Breaking Into Finance

On today's episode we're re-airing our most-watched episode, Intro to the Three Financial Statements. We've gotten a lot of new listeners to the show, and I want to make sure everyone knows that my best content came first - the deep dives on all the technicals needed to crush your interviews and break into finance.

In this episode Craig sits down with Sam Rosen (VP, Venture Capital at GIC) to discuss the current startup landscape, the pros & cons of going into venture vs. working at a startup, and some frameworks and advice for how to do your diligence on finding a startup to work for.

Ahead of Round 2 deadlines for several MBA programs in early January, we're breaking down the relative value of the MBA vs. Masters in Finance vs. CFA and how to know which one is right for you.

In a follow up to Episode 49's breakdown of the various functions in bulge bracket investment banks, Craig shares his thoughts on how to compare and contrast different IB opportunities along with a checklist of skills developed in each role.

On today's episode, we're using the ongoing OpenAI debacle to discuss the mechanics of how corporate governance works, why it matters for finance professionals and frameworks for understanding the relative power of CEOs, Board Chairs, and equity holders.

On this episode, we break down all the various divisions that are commonly found inside the "bulge bracket" banks, then go into a lot more detail on the investment banking division and the variety of roles that exist across IB.

This episode is Part 1 of a multi-part series on the various roles, responsibilities and exit opportunities that exist across IB roles, divisions and firms.

On today's episode, we're sharing a Q&A session that Craig held with Will, a recent graduate from Castleton University who is eager to find a way into a private equity investing role. We touch on a number of topics including the value of a Masters in Finance program, the CFA and whether taking coding classes to learn some basic coding in languages like Python will give you a leg up in the process.

For folks new to the show interested in similar questions, I'd highly recommend also listening Episode 4, where I talk to Austin Kipp about his journey from working in IT to investment banking at Credit Suisse and PE investing at Thomas H Lee Partners.

On this episode I catch up with Taylor Weekes, who is currently a first-year investment banking analyst at a bulge bracket bank. We touch on a variety of topics including Taylor's path to IB, advice for learning the technicals, strategies for seeking professional mentors and advisors, and her experience as a Black woman in finance.

Taylor and Craig first met when she was a Sophomore at Howard and participated in the inaugural Wharton Partners In Equity Case Competition that he helped organize as an MBA student, so this episode was a fun reunion!

Lastly, here are links to a few YouTube channels we discuss:

On today's episode, I sit down with Charlotte Lawrence, Senior at Middlebury College at incoming investment banking Analyst at Goldman Sachs. Charlotte interned last summer on Goldman's Investment Grade Capital Markets team, which is part of their Financing Group. During the interview Charlotte gives some great advice for how to prepare for any financing group Superday, talks a little about a day in the life of a debt capital markets banker, and along the way we parse through some of the alphabet soup of financing IB terminology.

Charlotte's free resource recommendations:

On today's episode, Craig sits down with Joe Magdovitz, VP and Head of Finance at Vouch Insurance. After beginning his career in investment banking and at the Fed, Joe pivoted to startup finance leadership. After getting his MBA from Tuck, Joe worked in FP&A at eBay and then went on to lead the finance function at a range of mid- to late-stage startups including Kiavi, Workrise and Vouch Insurance.