A shitter's comprehensive guide to sophomore year recruiting
I just saw a thread asking about what the recruiting timeline looks like so wanted to give my take. I realize the timeline gets earlier and earlier every year, so this is just based off of my experience recruiting this cycle, and how I would have done it to save myself some stress. Again, this is all off personal experience, and I realize everyone’s path looks different so take this as you will.
Sep-Oct:
- Start networking lightly
- Make sure you actually understand IB, the industry, and that you actually want to do it
- Start talking to upperclassmen to get an idea of what recruiting looks like at your school
- Go to every info session on campus that you can
Nov-Dec:
- Polish up your resume, should be good to go now. Ideally you have an internship or two, some solid club involvement, and a 3.7+
- Start hammering techs. Honestly, they’re not that bad, just spend an hour or 2 a day and get it out of the way. Once you’ve learned it all and done all the questions, it shouldn’t take you more than like an hour to brush up before an interview. I used the BIWS course, skimmed the red book, and did Qs on IB Vine. Found that to be substantial.
- Should start networking now. I feel like December 1-20ish is really the sweet spot because its early but not too early where the effectiveness of your contacts might be limited.
Jan
- A lot of applications will start opening up, and you should be dropping your resume right away. You should have been talking to people before the application opens, and if comfortable or if they mentioned in on the call, feel free to shoot your contact(s) an update when you apply.
- This should also be when your calls are peaking. Ideally like 4+ a week
- Mock hard. Honestly like 80% of your mocking should be behavioral
- Trackr is a phenomenal resource for keeping up to date with apps, but also your contacts will usually tell you when they open as well. Just be aware
Feb
- This is when interviews are kicking off. If you get a first round, all on you now. Know your resume, know your story, and kill it.
- Keep networking until you get an offer.
- Cast a wide net, it’s really a numbers game and there is some luck involved. You could network super hard and not get a FR, or get a interview somewhere you cold applied.
March
- Ideally this is when you get your offer. Now you get to go on an epic bender and tank your gpa a healthy amount. Make sure to let everyone on Linkedin know how humbled and grateful you are to accept a position at Everview Partners
Some final tips:
- I think the most underrated factor is having good friends to recruit with. I had some great memories just having a few beers and mocking with my friends or ranting about an asshole analyst or a shitty interview. Plus it makes celebrating the offer so much better. It’s so clutch having people to bounce good contacts off of, share interview questions, or update on application status. Yes I know they’re technically your competition but having a support system is much more valuable imo.
- The beauty of this early ass timeline is that your major can be whatever you want it to be. Took some calc classes? Congrats you’re a math double major.
- Most of the bankers you talk to are like 22 or 23. They were getting hammered at the same bars you were a few months ago. While obviously keep a level of professionalism, the best calls I had were the most casual ones where very little of the conversation was about banking.
Idk hopefully this helps someone out there and again, this is just my experience.
Based on the most helpful WSO content, here's a comprehensive guide to navigating the sophomore year recruiting timeline for investment banking, reflecting the increasingly early recruitment process:
September-October: - Begin Networking: Start building connections lightly. Understand the ins and outs of investment banking to confirm your interest. - Campus Events: Attend every informational session available on campus to gather insights and network with professionals and upperclassmen.
November-December: - Resume Polishing: Ensure your resume is refined with relevant internships, strong club involvement, and a high GPA (ideally 3.7+). - Technical Preparation: Dedicate time daily to mastering technical questions using resources like BIWS, the red book, and IB Vine. - Active Networking: This period is optimal for networking. Engage with industry professionals to build relationships that could be crucial for your applications.
January: - Application Submission: With applications opening, promptly submit your resumes. If you've previously networked with someone from the company, inform them that you've applied. - Intensify Networking: Aim for multiple networking calls per week. - Mock Interviews: Focus predominantly on behavioral questions to prepare for interviews.
February: - Interview Phase: As interviews begin, ensure you're thoroughly prepared. Continue networking until you secure an offer. - Broaden Your Applications: It's a numbers game, so apply widely. Networking can lead to interviews, but sometimes cold applications do too.
March: - Securing the Offer: Ideally, you'll receive your offer by now. Celebrate your success responsibly and share your achievement on professional networks like LinkedIn.
Additional Tips: - Recruit with Friends: Having a support system of friends who are also going through recruitment can be invaluable. Share resources, practice interviews together, and support each other. - Flexibility in Major: The early recruitment timeline allows flexibility in your academic major. Leverage any rigorous courses you've taken to showcase your analytical skills. - Relate to Bankers: Remember that many bankers are not much older than you. While maintaining professionalism, engaging in casual and relatable conversations can make your interactions memorable.
This guide is based on personal experiences shared within the WSO community and should be adapted to your specific circumstances and the evolving nature of the recruiting landscape.
Sources: Non-Target Recruiting Guide Part I: Resume and Networking, Non-Target Recruiting Guide Part I: Resume and Networking, PLS Explain IB Sophomore SA Recruiting Timeline, CRAZY early recruiting timelines, Acceleration of Recruiting Timeline
Great work op. Wish I had this at the right time, but all worked out fortunately.
10/10
This is really all you need to know right here. The numbers game is huge: do not get picky.
If you're starting networking Sep-Oct of SOPHOMORE YEAR you're done for. My nephew was networking for investment clubs/endowment positions as well as cultivating relationships with bankers for junior year internships a couple months after he got his HYP offer in senior year, so around right now if you're aiming for Summer 2027.
Even with the HYP offer and his Exeter/Eton/Westminster/Andover/Deerfield background (and no small amount of technical & relationship support from me even though I left IB a while back, I still have relationships at my top EB) and barely scraped by with a mid-tier BB offer (think MS/Citi/BofA/Barclays).
can always rely on you for a bad troll post my friend.
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