Career Path Of A M&A Investment Banking Associate At Houlihan Lokey
David's career path showcases a proactive approach to gaining relevant experience, starting with diverse internships in various fields—from life insurance sales to economic consulting—before securing an investment banking role after graduating from Yale with an economics degree. While the "content" of David's coursework was less impactful than the "analytically rigorous work" that developed problem-solving skills, the cumulative experience made them a strong candidate for their current role at Houlihan Lokey.
Career Exploration, Investment Banking, Analytical Skills, Networking, Career Development
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
David Crosson
M&A Investment Banking Associate
Houlihan Lokey
Yale University
MBA from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University
Economics
Finance (Banking, Fintech, Investing)
Finance
None Applicable
Video Highlights
1. David's career path highlights a diverse range of internships across various sectors (economic consulting, equity research, life insurance sales) before landing an investment banking role, showcasing a proactive approach to gaining relevant experience.
2. His academic background in economics, while not directly related to finance, provided a strong foundation in analytical problem-solving skills, which proved valuable in his investment banking career.
3. David emphasizes the importance of accumulating diverse experiences early in one's career, highlighting how his varied internships contributed to his preparedness and confidence when applying for his desired investment banking role.
Transcript
Could you walk me through your career path, starting with your experiences in college? Did you have any internships or jobs before your current role?
I studied economics at Yale. I always joke that I studied two types of things: analytically rigorous subjects like econometrics, and then interesting, random classes like the science and philosophy of human nature. None of these classes had content that was ultimately relevant to my job.
I think I made the best choice, and most of my college experiences were about gaining great internship and work experience, which I found far more relevant than my coursework. I had many jobs before my post-graduating role.
I got a job in investment banking after my senior year. Before that, I interned in economic consulting after my junior year, and in equity research after my sophomore year. Before that, I interned selling life insurance after my freshman year. And before college, I worked as a train conductor at Knott's Berry Farm.
This is relatively typical for my peers. You start somewhere and ladder up, gaining experiences so that by the time I applied for the investment banking job, which I really wanted, I had accumulated various experiences that made me feel comfortable and qualified.
This isn't to say that school didn't matter. I'm happy I took all those other classes. Not all my banking coworkers studied finance; I didn't either. But almost all of them studied something analytical, like engineering, economics, chemistry, computer science, philosophy, or physics.
I don't think this was random. My coursework, especially the rigorous analytical work, was great for practicing solving difficult number problems. It's not that the content mattered throughout that entire educational process, but my major and coursework taught me how to learn quickly and become effective.