If you have signed up for courses, please leave a comment on the BIWS site or go through email there (accounts@breakingintowallstreet.com).

In terms of reaching out to co-workers / former co-workers, you can follow one of the templates in the Networking Toolkit (or look at the shorter/free versions here – https://mergersandinquisitions.com/investment-banking-email-template/), send a quick update, and ask if their current firm/group has any openings. Don’t even mention that you lost your job recently – no need to state that upfront.

Keep it very short and make it about whether or not there are any openings in the group, and don’t try to explain your current status or anything like that, only your past experience and how it’s relevant now.

I didn’t know the most appropriate way to reach out to you, I’m not on Twitter or Facebook and my question is more about general career networking at the last minute than anything. I’ve bought several of your BIWS products and used them to help me land investment banking interviews from internships all the way to progress to an associate. I’ve been laid off from my job and I wanted to know how to get back into the industry. Especially now during COVID and off cycle.

Four four years, I’ve worked in capital markets, specifically debt capital markets. I’ve done loan syndications, a few sell-side M&A transactions and some equity and debt memos for all industry verticals. Throughout my tenure I’ve had coworkers who I’ve known go on to move into M&A, PE, or other industry focused groups at bulge bracket banks. I’m not picky but how do I contact them about potential job opportunities without sounding like a leech? Thank you in advance.

Normally you do internships before or during the program. You could try for off-cycle internships or ones at smaller banks and potentially get something after graduating. But it’s best to do the internship before that.

Would someone with no finance internships, a 720 GMAT, and 3.9 undergrad GPA be able to get a banking internship after the completion of a top 5 MSF program?

My recommendation is don’t even try it because it tends to be very difficult (see: https://mergersandinquisitions.com/investment-banking-accelerated-interviews/). Everyone else is also trying to switch at the same time, so it’s tough to stand out.

However, if you’re at a regional boutique, it might still be worthwhile because there’s a decent chance you may not get a full-time return offer there. So… reach out to your contacts at other banks before the internship begins to send a quick update, and then ask about open roles midway through the summer.

If you start contact people now rather than later or during the internship, you can spin it as wanting to learn more about the career/prepare for the internship, etc.

I love the story. But what are your recommendations for someone who is looking to recruit Full Time after a SA internship? I’m going to be at a regional boutique this summer, and as much as I’m looking forward to the experience I know I want to be at a bigger bank. Should I wait until after I’m done with the internship this summer to recruit or start networking at banks and other firms before I even start work this summer? I am just worried about the perception employees at other banks will have if I am looking to jump ship before completing my internship this summer.

It’s going to be an uphill battle if you don’t yet have any internships or related work experience. Your best is to go for a Master’s in Finance degree at one of the top universities in the UK and win internships before/during that and use those to get in (https://mergersandinquisitions.com/investment-banking-masters-programs/).

Alternatively, you could try to cold email for internships at boutique firms and leverage them to win full-time offers (https://mergersandinquisitions.com/private-equity-internship-to-investment-banking-networking/). It just depends on how much time/money you have and how willing you are to network aggressively for these roles.

Better than wealth management but about the same or slightly worse than equity research.

Thank you so much! Do you think that doing valuation or corporate finance would better than getting into independent equity research or wealth management?

Thank you for your help!