Favorite Parts Of Working In The Investment Banking Industry As A Mergers And Acquisitions Associate
David, a M&A Investment Banking Associate at Houlihan Lokey, appreciates the "incredibly interesting and brilliant" colleagues and clients, describing the work environment as "a continuation of college" and clients as "some of the coolest people" involved in "a once in a lifetime moment" for their businesses. The clear career progression, from analyst to MD, within the industry provides a rewarding sense of structure and certainty.
Teamwork, Career Development, Networking, Entrepreneurship, Leadership
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. Working alongside interesting and brilliant people, creating a collaborative and stimulating work environment.
2. Interacting with diverse clients, including entrepreneurs and c-suite executives, providing opportunities for learning and professional growth.
3. A clear career progression path within the industry, offering stability and opportunities for advancement within a single company.
Transcript
What do you enjoy most about being in your industry?
There are a lot of things I love about the industry. I think there are probably three unique things that I really loved about it.
First, your coworkers. You're usually working alongside incredibly interesting and brilliant people who are largely your age. It often felt like a continuation of college sometimes. We worked with a lot of MBAs who said the same thing; they felt it was very similar to being back in school.
Second, your clients. You get to work with who I consider to be some of the coolest people. These are entrepreneurs and c-suite executives who are building businesses that are about to transition in a remarkable way. It's like a once-in-a-lifetime moment for many of these businesses. I think you learn as much from your clients as you do from your coworkers.
Finally, there's just a clear path forward. This is an industry where if you work hard on a growing team, there's a very clear career progression. You can go from starting as an analyst to becoming an associate, VP, SVP, Director, or MD. You could spend your entire career in one company, never leave, and never have any regrets. I think that in a world that can be a little ambiguous, that level of clarity is rewarding.