Recruiting, Networking

& The Behavioral Interview

Wall Street Prep
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About Wall Street Prep
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Design and layout by Karlene Leblond

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If you are interested in learning
how to land your dream job in finance,
this course is for you.
Any GPA, any school
It doesn’t matter what GPA you have or the school you go to. Interview skills are used universally.
That being said, you may have to compensate in certain areas. For example, if you go to a non-
target you may need to network more, or if you have a lower GPA you may need to place greater
emphasis on your experiences in your resume.

No prior experience needed

This guide covers everything you need to master the art of networking and interviewing — from
writing email subject lines to confidently walking into an interview knowing you are equipped to
walk out with the job.

Everyone is welcome
This course is applicable to anyone looking to recruit, whether you are a sophomore in college, an
MBA student, or a professional in another field looking to break into the industry.

Even if you pivot careers, this course will provide you with knowledge
transferable to any career path you choose.

Familiarize yourself with the recruiting timeline:

Standard Timeline Diversity Timeline

The standard timeline for non-diverse Take the standard timeline and subtract 2-4
candidates will typically kick off early Spring of months (late December through March of
your Sophomore year for the Junior/Senior year your Sophomore year). Note, every bank
internships. Recruiting or re-recruiting Junior defines diversity slightly different, so make
year could take place throughout the year but sure you fit within their criteria before
usually most roles will open and close by applying.
Junior/Senior summer in August and September
as they are contingent on the amount of interns
that receive and sign return offers.

It is important to note that recruitment timelines differ between companies. Most IB’s, PE’s, VC’s will recruit on this
timeline although it is important to make a list of your top choices to track their timelines as each may slightly differ.
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This industry is
What we won’t cover
no walk in the park The largest bucket that this course
specifically does not cover is the
Breaking into sell-side (IB) and buy-side roles “technical” portion of interviews.
(PE, VC) requires more than submitting an This is roughly half of your
application interview process so
It is important to note that this industry is not easy to understanding these is crucial.
break into and you must be able to identify weaknesses as
a candidate and compensate for such. Wall Street Prep offers technical
courses broken up by industry.
Once you are in, moving around is far easier Wherever you are looking to apply,
Break into the industry now because: we can teach you what you need to
know.
It is harder to break in later in life
You can always leave, but you can’t always come into We also suggest turning to your
the industry from other roles campuses or business school’s
You will learn a ton, get paid well, and meet some great career center for additional
people along the way advice. Campus clubs,
organizations, and mentor
If you are unsure, go for it
programs will all help you with
Worst case scenario is that you get a bit run down, you daily questions that may come up.
learn a handful of transferable skills, and maybe you get
paid a little bit along the way. Regardless, this industry will
open doors others can’t so doing it for a small amount of
time is better than nothing.

This process will sneak up on you, so it is important to start early so when

applications start to open you will be ready to submit!

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Table of Contents
Pre-Interview Preparation
Section 1: Header & Education ........................................................................................................................................................ 10
Section 2: Experience .......................................................................................................................................................................... 10
............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 10
Section 3: Additional Skills or Interests ....................................................................................................................................... 11
Experience Section: Quantifying Impact ...................................................................................................................................... 12
Buzzwords: Use Them Wisely! ......................................................................................................................................................... 13
“Soft” Buzzwords ....................................................................................................................................................................................................... 13
Industry Specific Buzzwords................................................................................................................................................................................ 14
Resume Templates ............................................................................................................................................................................... 15
Traditional Styles ....................................................................................................................................................................................................... 15
Additional Styles ........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 15
Section 1: Opening ................................................................................................................................................................................ 18
Section 2: Hook ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 19
Section 3: Body ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 20
Section 4: Ending ................................................................................................................................................................................... 23
The Importance of Networking ....................................................................................................................................................... 26
Networking Channels .......................................................................................................................................................................... 26
Who to Network With .......................................................................................................................................................................... 27
Outreach Channels ............................................................................................................................................................................... 28
The Generic Method ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 28
The Value-Add Method ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 29
Post-Meeting Method............................................................................................................................................................................................... 31
Ways to Respond to Outreach .......................................................................................................................................................... 32
Writing A Referral Introduction With an Email Connection................................................................................................................. 32
Writing A Referral Introduction Without an Email Connection ........................................................................................................ 33
Follow Up’s If You Have Not Received A Response ................................................................................................................................... 33
Subject Line Types and Templates ................................................................................................................................................. 35
Email Signature...................................................................................................................................................................................... 36
Scheduled Emails .................................................................................................................................................................................. 37
Finding Contact Information ............................................................................................................................................................ 38
Tips and Techniques ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 38
Email Templates List from Top Companies ................................................................................................................................ 39
Getting a Response ............................................................................................................................................................................... 46
Sending Times to Chat............................................................................................................................................................................................ 46
When a Time is Suggested to You ...................................................................................................................................................................... 47
Using Google Calendar How to Send a Google Invite ............................................................................................................. 48
If They Do Not Answer Your Call........................................................................................................................................................................ 50
Networking Call Walkthrough ......................................................................................................................................................... 51
The Goal.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 51
Step 1: Answering Or Making the Phonecall and Kicking Off the Conversation ......................................................................... 51
Step 2: Ask Questions .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 52
Step 3: Wrapping Up the Call ............................................................................................................................................................................... 56
Writing a Thank You Email ............................................................................................................................................................... 57
Staying in Touch .................................................................................................................................................................................... 58
Using LinkedIn ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 59

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Interview Preparation
Rules of the Interview ......................................................................................................................................................................... 63
Introduction: About Yourself ........................................................................................................................................................... 65
Part 1: Opening Line ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 65
Part 2: Hook .................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 66
Part 3: Transitions ..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 67
Part 4: Experience Breakdown ........................................................................................................................................................................... 68
Part 5: Ending .............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 69
Behavioral Interview Questions ..................................................................................................................................................... 70
Framework ................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 70
“Why do you want to work for this company?” ......................................................................................................................................... 70
“Why you?” .................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 73
Using Strengths and Weakness........................................................................................................................................................ 74
“Why this industry?” ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 75
“A Time When You… “.............................................................................................................................................................................................. 76
Situational Questions .......................................................................................................................................................................... 78
Additional Questions to Consider ................................................................................................................................................... 79
Brain Teasers.......................................................................................................................................................................................... 80
Ending ........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 81
Questions To Ask ....................................................................................................................................................................................................... 81

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 Table of Contents Page TBD

Section 1: Pre-Interview Prep

Resume Building
RESUME
BUILDING

Let’s cover everything you need to know

about resume building so you can start
sending your applications out today.

Drafting a Resume Checklist

Margins should be less than 0.5” on both sides.
Optimally between 0.5” and 0.75”.
Order experiences chronologically with the
most recent at the top.
Write in past tense for all experiences except
your current role.
Ensure consistency in font size, typography,
the space between bullets, the use of
bold/italicize, paragraph alignment, etc.
Do not use high school experiences from
Sophomore year onwards.
Remove your GPA if it is less than 3.5.
Do not use “I”.
Do not use “the”.
Do not use periods.
Quantify your impact and be sure the way
numbers are spelled out is consistent.
Use a different action verb per bullet.
Optimize space. Do not use a whole line for a
few words.
Keep your resume to one page.
Save as a PDF. Use naming convention
first.last.resume.pdf or first_last_resume.pdf.
 RESUME
BUILDING

Section 1: Header & Education

1. Name (suggest using a font size of 24pt+)
2. Contact information (phone number and email)
3. LinkedIn or personal website (if appropriate)
4. Address
5. School(s)
6. Degree
7. Expected graduation date
8. Major(s)
9. Minors(s)
10. GPA (if greater than 3.5) Templates Included
in Course Downloads

Section 2: Experience
The breakdown of the main body of the resume consisting Experience Checklist
of your experiences can be broken up a few different ways. Write 1-3 bullets per experience
Although for a finance resume (Investment Banking, Write 1-3 lines per bullet and
aim for 2 lines per experience. If
Private Equity, Venture Capital, and Real Estate) you really
you are only writing half of a line
want to aim to stick within the standard templates agreed
on an experience, it does not
upon by the top schools with the highest placement rates in
belong in the body of your
the financial industry. resume.
With use of the resume checklist in hand and templates
provided, start working on the specific bullet points per
your experiences on your resume.

Using ‘ACR’
If you are having trouble brainstorming
bullet points, try turning to the ACR format: Contacted 30+ customers per day, (ACTION)
pitching value of new software product aimed
Action, Context, Result.
to improve client productivity, (CONTEXT)
The ACR format can even be broken down ultimately selling $6,500 of subscription
by each bullet (one for the action, one for services a month. (RESULT)
the context, and one for the result) if you
have the space on your resume.

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 RESUME
BUILDING

Section 3: Additional Skills or Interests

This is an opportunity to share more about yourself beyond your professional experiences or
internships. More importantly, it is an opportunity to connect with the interviewer!
If you are struggling to come up with ideas, consider the following:

Volunteer work
If you have volunteered for causes related to the field
or industry, it could demonstrate your commitment When in doubt, leave it out
and passion beyond your professional You are allowed to be a bit playful in this
responsibilities. section but err on the side of safety. When in
doubt, absolutely leave it out. A comedic line is
Awards or Certifications/Licenses not worth losing a potential job.
List any relevant certifications or licenses you have
obtained or any recent academic awards you have
been given.
Link to website
Public speaking If you have a hobby that you have built a website
If you have any public speaking workshops, around (whether that is photography, art, blogging,
writing articles, podcasting…etc.) you may link it as
presentations, or pitches (such as a stock pitch) you
well. Double check that your links work before
can link it in your resume to highlight your
submitting your application.
communication and sales skills.
Organizations
Technical skills You may put any additional organizations that were
Software, programming languages, tools not valuable enough to dedicate an entire
(engineering, data science and analytics, “experience” with multiple bullet points.
cybersecurity, web development, productivity, and
design tools), or technology (Excel) used in the Activities you enjoy
industry. Examples include: art (drawing, painting,
photography, etc.); cooking or culinary skills; film
Publications and cinema; musical instruments; outdoor activities
Any publications are absolutely worth putting in the (hiking, camping); podcasting; reading;
additional section or even in the body of your sports/chess; traveling; writing or blogging.
resume.
Fun facts about yourself
Languages For example if you: lived in 6 different countries
You may list languages as proficient, conversational, before turning 10; spent 4 months in Costa Rica
intermediate, or fluent. This may also include coding learning [XYZ] ; played 18 holes of golf with Rickie
languages. Fowler by accident; youngest of 8 siblings; volunteer
to coach little league baseball team.

You may choose to call your last section “Additional” or “Skills & Interests”.
This section can encompass additional facts about yourself that you may want
to include, along with skills and interests. It is a more flexible ending option11
that allows you to add any of the suggested items above.
 RESUME
BUILDING

Experience Section: Quantifying Impact

When detailing your experience, numbers can speak volumes. Quantifying your achievements
helps provide concrete evidence of your contributions. Don’t lie, but don’t be afraid to give it a shot.
You can derive your own numbers even if they’re not 100% accurate as long as you err on the side
of caution and can defend your assumptions.

“Quantifying Impact” Examples

You are unsure how many clients you talked to over the internship. You know you at least had 5-10 calls a
week through a 10 week internship…

A reasonable number here would be 50+ or 75 clients total.

Free of charge, you helped a local business by offering deliverables on the local market, customer segment,
pricing schemes, and suggested actions to boost profit margins. Through your semester long partnership,
you gave them 3 deliverables filled with research, suggestions, and market data. We can reasonably assume
a real consulting firm would charge at least $10,000 per deliverable plus $500+ an hour for any additional
advising. Now, you are no professional consultant but, if you delivered quality work that had an impact on
the business, you can reasonably assume your work would have cost them at least a few thousand dollars.
Let’s assume the company thanks you and you know the money they saved is being used for either
expansion, repairs, or improvements to the business. Now you may put the following at the end of your
bullet for that experience:

“affording thousands (or $5000) in saved expenses directed towards expansion/improvement plans.”

If you had a marketing role and worked to boost engagement on social media platforms, you could write:

“increased engagement by [X]%” or “expanded geographic reach to [X] additional cities/countries.”

Additional “Quantifying Impact” Examples

Led a team of [X] students Completed project [X] weeks/months/days ahead of
Tracked [X]… schedule
Managed project budget of [X] Negotiated contracts resulting in [X] cost reduction for…
Resulting in [X] cost savings Increased follower count by [X]
Increased website traffic by [X] Did [X] within/in [X] months
Reduced customer wait time by [X] Developed [X] deliverables
Generated [X] leads Oversaw production of [X] units
Delivered [X] customer reports Tracked transportation of [X] units
Resulting in [X] attendees Published [X] papers
Achieved customer satisfaction rating of [X] Generated [X] in sales
Boosted response rates by [X]

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 RESUME
BUILDING

Buzzwords: Use Them Wisely!

Buzzwords can improve the quality of your resume, but they can also come at a cost. You must be
able to back every word you are putting on your resume. Any of these words are subject to
“grilling” that you want to avoid if you are not prepared.

Consider a few that are harder to defend as you must be prepared to talk about the intricacies,
equations, and application of any of the following words:

Book value method DCF LBO Liquidation method Multiples of earnings method ROI based method

Accretion/dilution Beta consolidated income statement EBITDA Enterprise value Equity value

Financial modeling

Use of COMPS
It is easier than the others but still requires knowledge of how to pick comps, what to look for,
how you picked your comps in your experience… it is all fair game!

“Soft” Buzzwords
These include action verbs and easier financial metrics/buzz words you can learn in a Google search.

5 forces analysis analyzed assessed risk bottom line/top line capital allocation client retention

compliance consulted cost benefitanal ys i s customer segment data analytics dividend payout ratio

due diligence evaluated

t finech forecasted hedge historical trading trends/data implemented

industry trend innovative investment strategy M&A managed management forecasts/meetings

market capitalization market penetration market positioning market research market trend analysis

multiple (ex: earnings multiple) negotiated optimized P/E performance metrics precedent transactions

profit profitam
a r gin profitbi lity anal ys i s return on equity ROI sourced SWOT analysis

target customer trading volume

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 RESUME
BUILDING

Industry Specific Buzzwords

Investment Banking and Private Equity
There is an overlap between these buzzwords and the Venture Capital buzz words, but just to give you an idea
of some words that will stand out and you should be prepared to be tested on:

10K 10Q arbitrage AUM beta book value buy-side/sell-side capital structure CAPM

compliance DCF, Precedent transactions, COMPS, dilution divestiture EBITDA enterprise value
e

exit front offic, back of fice goodwill horizontal vs. vertical index funds interest rates IPO

IRR liquidity margins market risk premium market value multiple prepetuity

private vs. public prospectus recapitalization return on capital return on equity risk premium

road show securities shareholder syndicate synergy tender offer

Venture Capital Buzzwords

Accredited investor AI angel B2B B2C bootstrapped burn rate cap table carry
t

cloud computing common stock vs. preferred stock crypto data driven disruptive due diligence

early
s adopters finech firt m
o ver s advant age GP vs. LP’s growth impact investing innovative

lead investor lean LLM market penetration MVP open source pitch deck product market fit

runway SaaS scale up seed series A,B,C,D... sourced stealth term shet unicorn

Action Verb Lists

Be sure to rely on action verbs when
describing your accomplishments and
experience. Here are 2 useful action verb lists:
• hls.harvard.edu
• Wharton Career Services

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 RESUME
BUILDING Templates Included
in Course Downloads

Resume Templates
Traditional Styles
Classic Transfer Student Study Abroad Experience

Additional Styles
Professional Experience &
Leadership/Extracurricular By Project

Use an AI Scanner
Remember many companies you are going to be applying to are using AI scanners to sift through
resumes. Beat them at their own game and make sure your resume scores highly before
submitting your application.
Our suggestion: Resume Worded will tell you areas to improve with suggested actions. 15
Section 1: Pre-Interview Prep

Cover Letter
COVER
LETTER

The cover letter is your opportunity

to explain your resume in story form.
This guide will explain how.

Cover Letter Checklist

Your name
Your address
Your contact information (email and
phone number)
Date
Company’s name and/or the
position you are applying for
Company address
Adress the letter to the hiring
committee or a specific person on
the recruiting team
Keep to 1 page in length
Save as a PDF. Use naming
convention first.last.cover.letter.pdf
or first_last_cover_letter.pdf.

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 COVER
LETTER

Section 1: Opening

“Opening” Checklist
Who you are.
Why are you applying/why you are interested.
How you heard about the position.
Overview of skills you can offer.

Templates
Assuming you have networked with people at the company.

My name is [your name] and I am a rising [year: My name is [your name] and I am a rising
freshman, sophomore, junior, senior] at [year: freshman, sophomore, junior, senior]
[school/university] majoring in [field] and minoring at [school/university] majoring in [field]
in [field] with an expected graduation of [month] and minoring in [field] with an expected
[graduating year]. I am writing to convey/express graduation of [month] [graduating year]. I
my keen interest in working as a [position] at am writing to apply as a [position] in
[company]. Through meaningful conversations with [company][team, if applicable]. After
[connection name], [connection name], and learning about this unparalleled
[connection name], I am confident that my strong opportunity from [source], I am confident
communication skills, professional experiences, and that my range of experiences and
demonstrated interest in [field: entrepreneurship, personality position me exceptionally well
venture capital, investment banking, private equity, to add value to the [company] team as a
business] position me exceptionally well to add [position].
value to the [company] team next summer.

Assuming you have not networked.

“My name is Kelly Smith and I am a rising sophomore at Georgetown University McDonough School of
Business. I am writing to apply to the 2024 Summer Analyst position at Goldman Sachs. As a double
major in Finance and Accounting, and a minor in Psychology, I am confident that my academic pursuits,
extracurricular activities, and range of diverse professional experiences have equipped me with the skills
required to contribute to the Goldman Sachs team next summer.”

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 COVER
LETTER

Section 2: Hook
The idea here is that the hook sentence will draw the reader in.

“Hook” Checklist
Start with top few experiences with brief description for each.
Tie experiences to your developed skill set.
Conclude the first sentence explaining how that skill set allows you to add value to them.

Template

Consulting with [company experiences] has afforded me unique perspectives that I aspire to apply while
helping [company] successfully [objectives that relate to experience].

Examples

“Gaining insights from collaborating with local

“Consulting with struggling local businesses,
businesses facing challenges, evaluating
assessing undervalued public companies, and
undervalued public companies, and
working for a revolutionary startup focused on
contributing to an innovative startup dedicated
offering unique software to improve the
to enhancing travel experiences through
traveling experience have afforded me unique
unique software has provided me with
perspectives that I aspire to apply while
distinctive skills that I aim to leverage in order
helping Goldman Sachs successfully identify
to assist Goldman Sachs in effectively helping
and advise clients.”
their clients grow.”

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 COVER
LETTER

Section 3: Body

“Body” Checklist
Keep the length to 2-3 paragraphs.
Include 2-4 different experiences. Each should include: Experience Framework
The name or description of the experience. (CONTEXT) The application, experience,
What you learned from the experience. (TAKEAWAY) and takeaway can be mixed
How you will apply that experience to this role and and matched within the
how it prepares you for this role at this specific same sentence!
company. (APPLICATION)
How that experience will lead you to your next
experience. (TRANSITION)

Crafting Your Context and Takeaway

After delving into [X] industry Through my exploration of [X] at [company]

(CONTEXT), I have gained deep insight (CONTEXT), I have come to understand the intricacies
into [topics/ideas]. (TAKEAWAY) of [topics/ideas]. (TAKEAWAY)

My experience working with issues related to After immersing myself in the [project name]
[1-3 topics] (TAKEAWAY) offer me unique (CONTEXT), I’ve discovered the underlying
perspectives that I can apply to the [company details that make up [topics/ideas].
team] as a [position]. (APPLICATION) (TAKEAWAY)

Having spent time deeply studying [X], (CONTEXT), I have developed a comprehensive understanding of
[topics/ideas] (TAKEAWAY).

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 COVER
LETTER

What is the Application to Your Context/Takeaway?

Above all else, I aim for my work to reflect my I believe my ability to [skill] in a fast paced,
commitment to help [company you're applying to] high-pressure environment (TAKEAWAY)
ensure their clients are effectively identifying and will serve me well as an [position] at
executing their growth plans. (APPLICATION) [company]. (APPLICATION)

I am eager to apply the [skill 1. Ex, analytical] I am eager to leverage my experience in

and [skill 2. Ex, organizational] skills I’ve gained [experience and skill gained from it]
(TAKEAWAY) to [company] when [activity]. (TAKEAWAY) to drive [company's] efforts in
(APPLICATION) [company focus or goal]. (APPLICATION)

My background in [your experience, for example: My experience directly translates to

financial modeling] (TAKEAWAY) will play a [company’s] mission, (APPLICATION) as I am
pivotal role in helping [company] continue their dedicated to leveraging my skills in [skills] to
goal of [mention goal or mission statement ex, contribute to their goal of [company’s goal or
disrupting the fintech market]. (APPLICATION) mission statement]. (APPLICATION)

Express Your Resume as a Story with Transitions

One experience may have made you realize that you want to expand in another, compliment the skills you have
already learned, or dive deeper into a specific area.

This experience [or insert name of the experience] allowed me to understand [skill] which drove me to
pursue [new experience] as a way to enhance my skills in [new skill(s)].

Doing [experience] became the catalyst After gaining [skill(s)], I sought out [new experience]
for my decision to pursue [new experience to complement and enrich my skills in [new
experience] in order to strengthen my skill(s)], ultimately leading me to join/intern on the
abilities in [new skill(s)]. [new team name] team.

Using [experience skills] to understand the fundamentals The lessons I learned from
of [area of focus] was imperative as a stepping stone in my [experience] informed my choice to
educational journey allowing me to take on my most ultimately pursue [new experience]
recent role as [new experience] where I was responsible with the goal of refining my expertise
for [responsibilities/tasks]. in [new skill(s)].

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 COVER
LETTER

Full Body Example

“As a sophomore at Georgetown University, after quickly getting settled on campus, I got involved with
the Campus Consulting Group - an organization that allows students to work hand in hand with local
companies in helping them solve their greatest challenges. (CONTEXT) Through this experience, I
gained significant insight into how I could provide value for these businesses by understanding their
long term vision, offering various strategic paths to get there, and implementing actionable steps that
align with their objectives. (TAKEAWAY) Above all else, I aim for my work to reflect my commitment to
help Goldman Sachs ensure their clients are effectively identifying and executing their growth plans.
(APPLICATION) Nevertheless, while helping these businesses I quickly realized the importance of
solidifying a deeper financial skill set which is what drove me to join the Campus Consulting Group.“
(TRANSITION)

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 COVER
LETTER

Section 4: Ending
The goal is to minimally change your cover letter “Ending” Checklist
from one company to the next. Make sure you Brief recap. Reiterate why you
can provide value and contribute
change company names and addresses. Many
to the team.
students will forget or miss a company name when Send a thank you for considering
applying to many positions. The core portion of your application.
your cover letter will likely stay the same if you are Optional: Provide your contact
applying to companies in the same industry. information.

Templates

I am eager for the potential opportunity to I am incredibly excited by the potential

apply my skills in a way that supports opportunity to utilize my background and skill
[company] advice and expand their clients’ sets which have prepared me to be a
businesses. Thank you for considering my contributing team member at [company]. Thank
application. you so much for your time and consideration.

Thank you for considering my application. I hope to utilize my experiences and skill sets as a [position] to
contribute to [company]’s growth. Please don’t hesitate to contact me at [phone number] or [school email]
if you need any additional information.

Ending Examples

“I am eager for the potential opportunity to apply my skills in a way that supports Goldman Sachs
advice and expand their clients’ businesses. Thank you for considering my application.”

“I am incredibly excited by the potential opportunity to utilize my background and skill sets which
have prepared me to be a contributing team member at Goldman Sachs. Thank you so much for your
time and consideration.”

“Thank you for considering my application. I hope to utilize my experiences and skill sets as a Summer
Analyst to contribute to Goldman Sach’s growth. Please don’t hesitate to contact me at 301-304-2304
or [email protected] if you need any additional information.”

23
 COVER
LETTER

Cover Letter Example

24
Section 1: Pre-Interview Prep

Networking
 NETWORKING

The Importance of Networking

Gets Your Foot in the Door
At the end of the day, it is required to ensure we increase our chances of landing the dream job.
Applications alone are worth far less and will result in less interviews if not bundled with
networking. Your competition is doing it, so should you!

Helps Gain “Insider Information”

Gain instrumental “insider information” about the
company, teams, deals, experiences, and stories. This
Strengthen Your Interviewing
gives you greater credibility when stepping into the
interview round. Your answer to “why do you want to work
here” is far stronger by referring to
It is Interview Practice! personal stories and reasons you
Networking lowers the pressure of interviewing heard from people you have spoken to
because networking is effectively mini interviews. that are currently working at the
Practice makes perfect, especially when your speaking company rather than using information
with experts in your field of interest. There is potential every candidate can use.
that you will interview with the same people you
networked with!

Can Change Your Life in the Long-term

Networking is an opportunity and excuse to speak with individuals that can change your life now
or later. Focus on the long term vision and the overwhelming feeling to squeeze in as much
networking in a short amount of time will fade.

Networking Channels
Students and Alumni Friends and Family
You can easily find students and alumni through Do not be shy to turn to friends and family that may
LinkedIn searches. be in the industry of your interest. This could even
Read the Using LinkedIn section for extend to friends of your parents.
instructions on how exactly to do this. This might be the only group you can ask your
Connect based on a mutual school. This similarity candid and unfiltered questions to - the questions
could create an increased response rate. Create an you actually want to know the answers to, like
even deeper connections through mentioning clubs, “What is the job like 10 years down the line?” “Is it
organizations, or greek life within a school. This may worth it?” “Would you take a different route if you
result in a higher response rate than the school were me knowing what you know now?” and/or
connection alone. “Was the compensation worth the lack of work life
balance?”
 COVER
LETTER

Students and Alumni Friends and Family

These types of events often “expose” who is really We have a dedicated section on how to effectively
involved with recruiting from your particular campus. network using LinkedIn. The main idea is that you
These are often going to be the most influential can filter based on a variety of elements that may
people you can network with. If done correctly, you allow you to better connect with an individual
can walk straight into an interview round after just based on factors greater than mutual school or
one or two calls with the right people. hometown.

Who to Network With

We believe in networking with purpose and a plan. Each time you “level up” to a more aenior
employee, you want to approach the call with greater credibility and ability to display your
devotion to the company. Therefore, we suggest starting with:

Incoming or Past Interns VPs, or members of the campus recruiting and HR

Incoming interns will typically be just a year older teams. The key here is to aim for the easier
than you and have most recently went through the conversations first that often yield tips and tricks
process and give you their guidance on securing when talking to higher ups.
the role. Interns will usually be seniors that have
just gone through a summer internship and can be Campus Recruiting and HR Teams
useful in explaining more about the role itself. The influence of campus recruiting and HR teams
More importantly, they can connect you with are highly undervalued. They are the ones in
current analysts and associates as they have charge of finding talent and hand picking your
formed real relationships with through summer resume out of the pile to put you through to an
programs. interview round. It is fairly easy to connect with
campus recruiting and HR teams.

Associates
Networking with these two groups is likely
readily available to you could be enough to stand Once you have had a conversation or two, it is likely
out in an interview round. If you only have the worth speaking with an associate as they may have
opportunity or time to reach out to a few people, the power to make the ultimate decision on hiring
aim to network with those that you will likely and will be influential as a referral.
get a response from.
VP’s (Or Directors, MD’s, Group Heads)
If you can get on a call with anyone in or above the
VP level, it is an incredible opportunity to display
Analysts
the work you have put in to get to know people at
Analysts often play a role in the interviewing and the firm. Don’t shy away from reaching out to
recruiting process, especially those from your senior members. You want to prep hard for these
respective school. Analysts too can be pivotal in calls, this could make or break your application!
connecting you with additional analysts, associates,

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 NETWORKING
Email and LinkedIn are
going to be the primary tools
used for outreach
Outreach Channels
The Generic Method
The generic method should be used predominantly for mass emails in which you are aiming to reach out
in high volumes with no preference for a specific company or person.

Pros Cons
• Reaches a high volume • Lower response rate
• Quick to execute • Not targeted by priority
• Efficient to use • Takes time to accumulate all contact info
• Can be effective

Templates

Hi [recipient name],
I hope you are doing well!
My name is [your name] and I am currently a [year] at [school/university]. I recently applied for the
[internship] position and I am eager to learn more about your experience at [firm] as an [position].
I would really appreciate a few minutes of your time if you had any availability in the next few weeks.
Happy to work around your schedule. Attaching my resume for your reference.
Best,

Hi [recipient name],
I hope you are doing well!
I came across your LinkedIn as I was searching for fellow [school/university student nicknames] working
at [company]! My name is [your name] and I am currently a [year] at [school/university]. I recently applied
for the [internship name] position and I am eager to learn more about your experience at [firm] and how
[school/university] helped prepare you for the role.
I would really appreciate a few minutes of your time if you had any availability in the next few weeks.
Happy to work around your schedule.
Best,

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 NETWORKING

Hi [recipient name],
I hope you are doing well!
My name is [your name] and I am currently a [year] at [school/university]. I noticed you were in [club] as
a/an [position] - I am currently a [position] in [club] as well! I recently applied for the [internship] position
and I am eager to learn more about your experience at [firm] and how [club] helped prepare you for the
role.
I would really appreciate a few minutes of your time if you had any availability in the next few weeks.
Happy to work around your schedule.
Best,

The Value-Add Method

Pros Cons
• Stands out substantially • Takes time
• Provides clear value • Takes research
• Exponentially higher response rates • No guarantees
• Best used on high priority relationships

Templates

Hi [recipient name],
I hope you are doing well!
I recently came across your podcast with [name], [position, ex: CEO of Amazon], and found his approach to
scaling and optimizing an early stage team fascinating!
My name is [your name] and I am currently a [year] at [school/university]. I recently applied for the
[internship] position at [company] - I would love to pick your brain to learn more about the topics
discussed in the podcast and how [company] views scaling early stage teams.
I would really appreciate a few minutes of your time if you had any availability in the next few weeks.
Happy to work around your schedule. Attaching my resume for your reference.
Best,

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NETWORKING

Hi [recipient name],
I hope you had a great weekend!
My name is [your name] and I am currently a [year] at [school/university]. I recently read about your
involvement with [company’s deal or investment] in [company invested in/had deal with] and found their
unique [X] technology product to be very interesting.
Furthermore, having applied to [position] at [company], I am particularly captivated by their investment
thesis and interested to learn more about their approach with [the deal/investment].
If you have any availability over the next couple of weeks for a quick phone call, I would love to pick your
brain to learn more. Happy to work around your schedule.
Best,

Hi [recipient name],
I hope you had a great weekend!
My name is [your name] and I am currently a [year] at [school/university]. I recently read about your
involvement with [company’s deal or investment] in [company invested/had deal with] and found their
unique [X] technology to be very interesting.
As I was researching more into the market of [what the company invested in does, ex: hotel focused
fintech/fintech catered for hotels], I came across a unique comparable company that I wanted to send over
in case it is of interest. [Company] seems to focus more on [X] technology for hotels and could potentially
compliment [invested companies] product, so may be interesting to keep an eye on!
In any case, I would love to pick your brain some more about your involvement with the deal/investment.
Please let me know if you have any availability over the next couple weeks for a quick phone call.
Best,

Things to Consider When Using the Value-Add Method

Do NOT mention wanting to talk about internship/position applied to and how to break into their
company when using the Value Add method. You are asking to talk about a specific piece of work the
person you are reaching out to produce. You are not going to ask what every other candidate will ask, such as
“I would love to learn more about your experience, about the internship, how to stand out, get guidance on
the recruiting process” etc.
Optional elements: You may choose to attach or leave out your resume depending on your preference and
the position of the person you are reaching out to.
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 NETWORKING

Post-Meeting Method
Used typically after hearing someone speak at an info session or event.

Template

Hi [recipient name],
I hope you had a great weekend!
My name is [your name] and I am currently a [year] at [school/university].. I thoroughly enjoyed hearing
more about your experience at [company] as a [position] in the [specific group] last night at the
information session; it was particularly interesting to hear about your role on the [deal name] and
[mention something else specific].
I recently submitted my application for [company] and would really appreciate a few minutes if you had
any availability in the next couple of weeks to ask some follow up questions to learn more about the
company. I am happy to work around your schedule.
Best,

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 NETWORKING

Ways to Respond to Outreach

Outreach Response Checklist Permission is Key

Thank the connector. It is important to get permission by the
Introduce yourself to the person you person that is referring you to connect
were connected with. to the referral.

Writing A Referral Introduction With an Email Connection

Best Practices When Receiving A Referral Through An Email Connection
1. Click anywhere on the line with the email addresses to show all emails.
2. Click Bcc. The Bcc line will move under the To section.
3. Click and drag the person’s email address that connected you to Bcc.
4. Click and drag the person’s email address that you are being connected with and sending the email to in
the To section.
5. You are now ready to respond!

Introduction Email Template

[Connector name], thank you so much for the introduction! Moving you to Bcc.
[New connections name], it is great to meet you! As [connector name] mentioned, I recently applied to the
[position] at [company] and am eager to learn more about the [firm/position] role. If you have any
availability in the next couple of weeks, I would really appreciate hearing more about your experience at
[company] as a/an [position]. Happy to work around your schedule!
Best,

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 NETWORKING

Writing A Referral Introduction

Without an Email Connection In any case, we are assuming the person
This is an example of how to initially reach out to who is helping you make the connection is
someone after being told about them through one of their not writing an introduction email for you.
friends or colleagues without the “connector” writing an
intro-email for you.

Template

Hi [recipient name],
I hope you are doing well!
I am reaching out because [connector’s name] mentioned you would be a great resource to learn more
about [position] at [company]! My name is [your name] and I am currently a [year] at [school/university].
Having recently applied to [position] at [company], I would love to learn more about your experience at
[company].
If you happen to have any availability in the next couple of weeks to ask some follow up questions to
learn more about [company], please let me know. I am happy to work around your schedule.
Best,

Follow-Ups If You Have Not Received A Response

Rules of Thumb
A follow-up should be roughly 5-8 business days later.
Do not follow up on weekends.
Make it short and simple! Try 2-3 (maximum) follow ups using the examples on the next page.
Always click ‘Reply all’ in the same email chain, do not create a new email thread. If they missed your
previous email it gives them the opportunity to quickly scroll and read it in the same thread.
You are not required to change the subject line but if you choose to here are some options:

Following up about [position] at [company] - Applicant Checking in Regarding [topic]

Following up about [position] at [company] - Fellow [school mascot, ex “Hoya”]

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 NETWORKING

Examples

“Hi Chris,
I hope you are doing well!
I wanted to quickly reach out to check in and make sure my previous note did not slip through the
cracks. Would really appreciate a few minutes of your time if you happen to have any availability in the
next week or two!”

“Hi Chris, “Hi Chris,

I hope you are doing well! I hope you are doing well!
I recently came across an article on Goldman I sent you an email a few days ago and wanted
Sach’s announcement on their expansion into to check in to ensure you received my message.
the fintech market. Seems like a really If you happen to have any availability in the
exciting time to be on the team! If you next few weeks to chat, I would really
happen to have any availability in the next appreciate your time!”
few weeks to chat, I would love to talk more
about it.“

“Hi Chris,
I hope you are doing well!
I recently came across an article on Goldman Sach’s
After roughly 2-3 follow ups with
announcement on their expansion into the fintech market.
no response, it's time to stop.
Seems like a really exciting time to be on the team! If you
happen to have any availability in the next few weeks to
chat, I would love to talk more about it.”

If you are still struggling to get a response, try finding unique angles to
follow up. Refer to the Staying In Touch section for some ideas, such as
reacting to them liking, commenting, or posting on LinkedIn or reading an
article about there company that you can refer to. 34
 NETWORKING

Subject Line Types and Templates

Cold outreach After meeting or hearing the person speak
These are often used with the “generic” method Great meeting you/hearing you speak at [event
approach. name]! Following up
Fellow [school mascot] interested in [company Great discussion on [topic] at [event name] -
or position] Following Up
[School name] Student – I would love to connect!
Value add
Hello from [School name] - student looking to
connect! Enjoyed your article on [topic] – [school]
student would love to connect
Interesting Podcast On [topic] – [school] student
“Fellow Hoya Interested in MS Industrials would love to connect
Group or Fellow Georgetown Student - Came across your article on [topic] - would love
aspiring Investment Analyst at GS” to connect
Came across your deal/investment on [topic] -
would love to connect
In mutual club, organization, or Greek life Came across your [deal/investment name] -
[Position in club] from [club] interested in comps to check out!
[company or position] Came across your article on [media name] - you
may enjoy this article!
Analyst in Campus Fund at Georgetown -
Follow up check in
Interested in GS Internship
This is the follow up to check in guide assuming
you have had a conversation with the person you
Connected through someone, but without an are networking with already. If you have not
email intro received a response, refer to previous follow up
section to learn what to do. A follow up email will
Connected through [connection’s name] -
be sent in an existing email chain so the subject
Interested in [position or internship]
should remain the same as the original email. Only
change the subject if you are actually checking in to
Connected through Jim Silver - Interested in
say hi after time passes since you last spoke or
BMO Industrials Group
creating a new email chain.

“Hello! Checking in”

If you are connected through someone

that has written an intro email for you, they
will have already chosen a subject line!

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 NETWORKING

Email Signature
Example
Signature Checklist (in order)
First and last name
Kelly Smith
School name
Georgetown University, McDonough School of Business
Phone number
Personal email 240.675.8302
School email [email protected]
[email protected]

Additional Elements to Consider

School logo
Middle name or middle initial. Example: Kelly Grace Smith or Kelly G. Smith You have a few options here.
Degree or major you are receiving, placed under the school name I suggest to keep it simple
Personal website or link to your LinkedIn and consistent in font and
color.

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 NETWORKING

Scheduled Emails Your emails will be sent

based on the timezone
Scheduled emails are an easy way to automate the communication you schedule them in.
process between you and a referral.

Utilize the schedule send option in your emails

By schedule sending emails, you can write them any time during the day (or weekend) and send
them during another time.

Never send on an “even” time

You do not want your schedule sent emails to appear as schedule sent emails so the time you set them to
send out should not reflect your emails default setting. For example, the default settings often send
emails at 8:00 AM or 9:00 AM. Instead, change the time to 9:03 AM, 9:29 AM.

Send at the best times

Send schedule sends between 7:30 AM and 10 AM Monday through Friday to ensure you are high up in
the person’s inbox. Never send emails later Friday afternoon or weekends.

How to Schedule Send Using Google Gmail

1. Create a new email by clicking the
Compose button.
2. In the New Message window, click the
drop down arrow to the right of the
blue Send button and select Schedule
send .
3. Click Pick date & time to set your own date and time for your schedule send.
4. Once your date and time is set, click Schedule send.

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 NETWORKING

Finding Contact Information

Tips and Techniques
Most email templates for the Investment Banks, Try the most common templates. As you may
Private Equity firms, and Venture Capital come to realize, most company email templates are
companies you're applying to are readily not incredibly unique and you can probably even
accessible. Please find our list of the top guess it. Try taking the persons name you are
companies across IB, PE, and VC email formats on looking to contact and place it into the following
the following page. In this case, all you have to common templates:
know is the persons name you are reaching out to [first].[last]@companyname.com
and plug it into the template. [first initial].[last]@companyname.com
[last].[first]@companyname.com
[last].[first initial]@companyname.com
If their name does not work, try nicknames
and variations. For example, instead of
[email protected] try
[email protected]

Use Google Sheets. If you open up a Google sheet, type in the email address you are curious to know will
work, and hover your mouse over the email, you will get a pop up that looks something like this:

It is probably an existing email if:

The facetime icon is highlighted blue. This icon is located to
the left of the calendar icon.
A profile picture of initials appear in the profile picture space.
A phone number is written out under the email address.

Use Rocket Reach

You may opt to use an email finder software like Rocket Reach. There are usually free trials before signing up
but you may find it useful for the months you are recruiting.
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 NETWORKING

Email Templates List from Top Companies

Budge Bracket Investment Banks
Bank of America / BAML [first].[last]@bofa.com
Citi [first].[last]@citi.com
Credit Suisse [first].[last]@credit-suisse.com
Deutsche Bank [first].[last]@db.com
Goldman Sachs [first].[last]@gs.com
J.P. Morgan [first].[last]@jpmorgan.com
Morgan Stanley [first].[last]@morganstanley.com
UBS [first].[last]@ubs.com
Boutique Investment Banks
Allen & Co. [first initial][last]@allenco.com
BDO Capital [first initial][last]@bdocap.com
Centerview [first initial][last]@centerview.com
Evercore [first].[last]@evercore.com
FT Partners [first].[last]@ftpartners.com
Greenhill [first].[last]@greenhill.com
Guggenheim [first].[last]@guggenheimpartners.com
Lazard [first].[last]@lazard.com
LionTree [first initial][last]@liontree.com
Moelis [first].[last]@moelis.com
MTS Health Partners [last]@mtspartners.com
Perella Weinberg Partners [first initial][last]@pwpartners.com
PJT Partners [first].[last]@pjtpartners.com
Qatalyst [first].[last]@qatalyst.com
Solomon Partners [first].[last]@solomonpartners.com
TAP Advisors [first initial][last]@tapadvisors.com
Union Square Advisors [first].[last]@usadvisors.com
Middle Market Investment Banks
Baird [first initial][last]@rwbaird.com
BMO [first].[last]@bmo.com
Cain Brothers [first initial][last]@cainbrothers.com
Canaccord Genuity [first initial][last]@cgf.com
Cantor Fitzgerald [first].[last]@cantor.com
Citizens [first].[last]@citizensbank.com
Duff & Phelps [first].[last]@duffandphelps.com
Harris Williams [first initial][last]@harriswilliams.com
Houlihan Lokey [first initial][last]@ hl.com
Intrepid [first initial][last]@intrepidib.com
Jefferies [first initial][last]@jefferies.com
Key Bank [first initial][last]@key.com
Lincoln [first initial][last]@lincolninternational.com

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 NETWORKING

Macquarie [first].[last]@macquarie.com
Oppenheimer & Co. [first].[last]@opco.com
Piper Sandler [first].[last]@psc.com
Raymond James [first].[last]@raymondjames.com
RBC [first].[last]@rbccm.com
Rothschild [first].[last]@rothschildandco.com
Stifel [last][first initial]@stifel.com
SVB Leerink [first].[last]@svbleerink.com
TripleTree [first initial][last]@triple-tree.com
Truist [first].[last]@truist.com
Wells Fargo [first].[last]@wellsfargo.com
William Blair [first initial][last]@williamblair.com
Regional Boutique Investment Banks
Black Arch Partners [last]@blackarchpartners.com
Cascade Partners [first][last initial]@cascade-partners.com
Clearsight Advisors [first initial][last]@clearsightadvisors.com
Corum Group [first][last initial]@corumgroup.com
Covington Partners [first initial][last]@covllc.com
Critical Point Partners [first initial][last]@criticalpointpartners.com
Delancey Street Partners [first initial][last]@delanceyllc.com
Edgemont Partners [first initial][last] @edgemont.com
Fairmount Partners [first].[last]@fairmountpartners.com
Farlie Turner [first initial][last]@farlieturner.com
Fortitude Advisors [first initial][last] @fortitudeadvisors.com
Imperial Capital [first].[last]@imperialcapital.com
Northborne Partners [first initial][last]@northborne.com
P&M Corporate Finance [first].[last]@pmcf.com
ThreeSixtySeven Advisors [first initial][last]@threesixtyseven.com
Private Equity & Venture Capital
3i Group [first].[last]@3i.com
5Y Capital [first][last]@5ycap.com
Accel [first initial][last]@accel.com
Accel-KKR [first]@accel-kkr.com
Acon Investments [first initial][last]@aconinvestments.com
Adams Street Partners [first initial][last]@adamsstreetpartners.com
Advent [first initial][last]@adventinternational.com
AEA Investors [first initial][last]@aeainvestors.com
Affinity Equity [first][last]@affinityequity.com
Alpine Investors [first initial][last]@alpineinvestors.com
Altaris Capital Partners [first].[last]@altariscap.com
Altas Partners [first initial][last]@altaspartners.com
Altor Equity Partners [first].[last]@altor.com
American Industrial Partners [first initial][last]@americanindustrial.com

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 NETWORKING

American Securities [first initial][last]@american-securities.com

Apax Partners [first].[last]@apax.com
Apollo Global Management [first initial][last]@apollo.com
Arcline Investment Management [first]@arcline.com
Arctos Sports Partners [first].[last]@arctospartners.com
Ardian [first].[last]@ardian.com
Ares Management [first initial][last]@aresmgmt.com
Arsenal Capital Partners [first initial][last]@arsenalcapital.com
Astorg Partners [first initial][last]@astorg.com
Audax Group [first initial][last]@audaxgroup.com
Aurora Capital Partners [first initial][last]@auroracap.com
Bain Capital [first initial][last]@baincapital.com
BC Partners [first].[last]@bcpartners.com
BDT Capital Partners [first initial][last]@bdtcap.com
Berkshire Partners [first initial][last]@berkshirepartners.com
BGH Capital [first initial][last]@bghcapital.com
Blackstone [first].[last]@blackstone.com
Blue Owl Capital [first].[last]@blueowl.com
Bond [first][last]@bondcap.com
Boyu Capital [first initial][last]@boyucapital.com
Bregal Investments [first].[last]@bregal.com
Bridgepoint [first].[last]@bridgepoint.eu
Brookfield Asset Management [first].[last]@brookfield.com
Carlyle [first].[last]@carlyle.com
Castlelake [first].[last]@castlelake.com
Cathay Capital [first].[last]@cathaycapital.com
[first].[last]@cathay.fr
CBC Group [first].[last]@cbridgecap.com
CDH Investments [last][first]@cdhfund.com
[first].[last]@cdhfund.com
[first][last initial]@cdhfund.com
Centerbridge [first initial][last]@centerbridge.com
Centurium Capital [first].[last]@centurium.com
Cerberus Capital Management [first initial][last]@cerberus.com
[first initial][last]@cerberuscapital.com
Charlesbank Capital Partners [first initial][last]@charlesbank.com
Cinven [first].[last]@cinven.com
CITIC Capital [first][last]@citiccapital.com
Clayton, Dubilier & Rice (CD&R) [first initial][last]@cdr-inc.com
Clearlake Capital Group [first initial][last]@clearlake.com
[first]@clearlake.com
Court Square Capital [first initial][last]@courtsquare.com
CPE Capital [first][last initial]@cpecapital.com
CVC Capital [first initial][last]@cvc.com

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DCP Capital [first].[last]@dcpcapital.com

EMK Capital [first]@emkcapital.com
EnCap Investments [first initial][last]@encapinvestments.com
EQT [first].[last]@eqtpartners.com
[first].[last]@eqt.se
Equistone Partners Europe [first].[last]@equistonepe.com
Eurazeo [first initial][last]@eurazeo.com
Flexpoint Ford [first initial][last]@flexpointford.com
Francisco Partners [last]@franciscopartners.com
FTV Capital [first initial][last]@ftvcapital.com
General Atlantic [first initial][last]@generalatlantic.com
Genstar Capital [first initial][last]@gencap.com
GHO Capital Partners [first].[last]@GHOCapital.com
GI Partners [first initial][last]@gipartners.com
Goldman Sachs [first].[last]@gs.com
Great Hill Partners [first initial][middle initial][last]@greathillpartners.com
[first initial][last]@greathillpartners.com
Gryphon Investors [last]@gryphoninvestors.com
GTCR [first initial][last]@gtcr.com
[first].[last]@gtcr.com
H.I.G. Capital [first initial][last]@higcapital.com
Hahn & Co. [first].[last]@hcompany.com
Hamilton Lane [first initial][last]@hamiltonlane.com
HarbourVest [first initial][last]@harbourvest.com
Harvest Partners [first initial][last]@harvestpartners.com
Hellman & Friedman [first initial][last]@hf.com
[first]@hf.com
Hg [first].[last]@hgcapital.com
Hidden Hill Capital [first initial][middle initial][last]@hiddenhillcap.com
Hillhouse [first initial][last]@hillhousecap.com
[first initial][middle initial][last]@hillhousecap.com
IDG Capital [first]_[last]@idgcapital.com
IK Investment Partners [first].[last]@ikpartners.com
Incline Equity Partners [first].[last]@inclineequity.com
Inflexion Private Equity [first].[last]@inflexion.com
Insight Partners [first initial][last]@insightpartners.com
Investindustrial [first initial][last]@investindustrial.com
JMI Equity [first initial][last]@jmi.com
Jordan Company [first initial][last]@tjclp.com
K1 Investment Management [first initial][last]@k1im.com
Kayne Anderson Capital [first initial][last]@kaynecapital.com
Kelso & Company [first initial][last]@kelso.com
Kinderhook Industries [first initial][last]@kinderhook.com
Kohlberg & Company [last]@kohlberg.com

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KPS Capital Partners [first initial][last]@kpsfund.com

KSL Capital Partners [first].[last]@kslcapital.com
L Catterton [first].[last]@lcatterton.com
Leonard Green & Partners [first initial][last]@leonardgreen.com
[last]@leonardgreen.com
Levine Leichtman Capital Partners [first initial][last]@llcp.com
LGT Capital Partners [first].[last]@lgtcp.com
Lightyear Capital [first].[last]@lycap.com
Lime Rock Partners [first initial][last]@lrpartners.com
[first initial][last initial]@lrpartners.com
Linden Capital Partners [first initial][last]@lindenllc.com
Lindsay Goldberg [first initial][last]@lindsaygoldbergllc.com [last]@lindsaygoldbergllc.com
Littlejohn [first initial][last]@littlejohnllc.com
LLR Partners [first initial][last]@llrpartners.com
Madison Dearborn [first initial][last]@mdcp.com
Marlin Equity Partners [first initial][last]@marlinequity.com
Matrix Partners [first initial][last]@matrixpartners.com
MBK Partners [first].[last]@mbkpartnerslp.com
Montagu Private Equity [first].[last]@montagu.com
Morgan Stanley [first].[last]@morganstanley.com
[first].[middle initial].[last]@morganstanley.com
Nautic Partners [first initial][last]@nautic.com
New Enterprise Associates [first initial][last]@nea.com
New Mountain Capital [first initial][last]@newmountaincapital.com
NGP Energy Capital [first initial][last]@ngptrs.com
[first initial][last]@ngpetp.com
Nordic Capital [first].[last]@nordiccapital.com
Norwest Venture Partners [first].[last]@nvp.com
[first initial][last]@nvp.com
Novacap [first initial][last]@novacap.ca
Oak Hill Capital [first initial][last]@oakhill.com
Oakley Capital Private Equity [first].[last]@oakleycapital.com
Oaktree Capital Management [first initial][last]@oaktreecapital.com
Ocean Link Partners [first].[last]@oceanlp.com
Oceanpine Capital [first].[last]@oceanpine.com
Odyssey Investment Partners [first initial][last]@odysseyinvestment.com
Olympus Partners [first initial][last]@olympuspartners.com
One Equity Partners [first].[last]@oneequity.com
One Rock Capital [first initial][last]@onerockcapital.com
Onex [first initial][last]@onex.com
OrbiMed Advisors [last][first initial]@orbimed.com
PAG [first initial][last]@pag.com
[first initial][last]@pagasia.com
PAI Partners [first].[last]@paipartners.com

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Pamplona Capital [first initial][last]@pamplonafunds.com

Pantheon [first].[last]@pantheon.com
Partners Group [first].[last]@partnersgroup.com
Pathway Capital [first][last]@pathwaycapital.com
Patria Investments [first].[last]@patria.com
Peak Rock Capital [last]@peakrockcapital.com
Peppertree Capital Management [first initial][last]@peppertreecapital.com
Permira [first].[last]@permira.com
Platinum Equity [first initial][last]@platinumequity.com
Primavera Capital [first].[last]@primavera-capital.com
Providence Equity [first initial].[last]@provequity.com
PSG Equity [first].[last]@psgequity.com
Quantum Energy Partners [first initial].[last]@quantumep.com
RedBird Capital [first initial].[last]@redbirdcap.com
Revelstoke Capital [first initial].[last]@revelstokecapital.com
Ridgemont Equity [first initial].[last]@ridgemontep.com
Riverside Company [first initial].[last]@riversidecompany.com
Roark Capital [first initial].[last]@roarkcapital.com
Searchlight Capital [first initial].[last]@searchlightcap.com
Siguler Guff China [first initial].[last]@sigulerguff.cn
Siguler Guff USA [first][last initial]@sigulerguff.com
[first initial].[last]@sigulerguff.com
Silver Lake [first].[last]@silverlake.com
Siris Capital [last]@siris.com
Sixth Street [first initial].[last]@sixthstreet.com
[first initial][middle initial][last]@sixthstreet.com
SK Capital Partners [first initial].[last]@skcapitalpartners.com
Spectrum Equity [first initial].[last]@spectrumequity.com
Stone Point Capital [first initial].[last]@stonepoint.com
Summa Equity [first].[last]@summaequity.com
Summit Partners [first initial].[last]@summitpartners.com
Sycamore Partners [first initial].[last]@sycamorepartners.com
TA Associates [first initial].[last]@ta.com
TCV [first initial].[last]@tcv.com
TDR Capital [first].[last]@tdrcapital.com
Thoma Bravo [first initial].[last]@thomabravo.com
Thomas H. Lee Partners (THL) [first initial].[last]@thl.com
Thrive Capital [first]@thrivecap.com
Tikehau Capital [first initial].[last]@tikehaucapital.com
TowerBrook [first].[last]@towerbrook.com
TPG [first initial].[last]@tpg.com
Triton Partners [last]@triton-partners.com
Trustbridge Partners [first].[last]@trustbridgepartners.com

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 NETWORKING

TSG Consumer [first initial].[last]@tsgconsumer.com

Valor Equity Partners [first initial].[last]@valorep.com
Vector Capital [last]@vectorcapital.com
[first initial].[last]@vectorcapital.com
Veritas Capital [first initial].[last]@veritascapital.com
Vista Equity Partners [first initial].[last]@vistaequitypartners.com
Vistria Group [first initial].[last]@vistria.com
Vitruvian Partners [first].[last]@vitruvianpartners.com
Warburg Pincus [first].[last]@warburgpincus.com
Waterland Private Equity [last]@waterland.nu
Welsh Carson (WCAS) [first initial].[last]@wcas.com
Wind Point Partners [first initial].[last]@wppartners.com

Sources:
https://transacted.io/index.php/2022/08/15/investment-bank-email-formats/
https://www.10xebitda.com/private-equity-email-format/

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Congratulations! You got a response after

utilizing our key outreach approaches, email
suggestions, and savvy subject lines.
Now what?
Getting a Response
First thing is first, respond ASAP! Typical Responses
People across IB, PE, VC are accustomed to quick
“Let’s chat, send over some times?”
responses so the expectation is that you will
respond quickly. The target response rate is less
than 25 minutes. “How does [X] time work with you?”

Sending Times to Chat

Response Checklist You are not their priority and

Thank them for offering their time. they are doing you the favor so
You must send at least 3 separate time frames when you move your schedule around
are available. At least two have to be on separate days. to fit there's. Make it as easy
Mention you will send a Google Calendar invite once you on them as possible!
secure a time (see the ‘Using Google Calendar’ section).
Send an invite immediately after agreeing on a time.

Template

Hi [recipient name],
Thank you so much for getting back to me. I am free on [day] from [timeframe, ex: 10am-2pm], [day] from
[timeframe], and [day] any time after [time]. I will send over a Google Calendar invite once we decide on a
time.
Looking forward to it!
Best,

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When a Time is Suggested to You

If the Time Works If the Time does NOT Work

Agree on the time. If you are not offered a time, refer
Immediately send a Google Calendar back to the response.
invite. Note that the time will not work for
you but offer additional times and
your flexibility.

Template Template

Hi [recipient name], Hi [recipient name],

That works with me. Sending over a Google Thanks so much for getting back to me.
Calendar invite now. Unfortunately, I am unavailable on [date
and time they proposed]. Would you
Looking forward to it!
happen to have any availability on [first
Best, choice day of the week] from [timeframe, ex:
10am-12pm], [second choice day of the
week] from [timeframe], or [third choice
day of the week] from [timeframe]? Happy
to work around your schedule if not. I will
send over a Google Calendar invite once
we lock in a time.
Looking forward to it!
Best,

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Using Google Calendar

Virtual Meeting Checklist Everything is fair game on your

Only ask for 15-30 minutes in the invite. resume so if you are sending it to
If you are not told where to contact the person, include them or attaching it, be ready to
a video conferencing link (Zoom or Google Meet) or asked questions about the
your phone number in the ‘Description’ area. information on it.
Optional: Add your resume as an attachment.

How to Send a Google Invite

1. Log into your Google account.

2. In the top right corner, click the Google apps icon and select Calendar .

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3. Click the date and start time agreed upon in the calendar.

4. In the pop up, create a title for the meeting in the Add title box. For example, “[Your Name] / [Their
Name] - Chat About [Position]” or “[School name] Student [Your name] / Chat About [Position]”.

5. Set the end time by selecting an end time from the dropdown menu. Only ask for 30 minutes maximum.

6. Click into the Add guests box and type (or paste) the email of the person you are looking to speak to.

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7. Add video conferencing using Zoom and Google Meet. Opt to use Zoom as it is more commonly used.
a. Zoom: Click the Make it a Zoom meeting button.
b. Google Meet: Select the Add Google Meet video conferencing and select Google Meet . A meet
link will be provided.

8. Select the Add description or attachments text

block. Add a note and/or your phone number. For
example, “Feel free to hop on the Zoom call or call my
cell at 301-234-6543”. Adding your resume as a PDF in
the attachments section is optional.
9. Click Save. When you receive the following option to
send the invitation to the guests, click Send.

If They Do Not Answer Your Call

In the event the person you are scheduled to meet with is either not answering their calls or you have not
received a call from them, wait roughly 5-10 minutes before sending over a brief email and wait.

Template

Hi [recipient name],
Just wanted to check in if now is still a good time for you. If not, I am happy to reschedule!
Best,

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Networking Call Walkthrough

Most networking calls are opportunities to have a conversation and ask
Make sure your
questions so you can learn. The majority of people get on networking calls
voicemail is up to
and ask the same series of questions that facilitate no deep connection and date and recorded at
no differentiation. These calls are mundane, boring, and most importantly, an appropriate age.
they may not remember the call or agree to connect you with others or
vouch for you.

The Goal
The goal of each networking call is to make a connection with the person you are speaking with and get
connected with someone else!
We will outline how exactly to aim for the goal to be met, but let’s go in chronological order of the call.

Networking Call Checklist

Answer the phone or make the call. Kick off the call by thanking them for taking the time to
speak with you and engage in small talk.
Ask questions and add flavor to those questions to boost conversation.
Wrap up the call.

Step 1: Answering Or Making the Phonecall and Kicking Off the Conversation
Small Talk
Start by thanking them for taking the time to speak with you. Often they will lead the first few minutes. Some
things to ask during “small talk” include: Are you in the office? How often is the team in the office? Were you up
to anything fun this weekend?

Kickoff
If the person you are networking with is not the first to kick off, initiate the reason for the call by saying
something like:
“Anyway, I really appreciate the time and would love to tell you a bit about myself and hear more about yourself,
your path to [company], and your experience there so far”.
Depending on the timing of the call and the general feel of the call, you will likely opt to give a shorter “tell me
about yourself” which we cover in the Interview Preparation section.

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Step 2: Ask Questions

The most important element of this call is being able to display your thoughtfulness in the questions you
are asking. Let's dive deeper into the “levels” of questions you may ask.

The Basics
These questions you can recycle and use in any instance with almost anyone working anywhere. They won’t
help you stand out, but may help you fill in silent moments when you are thinking of what to say next. These
include:
Tell me about yourself and your path to [company] How client facing is the role?
as a [position]. What is the internal growth like at [company] and
What is your favorite deal you have worked on? do they value promoting internally?
What is the company culture like? How did [what they did before joining this role]
What has kept you at [company] both help prepare you for [current position]?
professionally and culturally? What kind of deals do you prefer to spend the most
What is mentorship like at [company]? time in?
Why did you choose [industry - ex. IB, PE, VC]? How have the current markets impacted the role
What group are you in? and deal flow?
What are the advantages of working in that group How does the Analyst role differ from the Associate
over others? role? How do those responsibilities begin to shift?
What is your day to day like? What do you think I should be doing in college to
Are there any disadvantages of working in that best prepare for the role so I could hit the ground
group? running and immediately contribute to the team?
Are there lean deal teams? Have things changed since you have started there?
What is the relationship dynamic/team dynamic What were your goals when you were in my shoes
like between juniors and seniors at [company]? as a college Sophomore?
Is the internship generalist or group specific? What are the biggest challenges you face as a/an
Do you have any tips for the process on how I can [position]?
stand out as a candidate? What is your favorite part of working at
What is the global presence like at [company] and [company]?
do you get any exposure to it as an [position] in What was the most surprising to you when you
[location]? started as a/an [position]?
Are there specific industry trends or shifts in the What’s your favorite office tradition or company
market you are currently seeing within your group event?
at [company]? How long did it take you before you felt like you
How much responsibility and autonomy do you were really adding value to the team?
have to take tasks on your own as a [position] like How is your growth and success measured?
running with the model yourself for example?

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Questions Not to Ask

There are ways to get information about all of the Some questions not to ask include:
topics in the previous page without blatantly • Is the money good?
asking. A common issue people make is asking • Are you thinking of exit opportunities? Are there strong
too much about the team culture outside of the exit opportunities?
office. Ask about the culture at the company • What does a/an [position] actually do more generally?
generally. You can even ask what the culture is • Are there good employee benefits otherwise?
like particularly within their team, but let them • Do you go to clubs with your team or more formal
guide the answer. Do not push how “fun” the outings?
team is if the person you are speaking with does • Is the team actually fun?
not elaborate much on that.

Add Flavor To Boost Conversation

Listing off question after question creates a Q&A, interview-like environment instead of a conversation. There
are several ways to add “flavor” to boost connectivity.

Create a statement before the question. Use the phrase “I could imagine”. Take any question above and apply
an “I could imagine” to increase the sense of conversing rather than Q&A. For example:

I could imagine as an [position] at [company] I could imagine when you were in my shoes you
every day must be so different as you are may have also been looking at a variety of
faced with clients that have drastically industries figuring out where your fit was, so I
different challenges, surprises, and time wanted to ask why did you chose [industry] - I
sensitive problems, but I wanted to ask, is think hearing your reasons, and how hopefully
there some level of consistency so I could those reasons have been proven correct, will only
get an idea of what a day to day might look strengthen my reasons for wanting to break into
like? [industry].

I could imagine by now as an [position] you have worked on a variety of different deals between equity
raises, M&A deals, debt issuances…etc. but I wanted to ask what deal have you found to be the most
interesting and taught you the most so far?

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Create a short story to create context around your question. Take any question above and apply a brief
experience or story to create a more genuine question that displays you personally actually want to know the
answer. For example:

I was told by an incoming investment analyst, [name], that every day coming in over the summer, he/she
knew they would encounter and entirely new hurdle to cross with nuanced and complicated problems
they were helping their clients solve and it allowed them to learn a ton through the summer, so I wanted
to ask you, do you have a “typical” day to day or consistent tasks each day or do new things really arise
every day?

During my last internship at [company name], When I was working with [club] I was tasked to
it really helped me realize I loved being client value a company using a variety of methods we
facing but felt like I could produce additional learned in school, pitch it, and luckily it ended up
high quality work on the back end and wanted being invested in - I found the experience to be
that greater exposure to financial modeling to pretty amazing as I was responsible for
really solidify how I look at a company and defending why real money should be allocated
derive a valuation from their numbers - I towards certain equities over others and learned
wanted to ask you did you feel a similar drive a ton through the process. I was wondering is
when breaking into [industry] and if not, what there any particular deal or pitch you worked on
were your reasons for wanting to be a that you enjoyed the most, learned the most
[position]? from, or had a big impact on?

Research Oriented Questions

You are usually not going to have the time to ask research oriented
questions, but for “high priority” relationships, do your best to come up
Let LinkedIn Help You
with at least a couple.
The article or podcast you
Refer to past experiences or jobs using the “previous role” question. came across does not have to
Basic: “I noticed you were previously working at [company name] and I be written or recorded by the
was wondering how did that experience help prepare you for [current person you are networking
company] as a [position]?” with. It can be something
“I could imagine”: “I noticed you were previously working at they posted, liked, or
[company] and I could imagine you must have learned a lot on [topic] commented on in LinkedIn.
but wanted to ask what the learning curve was like coming to [current Phrase as “I recently read
company] and did your previous role help shorten that learning the blog/article you
period?” [commented on, posted, or
Attach a story: “I noticed you were previously working at [company] liked] on LinkedIn and…”
and I have actually had experience working with [topic] doing [X], I was
wondering how that role helped prepare you for [current role] and
what that transition was like?”

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Articles and podcasts using the “learning curve” question.

Basic: “I recently read your blog/article on [topic] and thought it was really interesting that you mentioned
[details], I was wondering how much of that did you learn in your current role? On that note, how quickly
were you able to accumulate enough of an understanding in the [field/group they are in - ex. Industrials]
space to get to a point where you were comfortable enough to begin writing articles/filming
podcasts/writing blogs like the [article name] you recently released?”
“I could imagine”: “I recently read your blog/article on [topic] and thought it was really interesting that you
mentioned [details], I could imagine it takes some time to learn as much as you now know on the
[field/group] space, so I was wondering how long were you at [company] before you really felt like you had a
grasp on the [field/group] space to the point where you could start writing articles on it?”
Attach a story: “I recently read your blog/article on [topic] and thought it was really interesting that you
mentioned [details], I recently read a similar article that popped up after reading yours discussing [topic]
and wanted to get your take on [details] because I personally took away [details] from [article or the new
article you read]. I would be happy to send that over to you as well.”

Deals and investments using the “what you learned from the deal” question
Basic: “I recently came across your investment/deal in [company] and I would love to know more about the
deal, your involvement, and what you took away from the deal?”
“I could imagine”: “I recently came across your investment/deal in [company] and I could imagine it took
months of work and you likely had to learn many new skills along the way, so I would love to know more
about your involvement with the deal and what you learned from it.”
Attach a story: “I recently came across your investment/deal in [company] and I heard from [positions, ex:
analyst’s] at other (or the same) [industry, ex: investment banks] that deals often take months of work and
require you to learn new skills almost every day so I would love to learn more about your involvement with
the deal and what you learned from it.”

Using the “Value add” Method in Conversation

This approach is similar to value add method in the outreach Using the “I could imagine”
section. A healthy mix is typically the route to go. method for multiple questions in a
row is not recommended. Opt to
Articles and podcasts use a mix of questions. As you
“I recently read your blog/article on [topic] and thought it was practice more, the healthy mix will
really interesting that you mentioned [details], it reminded me start to come natural to you.
of the [article name or publisher] which discussed [details] if you
wanted to check it out, it really compliments the things you
were talking about in your article. In any case, I would love to
get your thoughts on [topic].”

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Deals and investments

Ask the question first using the basic “I could imagine” or story method after the response. Recall our Value-
Add Method section - again, this is similar!
“It reminded me of a few of their comparable companies I came across and noticed [company] is creating
similar technology in the [space], I would be happy to send over that article if your interested.”
“It reminded me of a startup in the space called [name] and they create [technology area] which could
compliment [your clients companies name], I am happy to send over their info if you're interested! You never
know maybe [your clients name] acquire [startups name]...[can be appropriate to make a light joke].”

Step 3: Wrapping Up the Call

Be the one to wrap it up. Roughly 5-10 minutes Thank them again! Thank them one last time for
before the time is up. To demonstrate your respect for taking the time and offering their perspectives,
their time, be the one to say something along the lines advice, and guidance. Let them know that you learned
of “I don’t want to take up too much more of your a lot from them!
time, would it be okay to ask one last question?”
The end is to create a snowball effect where each
conversation leads to another. At the end of your
call, you want to ask if there is anyone else they
suggest you reach out to to learn more about the
company.

Thank you so much for the time. I really appreciate all of the advice and guidance you offered me today
and I really learned a lot. Is there anyone else, perhaps a fellow Analyst or Associate you work closely
with that you suggest I reach out to, to continue learning about [company]?

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Writing a Thank You Email

This is an incredibly important part of networking. It is a best practice to send a thank you email
within roughly 1-3 hours of your call. If it takes longer for whatever reason, that is okay, but make
sure it is sent the same day.

Standard Thank You

Hi [recipient name], Hi [recipient name],

I hope you had a great rest of your day! I hope you had a great rest of your day!
I wanted to thank you for taking the I wanted to thank you for taking the time to speak
time to speak with me earlier. I really with me earlier. I really enjoyed our conversation and
enjoyed our conversation and learned a learned a lot. I particularly enjoyed hearing about both
lot. Specifically, I enjoyed hearing more the professional and cultural reasons that have kept
about your involvement with [X]. you on [team name] through the years! It definitely
Keep in touch! seems like an exciting time to be on [team name].

Best, Keep in touch!

Best,

“Let Me Follow Up With You”

If in response to asking if you can be connected with someone else you are told to give them time to think about
it, you may follow up saying something like:

Hi [recipient name],
I hope you had a great rest of your day!
I wanted to thank you for taking the time to speak with me earlier. I really enjoyed our conversation and
learned a lot. I particularly enjoyed hearing more about your involvement with [X] and its impact on [X].
If anyone comes to mind that you suggest I should contact to continue learning about [company], please
let me know.
Talk soon!
Best,

The Art of Scheduled Emails

Recall the Scheduled Emails section. We suggest you have a template written out and once the call concludes,
immediately fill out the areas of the template that are related to specific topics discussed in the call, and
schedule send it to go out roughly an hour later. This way you won’t ever forget to send a thank you email. 57
 NETWORKING

Staying in Touch
Find an excuse to reach out. Find reasons to reach out beyond a random check in just saying
hello. If you are struggling to think of ideas refer to the following list.

Work Related
Promotion: Person receives a promotion at work. Professional milestone: Work anniversaries,
Job transition: Person changes jobs or pivots published work, awards, or recognition
industries. News about company they work for more
Attends school: Person decides to pursue graduate generally: Reaching out in response to positive news
school for example. about the company they work for. This includes
company expansion, record revenue/profits,
Likes, comments, or posts on LinkedIn: One of the
partnerships, new product launch, new clients,
easier ones as people are often regularly active on
and/or sustainability initiatives.
LinkedIn.
Attended recent conference or seminar: If you
Releases an article, blog, or podcast: Person
both attended the same one or your interested to
releases new piece of content you can reach out and
hear how the one they attended went.
reflect on.
Close a deal or investment: Made a new investment
Collaboration opportunities: If you’re involved in a
or participated in deal that has publicly closed.
project, initiative, or research that aligns with their
expertise, discuss potential collaboration or advice. Local events: If they happen to be in your town or a
town related to you.

Personal Refer To Previous Calls

Birthday wishes: Send warm birthday wishes and This is a great way to jog their memory and display
catch up on any other celebrations. that you were intently listening during the last time
Travel experiences or move cities: Inquire about you had a conversation. Look back at your notes from
their recent trips, adventures, and possibly your last call and use the following examples to think
permanent moving plans. of an area where you can refer to topics you discussed
last. For example:
New hobbies: Reach out about shared hobbies they
may have taken on. Hope the [deal name] is going well and is near
closing!
Family milestones: Marriage, births, anniversaries,
Hope you are enjoying the Florida weather
or even an addition to their family (baby/animal)!
How is everything on the [insert] going?
Support during challenges: Reach out to wish the How is your [insert] doing?
best in times of healing.
How do I track all of this?
Download the networking Google
Sheets or Excel Template.

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Using LinkedIn
Tips
Set up a LinkedIn account if you don’t already Consider purchasing a Premium account. A free
have one. You do not have to be on LinkedIn every trial could be useful to send messages before
second of every day, but having one allows you to connection request is approved.
slowly build your professional network all in one
Choose an appropriate profile picture. Make sure
platform. Building up a LinkedIn page takes time, so
your picture is not too outdated and is professional.
start now!
Consider a friend taking a picture in portrait mode of
you in a button down or suit.
Connect with your friends first. Opt to connect
with people you are closer with first to build up at
Add background photo (optional). Often people
least 100+ connections. You do not want to be the
use their school landscape images.
person with 14 connections trying to connect with
Share big milestones through posts. Include the
professionals.
accomplishment, a brief description of what you
Use LinkedIn for outreach. The outreach methods did/are going to do, and who would you like to
we previously discussed apply when writing to thank. For example:
someone on LinkedIn as well. Future: “I am incredibly excited to share that I
Use your account effectively and connect with people will be joining [company] as a/an [position] next
you are looking to network with. summer! My responsibilities will include [list 2-
3]. I would also like to thank [@ people that
List your experiences. It is not required to put helped you along the way]. Can't wait to join the
descriptions under each, but we suggest putting a team!”
title of the position and the length of the experience. Completed experience: “I am incredibly grateful
You are not required to put school information prior for my experience this past summer with
to attending college/university. College/university [company]. The opportunity to work alongside
and up is perfectly fine! No need to include [clients, use @ name drop] exceeded my
highschool information, it is up to you. expectations as I learned to [2-4 things you
learned to do]. Thank you to [mentors and
colleagues at work] for making this such a
memorable [internship, summer, experience]!”

Suggestion: Make your account private

This allows you to view profiles without the other person knowing your name and
profile information is not shared with owners of profiles you view. To make your account
private, go to Settings > Visibility > Profile viewing options > Private mode.

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Using the Filter Option (Desktop View)

The filter option in LinkedIn allows you to search for people within the company of your interest based on
a variety of elements.

1. Login to your LinkedIn account.

2. In the search bar, type the name of the company you are interested to network with.

3. Select the company page.

4. Click the People tab.

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5. Click All filters and input the desired filters.

6. Click Show results, and start networking!

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Section 2

Interview Prep

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 INTERVIEW
PREPARATION

What is the goal?

Connect with your interviewer!
Focus on connecting with your interviewer. Just like you did with your networking calls, break the Q&A feel.
Allow yourself to walk into the interview room excited to have a conversation and learn from someone else.
Fake it ‘til you make it. It may be uncomfortable to walk into an interview with a big smile and standing up
straight, but you have to try to break the mundane interviews of the day and bring some real energy. How do
you do that?

Rules of the Interview

Dress code: Err on the side of safety
You never want to be underdressed, but it never hurts to be overdressed. If you are unsure, dress in
formal business attire.

Bring your resume, and bring a bunch!

If your interview is in person, bring multiple copies of your resume and hand them to your
interviewers at the beginning of your interview, especially on Superdays. We would suggest
bringing 15 or more.

Body Language
I know it may seem obvious, but please read the following points carefully:
Smile a lot! Smiles are contagious and while your Maintain eye contact. Stop looking away and
interviewer is tirelessly asking the same question to a confidently hold eye contact while delivering your
handful of college students back to back, your bright prepared answers, despite their facial expressions.
energy will have an impact on their mood. Often they will seem bored and unimpressed as a way
to test how you respond.
Stand (or sit) straight. Many people slouch during
interviews and do not display the confidence and Use open gestures. Do not cross your arms. Instead,
comfortability that simply straightening your back sit comfortably with your hands by your lap or use
accomplishes. them to express your answers.

Nod in response. When your interviewer is speaking,

ensure to maintain the eye contact and nod or use
quick, non interruptive words like “yes”, “understood”,
“okay” so they know you are listening.

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Everything Is Fair Game On Your Resume

Yes, everything. Do not underestimate the amount of questions one can come up with based on the
information in your resume. We briefly touched on this in the resume section when discussing buzzwords and
being able to defend statements on your resume.

Examples
Why is your GPA [X]? (This person could ask why it You mentioned [X] in this experience, talk more
is good or bad) about it.
Why did you transfer? You only have experience in [X], why do you think
Why did you only do that internship for two you can work in [Y]?
months? Why don’t you have more experience?
Why did you study abroad there?

Questions could also be stemmed from your ‘Additional/Skills & Interests’ section.
Examples
You mention you play tennis, what did you think of You like playing golf? What is your handicap?
the game last night? Tell us more about your research on [X].
What do you like to cook and how did you learn? How did you learn to use [X] computer program?
In what way are you proficient in Microsoft Excel? Tell me more about it.

Sticky Situations and How to Avoid Them

Go through every single word, number, and date on your resume. Ask yourself questions you
can come up with based on each portion you review. This is not a suggestion, it is a requirement. You
have to read every character on your resume and ask yourself if there are any questions that can be
asked based on it.
Have a friend do the same! Allowing a fresh eye to quiz you based on your resume helps you
ensure you are covering all of your bases.

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Introduction: About Yourself

Your introduction is the first impression. This is the make or break elevator pitch, so make it good.
Do not give your interviewer a boring walk through and listing all the points on your resume, this is
a pitch of your story.

This is the same as…

Crafting Your Pitch
Walk me through your resume.
Opening line
Let’s hear a bit about your background and how you ended
Hook
up here?
Transition
Experiences
Can you start by sharing a bit about yourself?
Ending tying back to “why you” Could you please introduce yourself?

Part 1: Opening Line

Rules of Thumb
Keep to ~90 seconds long (+ or - 20 seconds).
Tailor your answer to the company your Opening Line Checklist
speaking with. Thank your interviewer for taking the
Keep it professional. time to speak with you
Speak with great passion. The first impression is Name

your moment to display your excitement, Where you are from

passion, and energy. What school you attend

What year/grade are you in
Practice, practice, practice. Practice in the
What are you studying
mirror, shower, with friends, or alone. The more
2-4 experiences
you practice and have this answer down to a tee,
Ending - tie back to a brief “why you”
the more you can focus on delivery and
connecting with your interviewer.

Template

My name is [your name] and I am originally from [town/state] - I am currently a [year] at

[school/university] where I am studying [field(s)].

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Part 2: Hook
Every story should start with a hook to capture the audience. To think of your hook, ask yourself “where
did the passion and the fire for the industry or field really start”? “When did you first realize you wanted
more of this area?”
It may take some digging, but let's look at some examples that may spark a memory for you.

Touchpoints
Childhood curiosity leading to an realization in Overcoming personal obstacles. “Growing up I was
your passion. Lemonade stands, selling sports card, always [X] which encouraged me to become more [Y]
trading toys, etc. with the help of [XYZ], that's when I knew I had to
share my experience with more kids…”
Hobbies becoming side hustles. Spending time
helping out in areas that you were passionate about, Encounter sparking change. “I was at the coffee
eventually turning into a small business. For shop and sparked up a conversation with the person in
example, “Helping people fix their computers led to front of me who explained their business was
me charging to do so.” struggling with [X] and I offered to help with [Y], one
thing led to the next and…”
Innovating/finding your passion through
adversity. Adversity forces you to find solutions to Responding to change. “After moving hometowns, I
problems you or your family and friends may have did not have many friends and sought out
been facing. For example, “I was unable to have opportunities to meet kids my age in the new
affordable access to transportation, therefore I neighborhood. That's when I realized…”
started…”
Admiring local business. “As a kid I always went to
Finding market gaps. “I struggled finding affordable this one coffee shop that did [XYZ] and their way of
clothes as a highschool student led me to…” making their customer feel at home really had an
impact on me that made me realize…”
Inspired by role models, such as mentors
professors, teachers, parents, celebrities. “Ever Good or bad employment experience
since watching/reading [X] show, podcast, article, Good experience: “When I was 14 I had the
taking [X] class with [professor], I realized…” opportunity to shadow the local store owner for a day.
We did [XYZ], and from that day forward I knew…”
Desire to make an impact on community. “I grew Bad experience: “When I was 14 I had the opportunity
up in a community that did not have access to to shadow our local vet and I was so afraid of the
affordable tutors so I started…” animals that I quit on day one and immediately signed
up to be a barista at the local coffee shop. That was
Out of the blue moment. “One random day as a 14
the best experience to ever happen because at the
year old I was walking through the grocery store aisle
coffee shop I learned [X]. From that point forward I
and asked my mom why everyone looked so stressed
knew…”
out, she said because it is tiring to search through food
stores for what you need, that's when I realized I
needed to…”

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Architecture. “On my bike ride to school, I would bike Parents or family. “Growing up in a house where my
by the [X] building and always wondered what was parents were attempting to open a local coffee
inside. One day I asked a friend, had the opportunity to business, I learned from a very young age the
visit, and never stopped exploring the world of [X] importance of [XYZ], and it has truthfully always stuck
since…” with me…”

Example

“When I was 16, I was playing around in Adobe Photoshop in art class with my best friend and we
started designing different icons we thought would be really cool looking to design on a T-shirt. One
thing led to the next and we were selling shirts and hoodies to our whole friend group, grade, and
eventually for the school. That moment really sparked something inside of me and I knew I needed to
continue exploring entrepreneurship and business.”

Part 3: Transitions
After your hook, you want a smooth transition explaining why
you applied and/or why you have pursued your next experience. If you are a sophomore or older,
The idea of the transition is to express a clear story to we suggest skipping from the hook
understand how one experience drove you to the next. One to explaining what you have done
experience may have made you realize you want to expand in since arriving on campus.
another, compliment the skills you have already learned, or dive
deeper in a specific area.

Touchpoints
You may choose to first talk about an experience …or arriving to University
before arriving to university… “Coming to [school], I knew I wanted to continue
“After realizing [X], I knew I wanted to keep learning seeking out opportunities to learn more about [X]
more about [X]. That is why I joined [X]/ worked for which is why I nearly immediately joined [X]
[X] which allowed me to continue expanding on [X].” club/organization…”

Templates

This experience prompted me to seek further This experience [experience name] allowed
experiences in [new skills you are aiming to get], me to understand [topic] which drove me
which ultimately led me to join [next experience] to pursue [new experience] as a way to
where I was able to truly dive deep into [topic enhance my skills in [topic from new
from new experience]. experience].

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Doing [topic/tasks from experience] became After gaining [skills], I sought out [new
the catalyst for my decision to pursue [new experience] to complement and enrich my skills
experience] in order to strengthen my abilities in [describe skills], ultimately leading me to
in [new topic]. join/intern with [new experience] team.

The lessons I learned from Using [experience] to understand the fundamentals of

[experience] informed my choice to [skills/field/industry] was imperative as a stepping stone
ultimately pursue [new experience] in my educational journey allowing me to take on my
with the goal of refining my expertise most recent role as [new position] where I was
in [new skills]. responsible for [responsibilities].

Part 4: Experience Breakdown

Use the following outline to touch upon 2-4 of your most applicable
experiences for the body of your “tell me about yourself”. This part looks
similar to your
cover letter story.
Experience Checklist
What the experience was. (CONTEXT)
What you learned from the experience. (TAKEAWAY)
How that experience led you to your next experience. (TRANSITION)

Template

Coming to [school], I knew I wanted to continue seeking out opportunities to learn more about [X]
which is why I almost immediately joined [X] club/organization - an organization that allows students
to work hand in hand with local companies in helping them solve their greatest challenges.
(CONTEXT). I gained significant insight into how I could provide value for these businesses by
understanding their long term vision, offering various strategic paths to get there, and implementing
actionable steps that align with their objectives. (TAKEAWAY) Nevertheless, while helping these
businesses I quickly realized the importance of solidifying a financial skill set which is what drove me
to join the Campus Investment Fund. (TRANSITION)

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Part 5: Ending
The ending is a brief recap and reiteration as to why you can provide value and contribute to the team.

Examples

“By combining the experiences I previously mentioned and skills I was able to get from financial
modeling to more innovative and creative areas like marketing and client outreach, I am confident and
would be incredibly excited to have the opportunity to add value and contribute to your team.” s

“That all being said, I am eager for the potential opportunity to apply my skills from the experiences I
previously mentioned in a way that helps Goldman Sach’s and I am excited to learn even more about
the company throughout this interview as well.”

“I am incredibly excited by the potential opportunity to utilize my background and skill sets which
have prepared me to be a contributing team member at Goldman Sachs and I am excited to learn even
more about the company from you today.”

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Behavioral Interview Questions

Framework
Break it down to 2-4 bullets per question.
Prevent talking too much or talking too little. Come Ask for clarification if needed. Do not answer the
off more confident and prepared when you have question wrong because you were too afraid to ask
succinct answers. for clarification.

Have at least one example per reason. Do not Quantify impact here as well! Although you don’t
give “naked” answers such as “the people, culture, want to include numbers in all of your answers,
responsibility, exposure” without a defense. Each when asked about a particular experience or job,
answer must have a reason, example, explanation, feel free to quantify your impact.
or story included in the response.
Talk about adding value and contributing
Use “insider information” where you can! Take where you can. Any chance you have to mention
the chances you get to refer to previous networking your goal is to provide value or contribute to their
calls, meetings, or coffee chats and what you team, take it. I would rather you say it in every
learned from those conversations. Refer to exciting sentence than forget to say it at all.
deals, investments, and personal anecdotes you
learned from people within the company.

“Why do you want to work for this company?” Do not list any reason without
Every option below must be paired with a thoughtful defending your reasons.
example or explanation.

Rules of Thumb
Use “insider knowledge”. Incorporating reasons you learned from people working at the company you are
interviewing strengthens your response exponentially and explains what you learned from those conversations
clearly. Use stories you were told by others at that company to explain reasons why you want to work there or
use stories of your own.

Example

“James Rosenbaum, an analyst on the industrials team, told me that on his first day on the job he was
staffed on an IPO where he was able to work on every element that went into the preparation of the IPO
all the way until the company successfully went public - this is a great example of the level of
responsibility and exposure you have at Goldman Sachs at just the analyst level, which is something I
would be incredibly excited to face.”

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The people/culture. It is best to support with examples from people you have spoken to. It is an easy out if
you have not spoken to people at that company. Come prepared with names to defend this point if they ask who
you noticed stayed beyond their analyst years!

After looking through alumni from [school] working at [company], it is evidently clear people stay
beyond there 2 year analyst period making it pretty obvious that there are both professional and
cultural reasons for doing so, and this is fairly unique to [company] compared to its competitors.

Area of focus. Talk about your passion in their area

of focus if they have one. Some areas of focus Collaborative approach. Focus on the collaborative
include: fintech, software, healthcare, aviation, element that sets them apart from their competitors.
sports, etc. Again, attach a story to your response.
Where did your passion start and how can you Diversity and inclusion. It is important to take a
display a genuine love and excitement for that area deep dive into diversity and inclusion programs
of focus? many IB’s, PE’s and VC’s have that could be
applicable to you. Recruiting for diverse candidates
Mentorship program. Belief in strong mentorship often starts earlier so it is important to keep an eye
or something that has benefited you in past out on all the recruiting dates per program.
experiences that is something you look for in a
company. Corporate social responsibility. Emphasis on cross
team collaboration, which yields higher quality work
Size of company. Here you can answer a boutique for clients.
vs. bulge bracket question, if applicable.
Entrepreneurial environment. Encourages change,
Exposure. The level of exposure to various deals, innovation, and new ideas no matter your position.
opportunities, and challenges you will be faced with.
Flat culture. Promotes open communication,
Responsibility. The level of responsibility you are ownership over your work, collaboration, and
given at a junior level. learning opportunities.

Companies values align with your own. Describe Sustainability initiatives. Joint belief and interest in
their core values and explain how they align with sustainability initiatives. Examples: Green Bond
your own. It is best to use a personal example for this issuances, pledges, and carbon footprint reduction.
answer.
Analytical focus. Opportunity to gain expertise in
Client facing. The role is not only back office work, “hard”, analytical skills within finance.
but relationship and client focused.
Innovative company - willing to break tradition
Global presence. Their global reach provides for change. Differentiates themselves from
opportunities to work with people from diverse competitors by being first movers in various
backgrounds. innovative areas.

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Belief in internal promoting and retaining talent. Belief in there company over others. Wanting to
Focus on promoting internally and keeping talent be a part of that companies growth specifically and
within the company for a long time. why you believe in them over their competitors.

Opportunity to truly contribute and make Training program. Effective training program that
meaningful impact. Could be a point to a flat teaches incoming analysts everything they need to
culture. Generally, understanding the company know to hit the ground running.
delegates high priority tasks and entrusts you to
complete them.

What NOT to Talk About

Compensation or money
Good stepping stone for exit opportunities or strong exits
Perks or benefits
That you are happy with their remote work policy

Templates

After having conversations with John Smith, Jessie Wilson, and Anna Martinez, it was incredibly clear
to me that [company] has a unique company culture that promotes innovative thinking, collaboration,
and a focus on having a true impact with the work you do - in fact, Jessie told me a story where she
asked her MD if she could complete the financial model on her own as a way to learn as much as
possible on her first staffing and the MD gave her permission to take a few days to work on it. The deal
ended up closing with a significant portion of the final model coming from Jessie's contributions and
the MD took the whole team out for drinks and dinner to celebrate. I think this is a great example of
the company's real belief in their junior employees and collaborative approach to teaching.

I am also a huge believer in [company]’s thesis on Lastly, as someone with a global

investing in innovative technology in the AI space - I background, the fact that [company] has
have always been passionate about tech. For years investments in [various countries] means a
now I have been reading daily newsletters, listening lot to me. I think the opportunity to work
to [name of podcast] podcasts, and know that across countries and cultures fosters a
[company you're applying to] is at the forefront of greater grasp on which parts of the world
investing in this space which I am again, not only offer exciting expansion and investment
am a believer in, but would love to be a part of. opportunities.

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“Why you?”
Every option below must be paired with a thoughtful example or explanation.

“Why You” Checklist

Display your greatest strength(s). (STATEMENT)
Describe one or two stories that support your strength(s). (DEFENSE)
Apply your strength to the job and how you can use it to contribute. (APPLICATION)

Example

“My curiosity is what truly drives me to seek out new experiences, to ask questions, and lean into every
environment I am placed in (STATEMENT).
Last summer when I was working as a Strategies Analyst alongside 3 other interns, I was constantly
seeking ways to help the clients we were paired with but I noticed many of the interns would get on calls
with the clients to understand their problem and then write a deliverable on how to help them. That
being said, I don't really think they understood their clients' real, underlying problems and don’t think
they could without attempting to dive deeper. With my clients, I was keen on understanding their vision,
their backgrounds, how they got to the challenge they were facing, and I would seek advice from other
analysts, associates, and VPs within the company before sending a final deliverable. In the end, my
clients rated my work extremely highly and we still keep in touch today. (DEFENSE)
I believe my curiosity to truly dive deeper to understand every aspect of the challenge and potential
solutions is what drove me to succeed and provide real value for my clients. I believe my curiosity as a
Junior Analyst is what would drive my desire to learn and help Goldman Sach’s clients as well to ensure I
am truly making contributions and adding value.” (APPLICATION)

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There can be some overlap between
the “why you” and your strength.
Using Strengths and Weaknesses
Rules of Thumb
Rule #1: Be honest but careful. It can not be Come up with at least 2 for each. Often
stressed enough that you should truly create a interviewers will ask for another strength or another
genuine and honest answer because this is the only weakness to test if you came prepared so it is best to
way it will come off as genuine and honest. At the be equipped with at least 2 for each.
same time, you do not want to give cocky strengths
or alarming weaknesses. Each weakness should end with how you are
improving! Do not give a weakness without at least
One of the greatest opportunities to connect. By briefly touching on the fact that you are currently
sharing your strengths, and more importantly working on improving in the areas you are struggling
weaknesses with someone else, you have the with. Explain how you identified the weakness, and
opportunity to connect with them as they likely can provide concrete steps you have taken in and/or out
relate to your strengths and weaknesses. Do not of school to address the weakness. Important to not
waste the opportunity by giving a rehearsed and be cocky or seem like the weakness has been fully
untruthful answer. resolved, but instead is an conscience work
in progress.

Examples And How To Frame Them

Strengths

versatility patience dedication honesty empathetic collaboration relationship building

communication skills adaptability leadership skills problem

c solving skills conflit resol ut ion ski lls

initiative forward thinking

Example

“I believe I am a very empathetic person which has helped me connect deeper with clients I have
worked with. (STATEMENT). Having had previously worked with Bank of America I was
predominantly in a client facing role where I spent time with over 20 founders understanding them
and how they came to start a company; by working closely with them I came to realize most of them
were looking to solve problems they, their friends, or family were facing. By diving deep into their
stories, their motivation, and their founder experience I grew to be very empathetic for those looking
to build a better world. I think by growing empathetic for founders and company teams, I have been
able to deeply connect with their cause, dig into the challenges they are facing, and really work to
develop actionable steps to find a solution. (DEFENSE) I know that is something Goldman Sach’s also
strives to do with their own clients no matter the obstacle they may be facing.” (APPLICATION)

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Weaknesses

trouble asking for help over commitment handling ambiguity dealing with uncertainty prioritizing

harsh self
u criticis delegating tasks difficl ty wi th conf ront at ion overthinking perfectionism
e

indecisiveness lack confidnce at tim

es maintaining work life balance lack self-assurance

Example

“One of my weaknesses is my tendency to spread myself thin. (STATEMENT). When I got to college, I
was pretty overwhelmed with the opportunities, clubs, and organizations that I could join, so I signed
up for far too many. I realized that I did so because I was giving 5% to each one instead of focusing
more on my top few and learning a lot from those few. (DEFENSE) In any case, I have been working on
this tendency of mine this past semester by diving more deeply into the organizations that I felt could
add the most value and that I could learn the most from, which I would also hope to do as a Junior
Analyst at Goldman Sachs.” (APPLICATION/IMPROVEMENT)

Weaknesses You Should NOT Mention

“I don’t have any weaknesses” “I am not sure” Poor attention to detail often late

inability to meet deadlines often shut down when overwhelmed do not work well with teams

“Why this industry?”

Rules of Thumb
Use “insider information” where you can. Get excited about the industry. It is important to
Remember, take the chances you get to refer to come off excited and genuinely passionate about the
previous networking calls, meetings, and coffee chats industry you are interviewing in. The best way to do
with people from the company you are interviewing that is to get yourself genuinely excited! Think about
with. Refer to exciting deals, investments, and it, you have the opportunity to be fresh out of
personal anecdotes you learned from people within undergraduate working at the forefront of
the company. transformative business decisions where you have
inside access to the most exciting developments in
the world. Read recent news on the most exciting
developments in the field to get yourself prepared,
Use the framework for behavioral
excited, and passionate.
interviews as a guide to ensure you are
hitting all the right points.

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Examples
Lets look at a weak and strong example with the assumption is I am recruiting in Investment Banking:

Weak Example

“Working in IB would offer me the opportunity to learn a lot in a very short amount of time since you
are given lots of responsibility and exposure to a lot of different problems companies face. And you
also do that on a global scale which exposes you to even more experiences. At the end of the day, I
want to take on this level of responsibility to begin helping [company] support their clients.”

Strong Example

“Working in IB and specifically within Investment Banking at Bank of America gives me a front row
seat to the most nuanced and complex decisions and challenges that often define a company's
trajectory. The fact that I get to help, assist, and advise companies through these important decisions
is truly an unparalleled experience. I know each day poses a different challenge and strategic decision
for vastly different companies which allows me to begin to understand how I can help transform
companies no matter the hurdle in front of them. To actually be doing all this, to be adding real value
and contributing to a team at just 22, fresh out of undergrad, is undeniably exciting to me. Particularly,
at GS, being able to do so on a global scale, alongside like minded individuals, in an environment that
is fast paced yet collaborative and innovative would be an exceptional experience.”

“A Time When You… “

This is one of the largest buckets of questions that you need to prepare for. Don’t worry, prepping for these
is easier than you think! Let’s dive into how.

Think Of Stories
Come up with 4-6 stories from your most applicable
and impactful experiences. With those stories in Avoid repeating stories; instead, offer varied
mind consider the following list of questions and answers. If you first answer a time when you
quickly think which story would apply best to failed by discussing a deliverable you gave in your
answer the respective question. last summer job and than are asked what is a
challenge you faced, you can not use the same
Examples story. That being said, you may use the same
Faced a challenge experience, like the same job from last summer,
Failed but different story within that experience.
Worked well with a team
Took on a leadership role

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Promoted diversity in an experience of Displayed flexibility

workplace Provided constructive feedback
Went against the grain and came out on top Balanced multiple priorities
Faced an ethical or moral dilemma Handled unforeseen circumstances
Made a hard decision Managed time pressure
Made yourself most proud Advised or mentored others
Overcame adversity Displayed creativity
Had a disagreement Displayed quick thinking
Did not get along with a coworker Handled criticism
Had a miscommunication Admitted to a mistake
Were not prepared Motivated a team
Made a mistake at work Managed remote work exceptionally well
Saw a co worker do something unethical and Resolved a customer issue
what did you do about it Implemented a new idea
Had a hard time finding a solution Facilitated change
Wanted to quit or did quit Dealt with an unhappy boss or client
Did or didn’t reach your goal Were unhappy with your own quality of work
Contributed to a diverse team Most interesting line on your resume
Took initiative Favorite experience you have had thus far
Negotiated Worked an 80 hour week
Adapted to change

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Situational Questions
These are questions related to your reaction in a variety of different dilemmas at work. Create a
framework that can apply to most questions. Think about the most important steps you would take
in a given dilemma at work and try to use those steps to answer any related questions. These
include situational questions at work with colleagues or clients.

“What would you do if you were given an ambiguous task with little detail?”
The first step is always to look into the dilemma myself before immediately turning to anyone. Dive as deep as
you can on your own to see if you can clear any confusion and answer any questions you may have
independently. After doing so, you will create a list of questions ranked by priority. Ask those questions to a
fellow intern or analyst first. Only after doing so, turn to the associate or VP that assigned you with the task.

You would not want to refrain from asking any questions and deliver poor quality work for
something that could get resolved fairly quickly but, you would want to clear up as many
questions independently to be cognizant of your boss's time.

“You are given 3 different tasks from 3 different VP’s...”

The first step is again going to try to figure out which has the highest priority with the shortest deadline. Once
you determine your best educated guess, turn to interns, analysts, and associates for input. Once you have
spoken to people that can help support your analyses of what to do, go back to the VP’s and explain the
situation with an explanation for your proposed solution.

You, again, would not want to give 25% to each VP but rather 100% to each and after diving
deeper independently and speaking with others you would feel comfortable and feel it is
the most effective next step to turn back to your VP’s to give the final green light.

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Additional Questions to Consider

Where do you see yourself in 5-10 years? Is there something not on your resume we should
Or, what is your dream job? know about? Do you have something you are
This is a simple answer many get wrong. You should passionate about?
likely not say you see yourself at the company you Again, be honest. Mention something you are
are interviewing with because it may come off as passionate about that is may not be on your resume.
dishonest.
How do you work under pressure?
On the same note, do not say you want to end up
Use the behavioral framework to answer this
somewhere else or in another industry. For example,
question.
when interviewing for IB do not say the end goal is
PE. What motivates you?
The truth is, you do not know where you are going to Be honest, but do not say money!
be, but you know you are excited about the company
you are interviewing with and could see yourself What is the most adventurous thing you've
growing internally for a very long time, so say that! ever done?
Tell them a fun, yet appropriate story.
Do you prefer to work alone or with a team?
Be honest, but do not focus on only one. Explain your What is the most interesting skill you have
ability to do both - to be able to take accountability learned outside of school?
in your own work and also contribute in a team Be honest as well.
setting.
How would your friends describe you?
What is your favorite (or least favorite) class, The point of this question is to figure out who you
book, movie, podcast? What gives you anxiety are as a person. They are not asking you “what are
and what do you fear? three strengths” so avoid sounding arrogant! Instead,
Be honest! It's an opportunity to connect with your pick a few strengths that come to mind. For example,
interviewer on a personal level. reliable, extroverted/introverted, funny, honest,
trustworthy, good listener, etc. then name a few more
personal, yet positive attributes.

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Brain Teasers

Fun Brain Teasers Testy Brain Teasers

Fun brain teasers are used as a way Some testy brain teasers are easier than you think, so try not
of getting to know you. It is a tactic to to overthink them! In reality, these types of questions are
try to understand you on a more more of a test to see your reaction more than testing you on
personal, and often comedic, level. your answer.
Do not get nervous and answer them Remember to remain calm, walk through your thought
honestly! process, and avoid going in circles for too long, If you come to
a point where you are beyond ~30 seconds of thinking and
Examples
explaining, simply give your best answer then tell them you
If you were a character in a book are not 100% sure but would love to hear the correct answer.
or movie who would you be and
why? Examples
What is your go-to hype song? Kelly is in a room and $1 million worth of 99.9% pure gold
If you could have dinner with appears. In order for her to keep the gold, she needs to take
anyone dead or alive who would it all of it out of the room at once. How does she do that?
be and why? You drove to your interview at 100 MPH and back at 60
If you were stranded on a deserted MPH, what is your average speed
island what are three things you You have 2 buckets, one is 3 liters and one is 5 liters, how do
would want with you? you fill up exactly 4 liters of water?
What is your guilty pleasure when What is 6*5/2 + 33?
it comes to food? How would you figure out how many tennis balls can fit in a
If you could swap lives with anyone Boeing 747?
for a day who would it be and You have a pond with a lily pad inside, the lily pad doubles
why? in size every day, on the 39th day the lily pad filled the
What is the most memorable trip entire pond, on what day was the pond half full with lily
you have ever taken? pads?
If you were given a million dollars You have three envelopes in front of you. One contains $100
what is the first thing you would dollars and the other two have $0. You pick one of the
do? envelopes. The interviewer then shows you what is in one of
If you could have a superpower the other envelopes left on the table, which had $0 in it. You
what would it be and why? now have the opportunity to switch envelopes. Do you
If you were an animal what animal switch or keep the one you originally picked and why?
would you be and why? A car is traveling 60 miles at an average speed of 30 mph.
Tell me a joke. How fast would the car have to travel the same 60 mile
distance home to average 60 mph over the entire trip?
What is the angle between the hour hand and minute hand
of a clock at 4?
A farmer has 18 sheep and all but 8 die, how many are left?

80
 INTERVIEW
PREPARATION

Ending

Ending Checklist
You will always be asked “Do you have
Thank them for their time once more.
any questions for us?” Never, say no.
Come prepared with at least 2-5 questions.

Questions To Ask
1. Refer back to the Networking ‘Ask Questions’ section to create a questions list and determine how to
appropriately phrase and deliver questions.
2. Refer to topics discussed throughout the interview. By asking follow up questions to stories the
interviewer told you throughout the interview, you boost the conversational sense and display your deep
interest in what they were telling you!

Thank You Email’s Post-Interview

Refer to post-networking Writing a Thank You Email section and use similar templates.

Online/HireVue Interview Tips & Tricks.

Once you start there is no stopping.
Once you click record in a HireVue interview, there is often no way to redo the recording even if you shut off your
computer. When you click start, whatever happens from that point forward will be sent to the company.
Sometimes you will have an opportunity to redo your answers once or twice. Use those opportunities but pay
attention on how many you have answered because once you are out there is no opportunity to redo any of the
remaining questions.

HireVue’s are reviewed by AI.

Make sure you check the following to ensure the AI software that may be reviewing your HireVue interview rates
you highly.
• Great lighting. Opt to put your computer in front of a window for strong natural lighting.
• Eye contact. I know it sounds weird, but look at your camera and screen as much as you can. The more you
look away, the lower you might score from a HireVue reviewing software.
• Smile! Yes, these softwares often measure the amount of smiling you do so make sure to smile throughout the
interview.
• Practice; trust me. You want to practice before clicking record because talking to yourself on a computer
screen can be weirder than you think.
•

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