Friday format: Tips for getting a job in finance from an investment banker (with gifs)

Goldman Sachs Bank, the incoming list of the best employers from Wall Street, in the summer of 2016 accepted more than 2,900 trainees. At the end of the internship, only some of them will be able to get a permanent job in the bank.

How to be among the lucky ones and continue to work in the same company where you had an internship, or in another financial institution on Wall Street?
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His experience is shared by a former intern who managed to get an offer from one of the leading companies on Wall Street. Below is his step-by-step guide to achieving the stated goal. Despite the fact that we are talking about internship and work in American investment banks, the presented tips are quite applicable for the Russian sphere of finance.

How to apply for an internship

Usually applications for internships in financial companies are submitted through their sites - so they need to be monitored, otherwise you can skip the announcement, because those who want to get into a conditional Goldman Sachs for at least a couple of weeks or months are more than enough. Internship application is submitted along with a resume and a cover letter.

Passing the selection for an internship

Competition for an internship is as high as when applying for a job. To increase the chances of success, do not be lazy to find in the network materials on the topic of typical questions that are asked for interviews in various companies.

In addition, increase general professional erudition: browse news sites, read books about corporate finance, banking management, investment portfolio management. It is also worth talking to friends, if any, who work in the area of interest and will be able to tell something useful.

How to behave during the internship

The basic recommendations for an internship ended with an invitation to work are to do their job efficiently and to show initiative. But the answers to more specific questions presented on the website of the bank Morgan Stanley, which trainees usually hesitate to ask directly.

How to treat non-core assignments?

You should not negatively relate to the tasks of the type of bring-serve. This is a great opportunity to demonstrate initiative and resourcefulness. Even minor assignments must be treated responsibly. Thus, you will demonstrate your approach to more complex tasks.

How to ask for help without spoiling your impression?

If you do not understand something, do not be afraid to ask again, the result of your work depends on it. If you have a problem that you cannot solve yourself, first ask for help from junior employees. Focus on what actions you have taken yourself. Avoid common phrases. Specify what exactly put you in a dead end.

How to behave at meetings?

There are no universal answers to this question. Act on the context of a situation. The first weeks of internship is better to take the position of a silent observer. However, do not forget that the active position and your opinion, as a rule, are welcomed.

How to respond to the invitation of colleagues to go for a drink after work?

Look at the situation. If age allows - feel free to accept the invitation. In an informal setting, you can get to know the people with whom you have to work. The main thing is not to overdo it with alcohol. Remember that even outside the office, you are still an employee of a financial institution.

How to use the experience

In the field of investment banking, as a rule, your internship will take place in one of two scenarios: you are either working on a deal that will be announced, or on a deal that will not be announced. In any case, you need to thoroughly know all the details of the transaction, to later formulate the experience gained in the resume or to talk about it during the interview. Consider the deal you are working on during the internship as a material for future interviews for recruitment.

A job offer

If you are offered a job where you had an internship, this will happen in one of the following ways. Either the proposal will arrive shortly before the end of the internship, or after its completion - by telephone. No matter how you get a job offer, don't let him take you by surprise.

It is important to understand that as soon as the offer has been made, the watch begins a reverse report. Most companies will give you a few days, a maximum of one to two weeks, to respond to the proposal with either consent or refusal. Be prepared to use this time to the maximum.