Month: October 2017

Differences In Management Consulting And Investment Banking

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The decision was relatively straight forward for me. The negatives of investment banking – long hours, repetitive work, lack of non-finance exit options – mattered more to me than the money.
I considered sales & trading (in fact, I spent a summer at CSFB in NY), and was tempted to continue in that line of work after graduation.
Instead of defining the characteristics of each industry (there are plenty of resources out there for that, including my Management Consulted blog), I will address a short list of differences between the two career paths.
Let me caveat by saying THESE ARE NOT YOUR ONLY OPTIONS. People get carried away into thinking thats all there is.
#1 SALARY
This is the primary superficial distinction. Thats not to imply that salaries aren’t important. Banking salaries average 50-100% higher than consulting salaries, with the gap increasing as your seniority increases. Consulting attempts to compensates with small perks – from better travel allowances to more generous retirement packages.
Consultants always like to say this:
I know investment bankers make more money. But from a cashflow perspective, its exactly the same!
This means that consultants and bankers make similar base salaries, but at the end of the year, bankers are awarded a significant bonus which can be more than half of their total annual compensation.
Cashflow or not, the extra money is substantial and a defining driver of why many people do investment banking over business consulting. This is also a difficult issue for consulting firms with respect to employee retention. In my years as a McKinsey management consultant, easily half the people who left the firm went into the financial world (from hedge funds to PE), and salary was undoubtedly a major factor in the decision.
My advice is – after considering the 5 factors Ive listed here, you still think the pay difference (for analysts, averaging between $30-60K per year) would mean a significant difference in your professional job satisfaction, choose investment banking over consulting.
#2 LIFESTYLE ISSUES
The big differences here are:
-Hours. Bankers work brutal hours, no surprise. They can average 14-16 hours/day but it can get FAR WORSE.
My roommates in New York (both investment bankers at Goldman Sachs) would sometimes go several weeks before wed even exchange a word. Which meant not only were they getting in after I went to sleep (around 2am), but going back to the office before I woke up (around 7am).
Your second year as an investment banker gets easier – often in the 10-12 hours/day range but with occasional tough periods.
Management consultants average 12 hours/day, with the typical variations depending on client, team goals, etc
-Travel. Bankers do a little travel for roadshows, due diligence, etc but spend 90% of their time in one office until youre partner-level (you can expect more travel in private equity and asset management). Depending on firm – management consultants travel a lot. At the Big 3 (Bain, Boston Consulting Group, McKinsey), you can expect travel 50-75% of the time
-Relationship with firm employees and coworkers. This is an important but oft overlooked issue. Consulting firms have a very collegial atmosphere, where the focus is on getting work done and ensuring your professional success. This attitude permeates all interactions. Managers never yell, coworkers are supportive whenever possible, and companies are organized to provide consultants support with training, expertise, etc. Finally, networking is critical at consulting firms, and social events are focused on helping business consultants build contacts and relationships throughout the company.
Investment banks, on the other hand, have a more competitive and tense work environment. You can expect more stressful relationships with your bosses, youll probably be yelled at occasionally for mistakes, and coworkers are much less willing to help out colleagues (your success means theres more competition for the biggest bonuses).
In addition, youll have limited exposure across the company to other groups, departments, etc – less ability to network across the company.
Part 2 of this series on consulting versus banking continues tomorrow!

Top Paying Banking And Finance Careers

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I am an MBA from…”

Or

“I am a Masters In…”

Or

“I am a graduate from…”

Really?

What happened to you?

You Are Not Your Education.

Surely you have something unique to offer the world of Banking & Finance.

But I have found that the very thing holding these students and graduates back is simply their beliefs and the meaning that they attach to the current situation.

In Private Equity our job is to see things differently from everybody else.

The investments that I look for right now are companies that do not understand the opportunity that is available to them right now through technological advance.

I mean, never in history have we had access to our own television channel (You Tube), our own distribution network of over 1 billion users (Facebook), the ability to have our message reach everybody’s pockets (Through i phones and Blackberry’s), have access to our own publishing company (Through iPad and Amazon), the ability to set up at virtually zero cost, for 3 people to be able to do the work of 300 people without an office and to have access to a global market with the click of a few buttons and a small budget with google.

And this is meant to be a hard time???

What an opportunity.

As long as businesses continue to do things the old way, there will always be a market for me to see things the other way and thrive.

As long as students and graduates identify themselves as their education, there will always be an opportunity for others to see things the other way and thrive.

Why?

Two things and two takeaways for your career.

Students and Graduates that are struggling right now are stuck in old ways and not adjusting to change.

Old thinking students and graduates are using old strategies like get as educated as I can and then apply online for graduate Schemes.

This will lead to the same results as everybody else – bad ones.

Secondly…

Students and Graduates that are struggling right now give the wrong meaning to the tough market.

Circumstances do not dictate what happens to us.

The meaning that we give the circumstances does.

This tough market can be unfortunate or it can be the biggest opportunity ever.

Which meaning you give it, is your choice.

What is the dominant meaning that you give to the current situation?

I put it to you, the meaning you give it will dictate your results.

Some experience the trauma (and something that I would never wish upon anybody) of being raped.

Some take that experience and fall apart.

Others use this as a reason to never allow this to happen to anybody ever again and start a crusade to change the world.

What is the difference?

The meaning you give something.

Why me? v. How Can I Use This?

The meaning you attach to circumstances will dictate your ability to see the opportunity amongst the rough.

The Why Investment Banking Interview Question – How to Give a 1010 Answer

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In a sea of overachievers who are equally talented, likeable and prepared, the “Why investment banking?” interview question can be the only differentiating question left for bankers to ask; making it both a popular & decisive question.

Whilst for college students who don’t look like aspiring bankers on paper (i.e. no fin/acc major, business degree or relevant work experience) it’s of epic importance. After all, you guys need to be able to explain why you want to do investment banking when your past decisions don’t suggest anything of the kind.

How do you give a 10/10 answer to the “Why investment banking?” interview question?

There’s a huge selection of points you could make, but keep it short and sharp. Generally a good answer will contain 3-5 solid reasons why you’re interested in IB.

Typical examples like world class education, skills development, type of work, the challenge, real responsibility in billion dollar transactions etc. are all acceptable.

But try not to trot out the same BS as everyone else.

Importantly, avoid reasons that are self-centered in a ‘bad’ way

Let me explain. As a banker interviewing you I’d be OK if you mentioned investment banking attracts you because of the learning opportunities, as this is a selfish reason that also, and ironically, benefits the bank – passionate 24 year olds put in 100-hour work weeks with ease after all.

But if I heard you wanted to do IB simply in order to ‘build your resume’ and/or to secure an exit opportunity I would – in my mind at least – throw you out the freaking door and then proceed to lay a BlackBerry beat down! Being made to feel like a halfway house for financial vagrants, a mere stepping-stone, is not my idea of good times you see. So even though everyone knows investment banking is attractive for the resume & exit oops don’t say it!

What can help you avoid a BlackBerry Beat Down? Well, you would get me extremely interested if you answered the “Why investment banking?” interview question by talking about how you have older friends in banking who have over the years shared with you what it’s really like to be a banker – both the good and the bad.

And then how that’s made you realize 3 specific things about banking which make it stand out above any other graduate job.

Not only will I believe you still love banking despite the war stories, but that you’ve actually given it some thought beyond “I need a salary of Blankfein proportions if I’m ever going to pay off these student debts”.

What I’m trying to say is that a great answer will list unique and specific reasons ‘why investment banking’ and it will connect them to the sources you learned them from whether they be friends, professors, books etc.

Want 6 specific reasons ‘Why investment banking’ that are sure to work? Try talking about how you love the…

Cornerstone role investment banks play in deals and/or the role they play more broadly within the world of business – IBs are to business what the White House is to the world…central hub HQ! And this is why bankers are called masters of the universe. So bring up this point, albeit laced in more formal language and without ever mentioning ‘masters of the universe’!!
Coalface exposure to industry and financial markets, which is unique to IB – there’s not a graduate job on the planet that puts you closer to the action than banking.
Results-driven deal-oriented approach – this point distinguishes banking from so many other professions like law, consulting etc, where players often get paid for simply ‘doing’, as opposed to ‘achieving’. And by specifically mentioning this point you will show bankers that you’ve got the right mentality and that you’re not an increment-fiend like lawyers. PS Once again be sure to phrase this in a more professional kinda way!
Type of people that work in banking – talk about this from both a learning and enjoyment point of view, and most importantly reference people you know in banking (particularly at that bank) to avoid looking like you’re simply shining shoes and kissing ass!
Nature of the work – analyzing, problem solving, real-world focused. If you are going to talk about this then make sure you bring up a handful of examples in passing; eg 10k analysis, spreading comps, deal structuring etc.
The specific industry/product group you are interviewing with – this is a must! By talking about why IB through the lens of that specific group, you’ll really narrow the reasons down to specific, tangible, relatable ones – and that means bankers are more likely to believe you and like you. eg If you say to Goldman Sachs TMT that you want to do investment banking because you find the business/investing side of the tech industry fascinating after working as an unpaid intern at a social media start up over summer, then you’ll hit the “Why investment banking?” question out of the park!

Whatever you choose, be sure you can talk intelligently about it if probed by the bankers.

Special note for those of you with non-banking experience

If you have work experience in accounting, consulting etc. then tell the bankers that whilst your time at KPMG or BCG or wherever you worked was a terrific experience, it didn’t offer…[reasons why you love IB].

This is a hidden opportunity to further explain your story, point out why you want to change into banking now and assure them again that IB is what you truly want above all else.

Any comparison you make should be delivered subtly though. Not because your interviewer might have worked at KPMG or BCG, but simply because it looks unprofessional to blatantly badmouth others. Negativity in any form doesn’t look good.

Special note for aspiring investment banking analysts

PS for those of you who get this question in an investment banking analyst interview (ie not a summer internship interview), you’ll need to push your story of why IB even harder to convince bankers to take you on. This is because bankers hate offering permanent spots to candidates who might quit the minute things get tough.

Passion is a banker’s best insurance policy against this – so make sure you show it guys!!

If you want to go one step further and really impress the bankers with your answer, then tell them how you became interested in IB years ago and point to the real life things you’ve since done that have confirmed your passion; studies elected, college clubs joined, people met, friends talked to, books read, jobs taken.

Showing a long and considered journey to get into investment banking is the idea here.

What’s the final secret to a magic answer here?

Recognize the downers of banking, not just the uppers. Bankers you see, want to hire students who aren’t being drawn to banking based simply on Hollywood-hype or CNBC-glamor. They want to know you are realistic about the job, prepared to do grunt work, and yet still super passionate.

After all, the Jimmy Cramer fan club and the Gekko Wannabe students will never be able to hack it when they find out what investment banking really involves – and this sort of drop out costs the banks a bomb.

So with all that in mind, during your answer briefly mention how your friends in banking have clued you in on the realities of the job too – the long hours, sacrifice and other downers which we’ll talk candidly about in the Inside Investment Banking System when it comes out this fall.

Of course, don’t end your question on a downer – meaning be sure to follow up any reality checking with your 3 main reasons why IB repeated in very very short form, kind of like “…but of course banking is an easy choice for me, because of…”.

Now that you’ve conquered the “Why investment banking?” interview question, check out our advice on other common investment banking interview questions and answers now.

ChexSystems Banking vs. Consumers

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Today, more than 20 million US citizens are living without a bank account. The primary reason is due to ChexSystems’ dominating presence within the consumer banking world. It is estimated that over 80% of all banks and credit unions in the United States, use ChexSystems to verify new customer accounts. Most individuals listed in the ChexSystems database were reported due to mishandling of their checking accounts, while the rest were attributed to abuse, fraud, or errors.

Within recent years, many websites have sprung up on the internet offering help for people listed on ChexSystems. Services vary among these sites, ranging from free information to paid memberships. No matter where you turn, there are countless numbers of “victims” venting their frustrations through the use of public forums and message boards.

Most of the frustrations shown by “victims” of ChexSystems seem justified, but even then there are always two sides to every story. Most “victims” feel that 5 years of being “blacklisted” is punishment beyond justification. And if reported in error, even worse a punishment. In addition, many have complained that the banks give no breaks when it comes to consumer mistakes, but are quick to cover up their mistakes when the banks are at fault. Banks, on the other hand, justify using ChexSystems to protect their assets.

Either way you look at it, ChexSystems is a much needed organization in the banking industry. Without ChexSystems, banks would go bankrupt without this type of asset protection against con-artists and account abusers.

The real question is how fair is the punishment for the consumers who innocently have fallen into tough financial situations, and as a result defaulted on their bank account. Is it fair to “blacklist” all consumers the same way regardless of their banking history? These are just a few of the questions that need answering before any proper reforms can be reached.

How You Can Detect Online Banking Trickery

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How does the banking service we typically use called online banking service provide information to you by your bank which can cause you to see some misleading account balances? I love the very convenience of online banking, especially the bill pay service. However, you have to be careful about your account balance when you use online bill payment services from your banking institution. Otherwise you may accidentally open yourself up to a bank overdraft and a big hefty fee.

Online Bill Pay Available For Unbanked Consumers
Even if you have been denied the opportunity of having a regular checking account by a bank because of a report of a bad credit score or you have a history of having had too many bounced checks in a past checking account, there are free online bill pay services which are still available through some companies providing these critical banking services. This potentially saves you considerable money on stamps, envelopes and money orders when you take advantage of online bil pay services.

Bank of America Misleading Terminology
With Bank of America online bill pay, the funds are not actually withdrawn from your account until the payee actually cashes the check. In this situation, the Bank of America bill pay system still shows the payment status as “processed”. Now, when I see “processed” I think that that bill is paid and the money has been zapped out from my account. This is not always the actual case. The fact is that just because a bill is showing as “processed” does not mean that the money has truly been withdrawn from your account.

If you have bills showing as “processed” but the payee has not yet cashed the check, then your account balance which is showing is not truly 100% available to you to spend on other needs and make purchases.

Suggestion For Bank of America
It would be better if Bank of America left an uncashed bill payment check in “pending” status until the payee cashes it and funds are truly withdrawn. The terminology that Bank of America uses to describe the status of an online bill payment is the same regardless of whether the check was cashed or not. So, be careful and heed this word of warning. To those of you who like me, value the convenience of online bill pay services, make sure that you are not mislead by the word “processed” when you see it in reference to a check which may or may not have been cashed.