Trojan Investing Playbook

The best recruiting preparation might have nothing to do with recruiting. We sat down with TIS President, Graham LaBonte, incoming Summer Analyst in the Ares Direct Lending group, to discuss why students should focus less on optimizing coffee chats and more on genuinely learning. We also cover his journey through TIS, path to President, and vision for the organization.

Welcome back to another school year! This week, we sat down with Johnson Wu to recap what each of our summers looked like working across PE and investment banking. We cover what the work on the desk was like, our takeaways from the summer, how to best prep for internships in PE or banking, and much more. If you're interested in learning more about what the summer internship experience is actually like for Summer Analysts working across banking and PE, take a listen to this podcast episode!

Breaking into hedge funds as an undergrad is one of the most competitive and least transparent paths in finance. In this episode, we sit down with a Michigan Ross junior who recently went through the process to break down how it actually works - from early preparation to landing a sophomore summer role. We cover what makes hedge fund recruiting different from banking, how to build a strong stock pitch, and what it really means to develop an investor mindset. We also discuss what separates top candidates and what ultimately gets you the offer.

This week, we sat down with Aditya Vijayanagaram, Incoming Analyst at Ares Management (Direct Lending, LA), to break down how he went straight to the buyside out of undergrad. We cover what private credit actually is, how buyside recruiting differs from banking, what firms look for in candidates, and how to demonstrate an investor mindset in interviews, especially in credit-focused roles where downside analysis is key. If you’re interested in private markets or considering skipping IB for the buyside, this episode is a practical guide to getting started.

This week, we sat down with Davis Schmitz, who began his career in investment banking at Lincoln International and is now Director of FP&A and Corporate Development at Mantis Innovation, to break down what Corporate Development actually looks like in practice.

We’re joined by Finny Ho (Perella Weinberg Partners) and Lucas Turcuato (Barclays), both Incoming Summer Analysts, to discuss what makes technology investment banking unique - from staying ahead of rapidly evolving tech sectors to how technical you really need to be. They also share a few recruiting blunders and key moments that helped shape their outcomes, offering practical insight for students heading into the next recruiting cycle.

This week, we spoke with Aarav Sethi, an incoming Summer Analyst at Lazard (NYC), about the logistics and timelines behind New York specific recruiting and how it differs from other regions. Aarav also shared his personal recruiting journey and offered practical advice on what sophomores should prioritize going into winter break to stay competitive. 

Our guest this week is Leo Kim, a USC senior and Director of Capstone for the Trojan Investing Society, who summered at Houlihan Lokey’s Restructuring Group. Leo shared what makes RX unique, how to approach the recruiting process, and insights from leading Capstone, TIS’s technical training program focused on Excel modeling.

We sat down with Ishan Tandon, Incoming Analyst at Perella Weinberg Partners, to discuss how to craft standout behavioral stories, approach interviews with confidence, and differentiate beyond technicals.

In this episode, we sat down with Justin Lim (Incoming 2026 Summer Analyst at Perella Weinberg Partners). He shares his experience recruiting Industrials, tips and tricks to have success, and they key technicals that matter most!