“Don’t miss networking events if you want to get a job”

**From your experience, when is the optimal time to start thinking about your career?
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In my opinion, I would say as soon as possible. You don’t want to graduate from Warwick, harbouring the inconvenience of having to seek for a job. However, I would say not to rush your decisions, but rather give yourself time to explore different career paths. Stay open-minded about where you may see yourself after you leave university and you should discover a career which interests you.

**Many students are dreaming to become investment bankers, but only few actually live it. What would you advise them and how can they get better prepared for a really long application procedure?
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The main advice would be to keep open-minded, proactive and very willing to learn as it is a steep learning curve, even in terms of preparing for applications and interviews. I was quite lucky as I came to university not really knowing exactly what I wanted to do but already had an incline to working in the city as it seemed very exciting. I joined and became involved with a wide array of societies, one of which was Warwick Finance Societies, where I met students who were integral to increasing my application success. This leads onto another piece of advice I would suggest which is to meet students that have experienced what you are thinking of as a possible career path. Their insight may highly increase (or decrease) your interest in the sector, but more importantly will significantly improve your awareness of the area.
Going back to Warwick Finance Societies, it was a great hub for me to find out more about the different areas in finance and the wealth of opportunities available to me that I would not have discovered otherwise. They encouraged me to apply for first-year programmes and gave me great insights into the application processes for a majority of them, before I had even sent off my application.
What I would suggest to readers is to gather more understanding of what employers look for in applications and how to make yours stand out. You can find this out by attending events run by firms on campus and also society events which aim to better prepare you for the arduous process of applications, such as ones run by Warwick Finance Societies, for example.

**Personally, what was the most demanding part of an application process, as you are one of the lucky people who already have a summer internship offer?**
Unsurprisingly, I would go with the interviews. Even though you can already be well prepared for them, there is always that fear that you could be barraged with very tricky questions which could catch you off-guard. It’s that fear which makes this part of an application more demanding than it seems.
However, recruiters/interviewers do not expect you to know everything, and sometimes just having the right personality and attitude to the whole section of the application process can put you in better stead. Then again, always ensure you prepare exhaustively for this stage.

**Your team at Warwick Banking and Finance Society have just finished writing The Banking Bible. Why did you decide to help students in this way? **
The main question on the mind of students when they first think about starting applications to investment banks is, “Where do I begin?” When making this document, we aimed for members to read it and obtain more clarity about what they should do next and improve upon before starting their applications. The guide highlights skills and qualities looked upon in various divisions of an investment bank and this is where (we hope) an applicant could look at him/herself and make constructive reviews of where they could excel more. We ensured there was minimal fancy jargon and focused the guide as if the reader was a beginner to investment banking applications, which many of our members are. This is beneficial as not only is it a good one-stop shop for beginners to find out more about what an application entails before embarking on it, but also helps to ensure those members that have made applications before are confident on what they already know.

**What are the most common mistakes students make in their applications?
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A common pitfall for students is not appreciating the importance of attending networking events. For many it seems daunting going to events in the evening all across campus but networking with firms and their employees can push your application further than you think.
Impressing recruiters with intelligent questions demonstrates that you have thought about the role and industry before attending and shows you are a strong candidate who has potential. Another common mistake is being unprepared in general, whether it be for the aptitude tests at the beginning of the application or the brain-teasers in the interviews at the end of the application process.
Going through multiple applications processes is a very long routine that requires a lot of time and effort; staying motivated to put your best into each stage is vital and it’s where many students falter at. We at Warwick Banking and Finance Society encourage you to attend our many events and workshops during the year which endeavour to make certain that you are prepared for each stage of the way.