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“With help from The Write Resume, I am now a Summer Analyst in Healthcare Investment Banking at Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. in New York.”

– Trent Scott, Cornell University ’14

 

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[/section]At the beginning of this summer, we successfully placed one of our most highly-qualified clients in an Investment Banking job in less than one week at a top, brand name middle-market boutique in New York City. Undoubtedly an extraordinary case, where the confluence of opportunity and fit worked to everyone’s advantage, the events that took place demonstrated the power of our network at The Write Resume and the importance of persistence and perseverance in pursuing one’s career ambition.

How We Helped a Cornell Grad Land an Investment Banking Job in 1 WeekTrent Scott, a graduate of Cornell University, graciously agreed to provide a summary account for us about the challenge he faced after determining very late in the recruiting game his senior year of college that he wanted to pursue a career in Investment Banking. Below is the conversation we had with him and what we did to help.

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What challenges did you face when you realized that you wanted an Investment Banking job?

Trent Scott (TS): As I was facing a drastic shift in my career goals (from Engineering to Finance), I did not have much previous experience or many previous contacts to use in my search for an investment banking position. I utilized contacts from friends and family, but lacked professional exposure to professionals in the field. Additionally, my transition meant that many of the necessary skills had to be self-taught, including basic finance and accounting.

 

Finance-booksHow did you try to overcome those challenges by yourself?

TS: I invested in a self-help book designed for Investment Banking hopefuls, and took a finance course in the Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell my final semester at Cornell. The course was extremely helpful, and I learned many things from the book, but I found that there was not enough time to explore parts of the book fully and I was unable to devote as much time as I would like on the accounting and modeling/valuation skills necessary for a successful Investment Banking interview.

 

What did or didn’t work?

Trying to align self-taught materials with classes that have concrete due dates and exam dates is difficult, as one will always choose to spend time on the class-related assignments when working in a time crunch.

 

Learn The Top 7 Mistakes New Grads Make When Applying to Investment Banking

 

How did you find The Write Resume?

TS: A family member recommended The Write Resume and Francis de la Cruz to me, as he was impressed with the results and was confident in the connections that Francis has made and maintained with Wall Street.

 

What did The Write Resume help you with?

TS: Assistance to date includes resume creation and formatting, cover letter creation and formatting, LinkedIn updating, and professional referrals.

 

Opco LogoWhat was the outcome? What position did you get?

TS: With help from The Write Resume, I am now a Summer Analyst in Healthcare Investment Banking at Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. in the Wall Street area of New York City.

 

How quickly did you achieve your outcome?

TS: After being informed of the opportunity, within a week I scheduled one phone interview and a superday of in-person interviews at the New York office. After that Wednesday, I was informed of my acceptance into the internship program the following Sunday.

 

How are you doing in your job so far as the most junior Investment Banker in your group?

TS: My experience has been extremely positive: I have learned a multitude of financial skills and am already playing a major role in a live deal.

 

What has been the biggest surprise?

TS: The biggest surprise for me was the attitude of the senior bankers. Far from the bogeymen portrayed at Hollywood, the Directors and Managing Directors I work for are helpful, considerate, and understanding. That said, this is still the banking industry: there is no tolerance for repeated mistakes, and you are expected to understand and remember everything you’ve been told once. I’ve learned that if you do that, and are prepared to work hard with a can-do, positive attitude, success will follow.

 

Do you want to pursue a full-time role?

TS: Yes, I am open to pursuing a full-time role at Oppenheimer.

 

How did the advice you received from The Write Resume help you prepare for the demands of your job?

TS: While I did not undergo a full coaching experience, Francis was very helpful with the preparation for interviews. His advice throughout this process has been relevant and insightful.

 

10outof10On a scale of 1-10, how likely would you recommend The Write Resume? Why?

TS: 10/10. The results speak for themselves in this case. Francis was and continues to be a friendly, well-connected, and extremely knowledgeable resource for an aspiring investment banker.

 

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Our Thanks to Trent

For a client as dedicated, humble, and diligent like Trent Scott, it is our distinct pleasure as a company to refer and recommend him to decision-makers we know at the top Investment Banks looking for committed and resourceful talent to fill crucial needs at the Analyst level. We are so proud to have played a small part in Trent’s success, and from what we are hearing from his direct manager and group head, he is well on his way to a promising career in corporate finance.

 

 

What We Did Behind-the-Scenes

Trent’s biggest challenge in terms of his brand was a resume that spoke more to his former desire to pursue a master’s degree in the engineering field to which he dedicated his undergraduate career. With no internship in finance to reference from his critical sophomore and junior summers, we teased out analytical and quantitative experiences from his work inside a graduate-level research lab collaborating closely with one of the leading professors studying nanotechnology.

In re-crafting Trent’s resume, we helped position him as a candidate with exceptional intellectual curiosity with the discipline to see challenging, complex projects through to the end (much like the process of modeling a large multinational business, valuing it for potential buyers,  and creating a detailed presentation from the result). Armed with Trent’s updated and optimized resume tailored to resonate with an Investment Bank, we made the call to an influential resource in our network who ultimately invited Trent to interview on the spot. Trent then backed up the strengths we outlined on paper by performing superbly in the interview.

 

 

 

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Conclusion

Trent, on top of having outstanding measurable achievements (GPA, SAT, academic rigor), displayed the type enthusiasm, self-awareness, and understanding of the demands associated with an Investment Banking job that resonated with his interviewers at Oppenheimer. These observations are the key takeaways for any aspiring junior Investment Banker. Trent’s case demonstrates that even the best of the best require an inside boost, and we at The Write Resume are unique in bridging the gap between outstanding candidates to opportune roles in the market.

 

 

Are you like Trent?

If you are just like or in a similar position as Trent, reading this post, and want an Investment Banking job, why don’t you drop us a line today and find out what we can do to help you. We specialize in branding, guiding, and coaching ambitious candidates from non-traditional schools and non-finance backgrounds who know that they want a career on Wall Street.

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