Getting Started
Step 1: The most important step! Begin by scheduling an appointment with your professional career advisor, David Capaldi. He will help you define your career goals and coordinate your efforts. He can help you make the connection between your background and interests to potential roles and types of employers.
After meeting with David, read suggested career books and outline your approach. Some suggested titles are listed.
Step 2: Target your search by creating lists of companies in specific regions or industries. Create a list of potential contacts at each company.
Step 3: Research the companies you are interviewing with, the industry overall, and the deals they have been involved in. See suggested resources for company and industry research below.
Step 4: Talk to David, second-year students, and alumni about jobs, companies, and interviewing.
Pay attention to advice on how to contact alumni and potential employers. Learn how to craft an engaging message to get your foot in the door. You want to make a good first impression!
Researching Companies & Industries
The top finance resources to look at daily are The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Bloomberg, and Capital IQ.
Those seeking a financial related careers will want to do some targeted research. Review information in the interview database section of JPAY such as the types of questions asked in the interview.
League tables, rankings of banks by deal information, and deal information are useful in that you can research what deals a bank you are interviewing with has been involved with and you can research a few specific deals to discuss in your interviews. Find deals and league tables in:
- BloombergAvailable via terminals in the Management Library.
- Capital IQCapital IQ is also a great source for private equity transactions.
Contacts at specific financial companies can be found via:
- Capital IQuse the screener to find contacts by industry, company, education, etc.
JP Morgan's Guide to the Markets - Widely read research on top level view of market and economic trends worldwide, released quarterly.
Journals
- Asset Backed AlertA weekly update on worldwide securitization. Available in the Hotel Library.
- Institutional InvestorFinancial magazine known for its industry research and rankings. See also the US edition.
- Real Estate AlertA weekly newsletter on investment opportunities in commercial real estate, commercial mortgages, and other real estate assets.
- Valuation Handbook: Guide to the Cost of CapitalIncludes key variables in estimating the cost of capital, including: yields, equity risk premia, size premia, industry risk premia.
- Value Investor InsightIncludes investment ideas, analysis, and insight targeted towards professional investors. Distributed via email by the Management Library. Ask to be added to list.
Books
Investment Banking by ISBN: 9781118656211Publication Date: 2013-06-05The No. 1 guide to investment banking and valuation methods, including online tools In the constantly evolving world of finance, a solid technical foundation is an essential tool for success.
Frequently Asked Questions in Quantitative FinanceISBN: 9780470748756Covers both theory and practice including sections on how to derive Black-Scholes, popular models, equations, formulas and probability distributions, critical essays, brainteasers, and the commonest quant mistakes.
Getting a Job in Private EquityISBN: 9780470292624Discover what it takes to make it in PE from different entry points, what experience is needed to set yourself up for a position, and what can be done to improve your chances of landing one of these limited opportunities.
How to Be an Investment BankerISBN: 9781118487624Features an overview of investment banking and careers in the field, followed by chapters on the core accounting and finance skills that make up the necessary framework for success as a junior investment banker. The book then moves on to address the kind of specific technical interview and recruiting questions that students will encounter in the job search process.
Interview MathISBN: 9780692361474Interview Math provides over 50 practice problems and answers to help job seekers master quantitative interview questions including: Market Sizing Revenue Estimates Profitability Breakeven Pricing Customer Lifetime Value.
Investment Banks, Hedge Funds, and Private EquityISBN: 9780124158207An introduction to IB, PE, and hedge funds. Integrates 10 cases covering transactions, along with case notes and questions
The Masters of Private Equity and Venture CapitalISBN: 9780071624602Ten Leading private investors share their insights and experiences in Private Equity and Venture Capital.
