My Michael Moment happened after my first try at MBB. I applied to all three firms and secured interviews at all three, but did not make it past the final round.

I was obviously tired and frustrated. Bitter would be a better word since my class mates got in and they were poorly prepared relative to myself – my opinion but I think it is true. Michael’s first response was to brush off the failure and say we needed to regroup for the full-time hiring. I liked that he did not quit and pushed me to fix my development areas over the summer.

I am pretty sure if Michael showed any hesitation about my skills, I would have quit at that point. This story does not end with me getting into MBB in September. It is not that kind of happy ending, but it is very happy. Michael taught me not to quit and to think very carefully about what I wanted to achieve.

I still worked with Michael but we focused on investment banking and I ended up getting a coveted offer from one of the leading bulge-bracket M&A firms. In the economic environment at the time, that was more prestigious than securing an MBB role and Michael’s knowledge about corporate finance strategy was a big reason I secured the role. In one call we spent the entire session discussing the mechanics of a LBO model and a real world example which he knew very well. So I became adept, by mimicking Michael, at discussing financial arcana with practical examples. I just copied his style.

I am happier in Ibanking since I feel my technical financial skills coupled with the strategy skills Michael taught me has made me indispensable to my Managing Director. I don’t build models all day long but join dinners to discuss the actions the client should take. I have a very indispensable skill set of complex financial analyses, excellent strategy skills and good communication from the training.

That points me well above my peers. Thanks Michael.

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