Monkey to Millions: Recent Episodes
Wall Street Oasis
This is a documentary series that follows real-life college students to hear about struggles and triumphs as they try to navigate the competitive finance job market. The host, Patrick Curtis, is CEO and Founder of Wall Street Oasis will serve as their mentor for up to two years as they try to achieve their dream job out of college. Will they land their dream position? Will they make the cut? You'll have to listen and join us on the journey to find out (hint: even we don't know when we start)...
In this episode, Grace shares the outcome from her Real Estate internship over the past summer and what she is doing her senior year to plan for full time. Is this the end of the road for our mentor-mentee relationship? Time for a victory lap.
In this session, Victor gives us all a lesson on the various roles as a financial advisor at Fidelity. We learn the difference between a Relationship Manager, Financial Consultant and Investment Consultant is and how pay is structured from the most junior levels to the highest levels. Victor talks about his next steps to gain more skills including an exam on Insurance and starting his CFP and CFA in the near future.
In this episode, we hear about how Victor is settling into life in Southern California, even though his car was stolen. Also, a quick surprise promotion as well. Listen to find out how.
In this session, Victor gives us an update on his Series 7 and 63 exams and he tells us about the success he's had networking and as a result, a big internal transfer and move coming up soon.
In this short session, we catch up with Grace to hear how she's prepping for her real estate internship with Blackstone. We go over what she's currently involved in and give her a few tips to help her get ready.
In this episode, we catch up with Victor the same day after he finishes up his Series 7 top off exam after a grueling few months of studying. Listen to hear why he's headed to Hawaii for a few months and the advice I give him in his ever shifting plans.
In this session, we catch up with Tarnvir as he has made the successful transfer to Emory from Baruch since we last spoke over the summer. We have a long discussion about diversity programs, summer analyst recruiting and a plan for him as he enters a critical juncture in his Sophomore year.
In this session, Grace shares her experience working at Citi as a summer analyst across two groups. Listen to some important lessons and what her plans are for Junior Year since she already has her Blackstone internship lined up for next summer.
In this short session, Grace and I discuss her Citi internship this summer and I give her some advice on how to make sure she doesn't burn out with the long weeks.
In this session, Victor shares how his life has changed since starting training at Fidelity in their asset management division. We learn about his upcoming SIE, Series 7 and Series 66 exams, but one major piece of news looms large and may change everything.
In this session, Victor shares some big news and when he'll be starting his new job! We then talk about how to position himself for a path to private equity and I give him a dose of reality. From there, we discuss a plan for passing his series exams and carving out time to invest in himself daily.
In Tarnvir's first session, we learn about his background, his goals and what to expect as he makes the transition from Baruch during Covid for Freshman year to Emory for his sophomore year. We also spend about 20-30 minutes doing a deep dive on his resume to try and make it stronger for next session.
In this session, I put Victor through a realistic mock interview for a position as an investment solutions specialist with Fidelity. Both of us see this as a great opportunity because it gets him a stable paycheck and drops the hours he's working from 80+ down to more like 50ish. This will give him more time to network and actively improve himself.
In this session, Grace shares some more exciting news. Plans for the Summer 2022 are already taking shape and she tells us what offer she decided to sign.
In this episode, we learn that Victor is working 90hrs a week at two jobs to make sure he can keep up with his bills. We focus on the highest impact tasks he can be doing for under an hour a day to help him build toward a better future - this includes a detailed section on how he should be leveraging LinkedIn and his background to build relationships. Also, an update on his search and looking to California for a job in finance.
In this session, Grace makes time in between her packed schedule to update all of us on her recruiting progress. From Blackstone to Ares, to Perella Weinberg, she has a ton of opportunities in front of her over the next several weeks to try and lock up her Junior summer internship very early. We review how to prep for private equity interviews as well as what to expect with the Perella first round she has in a few days.
In this session, Victor shares an unexpected life event that now forces him to be in Salt Lake City for the foreseeable future. As a result, my advice has shifted on how he can be very deliberate about his networking there and how he should build the financial modeling skills in order to improve his prospects. We go over key tools to aid him in this journey and we set a very specific schedule so that he can make progress every day.
In this session, Grace gives us an update on her accelerated recruiting processes with Moelis and Blackstone. Learn why networking early really does pay off and see how we make dramatic modifications to her resume now that she has IB internship experience.
In this session, Victor and I review his updated resume. While it is much closer and looks more polished, we dive into each bullet and I push him to be more direct and less vague to give the reader more substance. We go over the differences between sell-side and buy-side, attack one of his internships from 3 years ago and debate how best to show his financial modeling training. This session is probably best viewed on Youtube since it's over an hour and 20 minutes long and for most of it I'm sharing my screen as I walk through his resume.
In this first session with Victor we cover a lot. We dive into his back story which includes: 1. Coming to the US as an immigrant from Turkey and knowing no English when he was 21 2. Getting his scholarship canceled to Pomona when the company that was sponsoring him went bankrupt in the Great Financial Crises 3. Working for two years at 3-4 dead-end jobs at at time to put food on the table 4. Joining the Navy as a professional linguist with his knowledge of 4 languages 5. Breaking into Georgetown as an older, non-traditional undergrad and graduating in December 2019 with a 3.7 GPA 6. And finally, securing two full-time offers upon graduation, taking a strategy consulting role, only to have it rescinded because of Covid cutbacks in May 2020 right before his start date After reviewing this long and winding path, we spend the rest of the session talking about his goals and taking a closer look at his resume and getting tactical. Listen why I think he needs to reduce the embellishment on his resume, how OVER-quantification can actually hurt you and how we're going to approach his candidacy to try and get him into front office IB.
In this session, Grace tells us what investment banking internship offer she accepted for Summer 2021. We also discuss her plan to prep for accelerated recruiting for the Summer of 2022 which is going to happen as early as March 2021. We expect that she will have at least interviews with Blackstone, Goldman and Moelis...not too shabby!
After several months since our last session, John gives us an update on which offer (out of 3) he ended up taking and how his first 3 months of full-time work has been going. This of course, is after he gives me a little trash talk for his Lakers winning the NBA Championship and my Celtics failing to make it to the Finals.
In this session, after a long time since our last chat, Grace shares some big news. Plans for the Summer 2021 are already taking shape and she has some exciting new developments from all of her hard work.
In this session, Andrew makes a bold decision as we near the end of the road of his participation with Monkey to Millions. Learn about his summer internship and what he likes and what his plans are for the future.
In this session, I give Grace another mock technical interview for about 15 minutes and we catch up about recruiting, hirevues and what is coming up over the next month. I try to push her to try her best but also stay grounded knowing that this is first interview cycle is not her last opportunity to break in and that she should focus on 1 thing.
In this short session, Andrew updates me on how his internship is going and how he was up until 2am the night before. We go over how to avoid mistakes and the struggles of trying to check your work with no access to a printer. I also encourage him to keep his priority on getting the return offer and with any downtime to start working through the financial modeling courses on WSO.
In this episode, Grace gives us an update on her move back to New York City and how her IB internship is starting to ramp up activity with work on a pitch. We also review a plan for her to do another mock next time we meet focused on behavioral questions and how she should carve out some time to start going through the new WSO financial modeling courses as well.
In this session, John gives us a quick update having finished his final classes and graduated college. He has pivoted to work full time as an intern for a real estate development firm that is indicating they may want to bring him on full-time, but that hasn't stopped him from his networking efforts and he is now in final rounds at a boutique investment bank working in the hotel and gaming space.
In this session with Grace, we cover how she finished up with finals in the past month and how sporadic her hours are at the current IB remote internship. I encourage her to use her free time on the lighter days to drill on the new WSO modeling courses that she has available to her and we spend the last half of the session going through an investment banking technical mock interview. Listen in to find out how she did...
In this session, Andrew and I catch up since it's been almost 7 weeks since our last session. Since last time he finished up his junior year, moved in with his girlfriend and has started his remote IB internship. Listen to hear how tedious it is working remotely and how he is handling the unpredictable nature of each day as well as my advice on how and when to warm his network back up and how that interacts with the potential full time offer that may come from this internship.
In this short session with Grace, we just touch base quickly as she is in the middle of finals and we talk about how to succeed at her internship now that it has moved remotely. We talk about contingency plans in case there is a lower workload and how she can build out her resume in this important summer.
In this 9th episode, we hear about John's new investment banking internship as well as a part-time job he's picked up to bring in some side-income as he is in his final semester of college. John gives me a detailed update on the type of work he's trying to get at this IB internship and I try to encourage him to keep his networking efforts up to lay a strong foundation and build more relationships that will pay off over the next few years. We strategize a bit on how he can eventually try to get some income from the IB job but I try to reassure him that if he is able to get the right experience then he'll have a much better shot at lateraling...
In this episode, Andrew shares the new reality faced by many students coming into internships this summer and how his firm is dealing with it. We explore how he can make his time at home productive and I sound like a broken record trying to get him to ramp up his networking efforts rather than dial it back.
In this episode, we get some exciting news from John on the job search front even in the face of multiple canceled super days. We talk a little bit about poker (no-limit Holdem), and postpone our meetup over a beer for 2 months when we both hope this Covid mess comes to an end. Listen to my advice around how John is trying to make himself useful in his new potential internship while working remotely. This could be relevant for quite a while...
In Grace's 7th session, we talk about the new realities of life and recruiting with Coronavirus moving Fordham classes online. We also spend a good chunk of this session doing a mock interview with some technical questions around the market, recessions and questions she should be ready for...listen to what I think she needs to keep working on to make sure she is super polished when interviews start back up.
In this session, we learn that John's aggressive volume networking based on our last call is starting to pay dividends. He has a final round interview this upcoming Friday and several second-round interviews coming up. Even though the networking is working, I encourage him to keep the volume high since there is a lot of uncertainty in the volatile stock market and with coronavirus, so it may be even harder in this environment for firms to hire.
In this session, we go over what Andrew has been up to since it's been a few months since our last session. He put in a lot of work on his CFA investment contest but not as much as I'd like on the networking side. I think part of this is because it's hard to motivate when you already have a great internship lined up for the summer, but I'm still pushing him to try and reach higher, make more contacts and even make the trip down to New York even though the school canceled because of Coronavirus. Next session we'll do a mock interview and we'll get an update on if he thinks he can muster up the coordination and network to make a trip to New York worth it.
In Grace's sixth session, we find out that she has been super busy with networking calls and coffee chats. She is smart to be aggressive and apply to accelerated sophomore internships even though she is just a Freshman. We talk about balancing her workload from the internship, schoolwork and interview preparation and I encourage her to try and start prepping for the technical portion of the interview, even just 30min per week to make sure she isn't caught flat-footed if an interview is unexpectedly offered to her.
In this session, we learn that John didn't get the offer after a super day at an investment bank but that this setback has motivated him to continue his networking efforts. In this chat, I really challenge him to significantly increase his volume of outreach to at least two hours every day and we walk through some searches he could be using on Sales Navigator in LinkedIn to find people that are relevant to him. Now that he isn't in his Fall internship, his main focus should be on his job search and his classes...in that order!
In this episode, we learn that Grace was hospitalized the prior week but has since recovered and is doing well again. She's staying up to date with her school work and finished her first semester with a 3.9 GPA. Listen to how I shift the priorities for her to try and make sure she's setting herself up for success come this summer and some specific tactics on how frequently to follow up with contacts she's established during networking.
In this session, we learn that Andrew had a relaxing break and is now looking to gear up for his next sprint into the Spring semester. We take a quick look at his revised resume and talk about the plan on building up his connections in New York leading up to his trip there (now planned for late April). With a summer internship already lined up, it's tempting to take the foot off the gas, but I want to make sure that he is taking advantage of a light course load and that upcoming trip the the Big Apple in a few short months.
In this episode, we learn that John decompressed over winter break and was dealing with some family issues. We talk about rebooting his job search which is now coming down to the wire with graduation just 6 months away. I encourage him to open his applications to several other relevant finance careers and push him to get me his homework assignment that will make a big impact on his behavioral interviews.
In this session, we take a moment to celebrate the fact that Grace has already landed a summer internship in IB after her Freshman year. We talk about getting more aggressive now that she has a bit of time to breathe on networking as well as potential early recruiting programs she will be targeting at larger investment banks.
In this episode, we learn that John got rejected from his latest investment banking interview at a fintech firm in San Francisco. We talk about what might have gone wrong and the sacrifices he's making by continuing his internship into the winter. I give him some homework that I think will help him improve his energy and performance in the interviews as well as a little Celtics / Lakers trash-talk.
In this episode, we learn that Andrew got the critical investment banking internship offer he's been striving for over the last few months and that he will be interning at a boutique in Toronto during the Summer of 2020! Fresh off of this exciting news, we talk about his plans to go back to school in the Spring, further networking strategies and the struggles of trying to build a network in both Toronto and New York. We talk about his plans leading up to a trip to New York in the Spring with his school as well as how to hedge his bets.
In Grace's third session we find out that Grace has an investment banking internship interview just a few days away. It's clear that her new resume is working well since most people getting interviews for this role are sophomores or juniors...and she's still just a Freshman. We review 5 common technical interview questions and give her some homework to be ready with 7 stories for the fit portion of the interview.
John's revised resume is working well. He is getting more traction with his networking which includes second-round interviews at 2 well-respected investment banks as well as one boutique in Newport Beach. In this session, I conduct a mock interview with John and give him advice on how to improve his technical interview prep as well as how to come across as more polished on the behavioral portion of the interview.
After some disappointing news from his latest round of interviews, we take a bit of time to run through some of Andrew's fit questions. Listen to my advice on how to make some slight modifications to come across as more genuine. I think it's an important lesson for a lot of interviewees that get into the mindset of simply prepping and rehearsing their answers to themselves. With another final round interview coming up in one week's time, this time is critical to polish any rough edges. Not all is lost, but options are running out as Andrew is trying to stay afloat working 70 hour weeks and managing the recruiting process.
In this episode, Grace details some solid networking leads she's established by being active on campus while I encourage her to do more outreach outside her school ecosystem to build a solid foundation for internship recruiting next year. We discuss goals and tools on how she can build up more contacts efficiently while still balancing schoolwork.
In John's second session, we cover how to navigate the process of conflicting interview schedules. Do a quick resume review of his updated resume and then cover over how to position himself for the upcoming interviews.
In this session, Andrew is again under immense pressure as he is suddenly in several interview processes that he has limited time to prepare for. We review what he should focus on most to try and give himself the best shot at landing a solid internship offer.
In Grace's first session we cover her current situation including what to focus on during her first semester freshman year. We dive into a detailed resume review and speak about what she needs to do over the next several months to help build her network to try and land a good summer internship after her Freshman year. As the youngest participant in this program, we can see first hand how starting early and knowing what to focus on can build a competitive profile, even at a non-target school.
In Vin's first session we learn about his current status entering his Sophomore year at the University of Texas. We cover his current situation including his summer internship at a boutique investment bank after his Freshman year, upcoming interviews, his current networking strategy and we also dive into a detailed resume review. Even though Vin is checking a lot of boxes correctly, hear what I think Vin's biggest risks are in the recruiting process and how he can mitigate them.
In this session, Andrew has a sudden private equity interview opportunity. We review changes he made to his resume from the first session and then focus on his prep for his private equity internship opportunity.
In John's first session we cover his current situation including trying to find opportunities from a non-target school heading into his senior year. We dive into a detailed resume review and speak about what he needs to do over the next several months to help limit his downside given how late he is to the game. Learn what I want him to do most to improve his resume as well as specific networking advice in this session.
In the first ever episode of Monkey to Millions, we get introduced to Andrew who is a dual-citizen at a small non-target school up in Canada. We cover his current situation including his current Fall internship, his target careers, his current networking strategy and dive into a detailed resume review. Learn what I want him to do most to improve his resume as well as a challenge I have for him before we start our 2nd session in 1 month.