Undergraduate students in China tend to start off the recruiting season quite late and there is a lacking recruiting culture especially in freshman and sophomore years.  Usually by the time of application starts, most students have not yet started to prep for the interviews.

The sudden urgency can disrupt both preparation and interview performance. If you find yourself in a similar position, we hope this case offers some reassurance: Even with a late start, once you establish the right structure and approach, it is still possible to generate strong interview momentum and convert it into an offer.

Undergraduate: Top 985 University (China)
Graduate: Top 3 University (Hong Kong)
Offer: Citi S&T (Hong Kong)

This candidate was really studious and hardworking. Despite starting later than the ideal timeline, she quickly aligned with our team and built strong coordination with her mentors.

At the time she joined, she only had a baseline foundation, including some technical knowledge and preliminary behavioral answers. She was still short of the level required to convert offers.

Over the course of a structured two-month program, we worked intensively to refine her profile. This included:

Iterative polishing of technical concepts

Mock interviews based on real, recent interview questions

Exposure to different interview formats, including stress interviews and group assessments

As the process progressed, she began receiving multiple interview invitations. Securing the Citi offer was well deserved. When the offer came through, we were genuinely excited: it was one of those moments where the entire team celebrates together!

I completed my undergraduate studies at a 985 university in China. While academically strong, the recruiting environment was relatively limited.

Like many of my peers, I completed a few internships without a clear long-term strategy. Over time, I developed a general interest in Sales & Trading, but I never formally prepared for recruiting. It wasn’t until I started my graduate program at a target school that I realized how urgent the situation was.

At that point, everything felt overwhelming. There were too many moving pieces, and I had no clear starting point. That was when I came across Natasha and PGP.

With her guidance, I was able to assess both my strengths and my gaps more clearly.

On the positive side, I had prior exposure to S&T-related roles, including investor relations (IR), which allowed me to ramp up relatively quickly.

At the same time, I gained a clear understanding of how far I was from being competitive.

We built a structured preparation plan:

Strengthening technical fundamentals

Developing independent views on market news

Refining behavioral and resume-based answers

Running multiple rounds of mock interviews across different formats

Given that recruiting in Hong Kong operates on a rolling basis, I began applying while continuing my preparation. To my surprise, I started receiving multiple interview invitations, including Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, Citi, and Bank of America.

At the beginning, however, interviews felt more overwhelming than exciting.

Fortunately, Natasha had several students interviewing at the same time. This meant I had access to highly relevant, real-time interview insights, which became a critical part of my preparation.

In addition, because many interviewers were familiar to the mentor network, I was able to gain detailed insight into interviewer styles, expectations, and key points of focus.

This level of preparation made a significant difference. For example, my Citi and Bank of America interviews were scheduled back-to-back, lasting a total of five hours. Without prior preparation and insight, it would have been extremely difficult to manage.

In the end, I received an offer from Citi S&T in Hong Kong.

I am so grateful for all my mentors and peers who supported me throughout the process.

To those still in the middle of recruiting: Stay disciplined. Stay focused. And trust that progress compounds. Even if you start late, it is still possible to finish strong!