OfficeHours was one of the central reasons why I was able to land an investment banking offer at an elite boutique firm. Working with OfficeHours was instrumental in helping me land a job in this challenging and complex recruiting world. They provided personalized guidance, connected me with potential employers, and offered valuable insights into choosing a firm that fits with my skills and career goals.
One of the key ways they helped me was by working with me to craft an effective story that highlighted my skills and experiences in a way that was relevant to investment banking. This involved identifying key accomplishments and experiences from my past roles and presenting them in a way that demonstrated my potential value to potential employers. I had read countless guides on how to craft an introductory story, been through 50 or more complete reworks of my story, and still felt like it was failing to impress. I had also been mocked countless times by upperclassmen and full-time bankers, but lacked an “it factor” that could separate me from the pack. Each interviewer I met with offered tips here and there that led to me creating a Frankenstein story that lacked in cohesion, conciseness, and personality. They offered a great analogy about the importance of your story and likened it to a serve in tennis; it is the only part of the interview that is 100% in my control. Before I started working with OfficeHours, my serve was going straight into the net every time. In one call, Asif helped me tease out my key motivations for pursuing banking and tell a compelling story that emphasized my strengths and unique background. This alone was worth every penny I spent. The massive improvement to the introductory story I used every time I introduced myself helped me feel more confident in all other aspects of recruiting and ultimately led me on a path to success and landing an offer. Overall, the individual attention and guidance that I received from OfficeHours was invaluable in helping me successfully navigate the competitive job market in investment banking. Their personalized approach helped me stand out as a candidate and ultimately secure a position that was a perfect fit for my skills and career goals.
Additionally, they had established relationships with top investment banking firms and were able to connect me with potential employers that I would not have been able to access otherwise. They connected me with professionals who provided valuable insights into the company culture and hiring processes of different firms, which helped me tailor my approach and stand out as a candidate. The offer I eventually landed really came out of the blue. After attending an info session earlier that year, the bank reached out, inquiring if I would conduct a phone screen for its Private Capital Advisory group. I was totally unsure what that group even was and debated whether it would be worth interviewing someone I knew nothing about. However, OfficeHours was there to help and connected me essentially on-demand with full-time bankers that currently worked in PCA. The nuances and technicalities of the group would have been tremendously difficult to comprehend on my own, but after multiple mock interviews, I became a star candidate.
In addition to providing insights and guidance to PCA, these industry professionals were also able to provide insights into the specific interview questions I would receive, which helped me feel confident walking into interviews. This was particularly valuable for me interviewing in a competitive but nuanced group from non-target, where technical prowess in interview questions should be almost perfect to set yourself apart. Thanks to the guidance provided as well as the insights from working full-time professionals in PCA, I was able to successfully navigate the interview process with Evercore and ultimately secure a position.
Firstly, OfficeHours helped me land offers I would have never gotten on my own. With those multiple offers now in hand, they also helped me to analyze and evaluate those offers to make an informed decision on which I would accept that aligned with my skills and career goals. They provided me with insights into the different firms that had extended offers to me, including information on the firms’ company culture, growth opportunities, and compensation packages. They also helped me identify the key factors that were most important to me in a job, such as career growth potential, deal experience, and culture fit.
Using this information, they were able to help me create a framework for evaluating the different job offers and weighing the pros and cons of each. They helped me to consider not only the immediate benefits and compensation of each offer but also the potential long-term career prospects and growth opportunities. They provided me with valuable insights into the current market trends and hiring landscape in the investment banking industry. This helped me to better understand the value of each offer and the potential impact of my decision on my future career prospects. I initially thought that salary was the most important factor to consider and that I should just chase the highest offer, but they helped me really consider the long-term implications of choosing one offer over another. Not only did they help me get multiple offers I otherwise would have never had a foot in the door for, but they also helped me evaluate between those offers to make the best decision for me. In the end, OfficeHour’s support and guidance was instrumental in helping me make an informed decision and choose a firm that aligned with my skills and career goals.
In conclusion, working with OfficeHours was instrumental in helping me land my investment banking job at an elite boutique firm. Their personalized guidance, individual attention, and connections with industry professionals provided me with invaluable insights and support throughout the challenging and complex recruiting process. Through their help, I was able to craft an effective story that highlighted my skills and experiences, connect with current full-time bankers on demand, and ultimately choose a firm that aligned with my skills and career goals. Their guidance helped me navigate multiple job offers and make an informed decision on which to accept. I am grateful for their assistance and highly recommend working with Office Hours to anyone navigating the competitive job market in investment banking.
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