucrative for a 22-year-old coming right out of college. In addition, it’s especially important for students who attend expensive universities and need to pay off loans after graduation. 

But getting a job in banking certainly isn’t easy. You have to be very organized and mindful of the conversations you’ve had with bankers. And it proved to be very overwhelming for me as a sophomore in college. However, the mentors at The Banking Offer were always there for me and helped me to successfully navigate recruiting. Faizan taught me the best ways to go about handling the process and we came up with a game plan that would enable me to win multiple offers. 

Once we had a plan in place, it was like a trailblazer. I ended up working really hard, but it wasn’t a way that I had ever worked before. I was very efficient and networked effectively with everyone I spoke to. All of this eventually led me to land an internship offer at Evercore.

TBO was an incredibly supportive resource that I could rely on during the recruiting process. Not only did it provide me with moral support, but it was also a place I could turn to for advice and feedback from those who had already succeeded in the process.

One of the most helpful resources was the mock interviews TBO hosted. As a spectator, having the opportunity to hear new questions, and how they were answered was extremely valuable. After the mock sessions were over, open discussion among members provided an even greater opportunity to connect with others and share general advice about recruiting.

In addition to the great programs and events, TBO’s biggest value add is the people. Coming from a non-target school where there is no support system around investment banking recruiting makes the process significantly more challenging. Thankfully, TBO is able to fill that gap.

The bottom line is: TBO supported me in my journey as an investment banker by helping to connect me with individuals who were also going through the investment banking recruitment process, as well as with others who had already secured offers.

The Banking Offer team did a phenomenal job in helping me navigate the realm of IB recruiting. They were always available to help with technical practice, mock interviews, networking advice and much more. TBO is a great organization that is working to democratize the recruiting process, which oftentimes discriminates against first-generation, non-target, international and female students.

I truly enjoyed everything TBO had to offer, but the highlight would definitely be the technical workshops and the community office hours. Knowing you are not alone in the process and having someone always there to help you is priceless!

TBO gave me a a wide range of resources to navigate the investment banking recruiting process. I think the NAP was the most impactful resource of them all. At one point during the recruiting cycle my sophomore year, I had literally too many networking calls scheduled to even handle, which I didn’t think was possible.

The recruiting process can definitely be overwhelming, but TBO was always there to assure me that I’m on the right track the entire time. TBO gave me a collaborative community that always had my back even if it was 2am in the morning, up late studying for an interview the next day. Working alongside fellow students who eventually reach incredible milestones in their recruiting process gives everyone a great sense of motivation to succeed.

Everybody is always willing to help and provide valuable advice and feedback.

Looking back at how my recruiting process went, I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to have a mentor while you’re going through it. Being able to rely on the TBO mentors who all genuinely care about your success is really important. 

Going to my school’s technical reviews versus going to TBO’s technical reviews was like night and day. My school hosted interview prep sessions as well, but TBO’s sessions were spot on and the mentors know exactly what you’re going to be asked during your investment banking interviews. They laid out ways to answer each of the questions in a very pragmatic way. 

Additionally, every week there’s an industry professional who will come speak to TBO students and I learned a great deal from those fireside chats. These discussions covered different industries besides investment banking, such as real estate and private equity. It’s through these sessions that you’re able to get a gauge of what it’s like to work in other roles, which is very helpful when you think about what your career will look like after banking.

The Banking Offer has been such a welcoming community and answers any questions I have. I had my first-ever interview (which happened to be an investment banking interview) this past semester and TBO was a fantastic resource I could turn to when preparing for it.

Thanks to TBO, I was ready for my interview and succeeded in landing my investment banking internship. Additionally, I’ve had a great time attending the guest speaker webinars that TBO regularly hosts. These give students a chance to learn more about different career paths after banking and offer opportunities to network with professionals in a relaxed setting.

What I appreciated the most throughout this process is that the TBO team understands no question is a bad question, and everyone is going through the same recruiting struggles. The team is always there to answer any questions I have and offer advice!

I didn’t get into the Investment Banking Accelerator Program at my school and I thought my chances of getting an offer were basically zero. I found myself getting interviews, but I struggled with moving past the first round interviews and had a hard time answering the technical questions. 

However, in the end, I received 3 investment banking offers and I have to thank TBO for that. TBO helped me understand my strengths and weaknesses as a candidate. After working with the team, I was able to build a strong story that resonated with a lot of bankers. I was also able to use my professional skating experience as a positive rather than a negative when answering behavioral questions. 

One of the biggest advantages of TBO was being able to have that personal prep. The mock interviews made a significant difference during my recruiting process. They got me up to speed and prepared me for the exact questions I going to be asked – specifically the technical questions that I originally struggled with. 

TBO’s video curriculum taught me everything I needed to know about the recruiting process – especially since I didn’t really know much going into it. The TBO platform had a lot of great resources to get me up to speed for any type of interview that I was going to get.

The Banking Offer has acted as a fantastic tool for learning the most important interview topics for investment banking. It’s a great resource for questions and advice, and I appreciated all the guidance and support I received through my acceptance of an offer.

To me, I think the most valuable content TBO provides comes from advice given during the technical workshops, as we learned about the nuances of the recruitment process from people who had already gone through it successfully.

By helping everyone collectively and cultivating a sense of camaraderie among members, it helps to reduce the stress that comes about from recruiting as you can relate to other students in the same situation as you. Reflecting on my experience with TBO, it has not only provided me with technical workshops and taken the time to answer my specific questions, but it has also allowed me to build my network in ways I wouldn’t have been able to before. For that, I am very appreciative!

TBO has been instrumental in the reinforcement of my technical and market knowledge.

One of the most helpful opportunities that TBO offers is the chance to discuss deals and transactions that occur in the markets with other high-achieving students on a daily basis. TBO not only helped me gain the technical skill set that’s needed to succeed in the recruitment process through webinars, mock interviews, and guides, but also the emotional and interpersonal skill set that’s essential for your career growth.

TBO proved to be an amazing resource for me and I’m so glad I was a part of it. The recruiting process can be extremely overwhelming, but with TBO you get access to a lot of different mentors and workshops that go through the key technical topics you’ll need to know for your interviews. 

TBO also has a lot of guest speakers who work across the financial services industry come in and talk to students. It was pretty cool to be able to interact with current investment bankers, ex-investment bankers and people who work in Private Equity and the buy side. These were very informative and made me realize that TBO not only cares about your first job out of college but your whole career path. 

The Banking Offer provided me with a support system of wonderful people who were willing to teach me the ins and outs of the recruiting process. It was great having the opportunity to attend live mock interview practices to better understand how the interview process works.

Additionally, it was helpful to have a supportive community of professionals and peers to turn to if I ever had any questions or needed support with my career.

The mentors at TBO are all amazing and have great attention to detail. I like to think that I have pretty good attention to detail, but whenever the mentors go through my resume, they’re always able to spot errors and provide suggestions for improvement. Having someone available to check the work you’re doing as well as someone who holds you to a high standard is essential for this recruiting process. 

Additionally, the TBO training platform did a great job explaining concepts that I’ve always found to be difficult to understand. The content is very engaging and made the learning process so much easier for me. It was definitely the most effective resource I’ve used to prepare for my Citi interview. 

The Banking Offer has proven to be an amazing resource and I am so proud to be a part of it. One of the biggest challenges that came out of the COVID-19 pandemic was that it became much more difficult to network with professionals and peers. However, TBO pushed through that barrier and it allowed me to build connections with professionals working all over the financial services industry.

The guest speaker events were very insightful and gave me a better picture of all the different career paths banking opens up for you. It’s been an amazing experience and I’m definitely going to take what I learned from TBO and apply it to how I structure the future of my career.