Why do you want to work at this bank?

I spent last summer in corporate development at a building products distributor that bought two small competitors. That's behind all three of my reasons. First, the people. I've spoken with four of your analysts and an associate since September. They told me analysts here get real responsibility early, and they seemed to like their teams. Second, the work. We were the buyer on both deals, and I saw how much the seller's bankers shaped each process. Your industrials group advises founder-owned sellers of that size, which is the seat I want. Third, what I'd bring. I modeled both acquisitions, so I know how a buyer thinks about a business like these. So it's the people I'd learn from, the deals I care about, and a team where what I've done is useful early.

I spent last summer in corporate development at a building products distributor that bought two small competitors. That's behind all three of my reasons. First, the people. I've spoken with four of your analysts and an associate since September. I asked each of them what happens when an analyst is on three live deals at once. All five gave me the same answer, that the associate goes to the staffer before the analyst has to. One analyst said she presented her own pages to a client's CFO in her first year. That's the training I'm looking for. Second, the work. We were the buyer on both deals, and I saw how much the seller's bankers shaped each process. They decided what we saw, when we saw it and how fast we had to bid. Your industrials group advises founder-owned sellers of that size, which is the seat I want. Your associate walked me through how the group runs a sale, with no client names, and it matched what I sat across from. Third, what I'd bring. I modeled both acquisitions, including the cost savings case, and I read eleven sale memos that summer, so I know how a buyer thinks about a business like these, down to which pages it skips and which it reads twice. On a small deal team, that's useful from the first draft. So it's the people I'd learn from, the deals I care about, and a team where what I've done is useful early.