<ul>
<li>how do you prepare to be a successful job candidate?</li>
</ul>
<p>I'm not sure if I want to do it. If I knew I wanted to do it, I wouldn't know if I had the right personality type for it. What should I do to figure it out, take a personality test lol? </p>
<p>It's something I'd only want to do for 2 years or so, so I can move on to something else. I'm not looking to become a director or anything.</p>
<p>Should I start reading books or just focus on GPA/internships?</p>
<p>How much finance/statistics do I need to know? I'm in a non business school.</p>
<p>Read the experiences and insights of the people on Wallstreetoasis.com
Also, a summer analyst position would help you decide for sure if you were able to land one.</p>
<p>This website is mainly for high school and college students. There are very few professionals that frequent it, because that is not the point of these forums. If you want experienced people to tell you whats up go on wallstreetoasis</p>
<p>Summer analyst positions are extremely difficult to get, like you mentioned. Since these lead directly to a full time job, you usually want to know if youre "cut out" for IB before you apply for SA jobs, especially since the SA interview process is so tough. </p>
<p>Wallstreetoasis.com is awesome. Also you need to do the required reading of Liars Poker and Monkey Business. MB in particular will give u a good idea of the ibanking lifestyle. if you can read that book and still want to do IB, theres a chance you may be a good fit. Doing a Private Wealth Management internship at a large bulge bracket firm is also a good way to see if you fit the general culture at a top financial insitution.</p>
<p>I think if I had been a Summer Analyst or especially if I had read those books before becoming an IB analyst I would never have wanted to go into the industry. While they're reasonably accurate, both books are over-dramatized compared to reality.</p>
<p>actually reading wsoasis i was really struck by how the ibanking recruiting process is kind of like the whole college process all over again. maybe someone will have a "chance me for goldman sachs!" thread here, haha.</p>
<p>I guess no one really knows if they are cut out for it until they do an internship, but I don't think you should worry about it too much. I mean, if you're really passionate for whatever reasons, then I'm sure your drive or ambition will get you through the obstacles.</p>