Fifty-two applications. Seven interviews. Four Superdays. Two offers.

It has now been three months since the offer calls, and the onboarding process is already underway.

The initial excitement has faded with time, but this recruiting season remains one I can revisit vividly — a period that still brings a quickened heartbeat, followed by a quiet sense of relief.

This reflection is written both for those currently navigating recruiting, and for myself — as I transition into the role of incoming Summer Analyst.

University: US Top 30
GPA: 3.5+ / 4.0
Major: Economics & Environmental Studies
Preparation Timeline: Summer before junior year
Offers: HSBC S&T (Hong Kong), Société Générale S&T (New York)

You are a naturally confident individual. Our personality assessments aligned, both ENFJ (Protagonist). Perhaps it was not a coincidence that you found me at a moment when you felt most uncertain.

When you first joined, you had strong motivation but lacked direction. You had no formal foundation in finance recruiting and a limited understanding of how competitive the process would be.

Over the course of six months, I witnessed your transformation. You became more objective in how you evaluate yourself and external situations. Your resilience improved. Your ability to absorb pressure has strengthened. Your emotional intelligence continued to develop.

From zero foundation to securing offers within a few months; this outcome reflects both your effort and your discipline. I am genuinely proud of you, and I believe you will continue to grow.

Six months before receiving my offers, I was still in the middle of a career pivot.

I was not a typical “finance candidate.” In fact, as of May, I did not even know the three core financial statements. I was focused on case interview preparation, attempting to pursue consulting, and had already reached a plateau.

Everything changed after a conversation with Natasha in May.

It was the first time I seriously questioned whether consulting was the right path for me. Through prior internships, I had already started to sense that the role was not as aligned with my expectations as I had initially thought.

After several conversations, I realized that we shared a similar way of thinking. That gave me a sense of clarity. At that point, my confidence in pivoting reached around 70%. The next day, I spent several hours watching every Sales & Trading-related video I could find, trying to understand how it differed from the “IBD” narrative I had heard repeatedly since entering university.

Through mentor’s guidance and my own research, I realized that I was more drawn to a role where each day is shaped by the market, where change is constant, and where decisions are made in real time.

Choosing a path that I had not previously considered meant starting from zero.

I had no prior internships in the secondary market. Everything had to be built from the ground up.

But my mindset was simple: commit fully, and see how far I could go. Based on my background, Natasha developed a detailed plan, outlining how to close the technical gap, what to prioritize, and how to structure preparation.

Seeing that plan changed everything. It gave me a clear sense of direction and more importantly, confidence that I was on the right path.

During the summer, I began my first S&T-related internship. At the same time, I worked closely with Natasha, reviewing progress weekly and building a habit of reading market news daily. Gradually, I began to understand the market in a way that felt intuitive. Even everyday observations, such as coffee prices, could be tied back to broader market dynamics. From mid-year onward, market volatility increased significantly. There was constant news flow across sectors, and I began following events such as Federal Reserve rate decisions more closely.

At the beginning, I struggled to interpret news independently. I would simply repeat what I had read. Natasha challenged this repeatedly, pushing me to go deeper.

Each time, I refined my approach. By the time the interviews approached, I was able to articulate my own market views and projections with clarity.

Looking back, I am deeply grateful for that level of rigor. My mentor’s direct feedback eliminated weaknesses early, before they could surface in interviews.

Recruiting began in full force in September. At that stage, one principle became clear: the ability to learn from failure continuously is essential.

My first interview at the end of September resulted in a rejection. Up until that point, I had been overly optimistic, believing that strong communication would naturally translate into offers. That assumption was quickly corrected.

From then on, I approached preparation differently. Every market update, every behavioral story, every technical concept was treated with precision. There was no room for shortcuts. Even a small degree of complacency increased the risk of failure.

Despite this, mock interviews continued to reveal weaknesses, which was often discouraging.

My mentor acted as a constant source of direction. She made it clear when my level was not yet sufficient, but also ensured I stayed aligned with the right preparation strategy.

October marked both the peak of interviews and a low point mentally. I fell seriously ill during this period. At the same time, I received a final-round interview invitation from Bank of America in New York, for a team I was particularly interested in.

It was scheduled within a week.

I knew this was a critical opportunity. I requested early discharge from the hospital and returned home to prepare immediately, working through behavioral, technical, and role-specific questions intensively. That same evening, I scheduled an urgent call with my mentor to refine my preparation.

Her flexibility during this period was invaluable. Even when sessions were typically scheduled in advance, she made time when it mattered most. Despite the effort, the limited preparation time proved challenging. Compared to others who had nearly a week, I had only a weekend. In hindsight, the compressed timeline led to inefficiencies in my approach.

When the rejection came, it was difficult. I remember sitting in Bobst Library, unable to hold back tears. For the next day, the rejection replayed in my mind repeatedly.

After taking time to reset, I documented a full interview review, identifying key mistakes.

That process became a turning point. The weaknesses I uncovered during that reflection later became critical improvements during subsequent Superdays. I regained focus quickly and returned to preparation with greater clarity.

In November, everything came together. Two offers!

Six months of effort and growth were validated in that moment. When I first received the call, I could hardly believe it. I asked HR to confirm multiple times. They laughed.

Looking back at photos from October and November, more than half were videos I had recorded of myself practicing responses. At first, it felt unnatural. Over time, it became second nature. Each failure was followed by reflection, refinement, and repetition. Daily habits, such as reviewing Bloomberg and WSJ during commutes,  became automatic.

If there is one regret, it is that I did not meet up with PGP sooner. Beginning preparation only six months before recruiting meant that I lacked interview volume compared to others. I spent more time learning through mistakes, and inevitably missed some opportunities.

At the same time, I am deeply grateful. I had the opportunity to work with a mentor who understood the industry and provided clarity when it mattered most, helping me stay aligned and move forward under tight timelines.

Recruiting has now ended. There were many moments of anxiety, nights without sleep, periods of exhaustion, but I remained optimistic throughout.

This entire experience is now part of my past. And I intend to build on it, continuing to improve, and maintaining the discipline to learn from every mistake as I move into my internship.