Say Yes to Everything Freshman Year, Then Go All In
Episode 54 | September 21, 2026
For students pursuing investment banking, the recruiting process can begin earlier than expected. In Episode 54 of the Coffee Chat podcast, Ben speaks with Tej, a University of Illinois junior who recently completed a private equity internship at Water Street Healthcare Partners and will join JPMorgan’s M&A team as an incoming analyst in summer 2027.
Tej’s advice starts with a simple principle: say yes early, then find your focus.
During his freshman year, Tej made it a goal to explore as many opportunities as possible. He joined a professional business fraternity, a social fraternity, investment banking clubs, a consulting organization, and an investment management club. Those experiences helped him discover what he enjoyed while building relationships with upperclassmen who could help him navigate recruiting.
By sophomore year, the strategy changed. Tej began narrowing his commitments and focusing heavily on investment banking recruiting. He sent 10 to 20 networking emails a day, built relationships with bankers, and pursued an opportunity through the Illinois Venture Capital Association’s scholar program, ultimately earning a private equity internship at Water Street.That experience gave Tej exposure to financial modeling, industry research, data analysis, live deal flow, and the investor perspective. It also gave him a valuable advantage heading into junior-year investment banking recruiting.
Tej also credits the Financial Modeling Certification® (FMC®) Program with helping him prepare for technical interviews. He completed both Level I and Level II before recruiting and practiced the Level I model approximately 10 times to consistently meet the 90-minute standard.
His biggest networking lesson? Let the conversation develop naturally. Rather than forcing prepared questions into every conversation, Tej learned to listen, follow the banker’s lead, and focus on topics that genuinely interested him.
For students preparing for investment banking recruiting, his journey offers a clear roadmap: explore broadly as a freshman, build meaningful experiences and relationships, then narrow your focus and go all in when recruiting begins.
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