Building an Investment Banking Career with LoEstro Advisors
Investment Banking is one of the most sought after roles in the financial services industry. With the opportunity to work with some of the smartest entrepreneurs across the globe, interacting with leading investors, and the allure of high salaries, thousands of Indian graduates are now seeking careers in the field.
Yet, the roles in the space are often misunderstood and there remains a huge gap between a candidate’s pre-onboarding expectations and post-onboarding experiences.
We are making a small guide here on what an Analyst or Associate role looks like at LoEstro Advisors, for candidates that would like to get a peek into an investment banking career.
Investment Banking at LoEstro
LoEstro Advisors is a boutique investment banking and advisory firm based out of Hyderabad. We work with clients on fundraise, M&A, and consulting engagements across industries such as Education, Technology, Consumer, and Healthcare. You can check out our website to see some of the transactions that we have worked on.
We work across the deal spectrum from initiating conversations with founders, to eventually closing + announcing the transaction (in some cases, we also work on post-merger integrations).
Similar to how the organization is involved at each stage, every Analyst/Associate is as well. Here is a summary of the stages at which we work, the member’s role, and the expected skills and abilities required to effectively execute that stage of the transaction.
There are certain elements which are not captured here in the table above, as the role of an investment banker at LoEstro Advisors is one of a generalist (often misunderstood to be one of a finance specialist). We also work on business development, content creation, firm initiatives, and building knowledge centers for our own benefit.
Our consulting engagements have a completely different nature, where we work with clients on very specific requirements on business performance. You can read more about it here.
The role is an ideal fit for someone looking to work on a zero-to-one mandate, taking complete responsibility for driving client engagement. Given a flat organization structure, there is a steep learning curve with regular partner and client interaction. The firm also has a good support system of team members who are extremely helpful and willing to share their knowledge and experience. Fun sessions with the team are another big value add-ons that the internship experience provides. All-in-all, given the amount of exposure and opportunities that the firm provides for one’s personal growth, I would highly recommend the firm to anyone wanting to make a career in investment banking or consulting.
- Chirag Tibrewal, 2021 Intern
Is Investment Banking All We Do Here?
The answer to that is no. All members, and this includes everyone, work on certain engagements which are outside the scope of our primary deal work.
Members at LoEstro are not just employees. Everyone here is focused on turning a three-year old vision into a robust business.
All of us work on everything. This includes building a client pipeline, working on PR, top-of-the-funnel marketing, internal firm initiatives, creating learning resources, recruitment, website management, podcast management, blog creation, and writing this article you’re reading.
The wonderful thing about working at LoEstro is that you’re part of a (currently) small organization and can see the direct impact of your work on the firm’s bottom-line.
Life at LoEstro
In simple words, it’s pretty good.
We promote a healthy balance of life and work at our firm. Jotting down a few reasons why we think a prospect would be happy here:
- Healthy leave policy (without unnecessary probing). We respect your reasons to want some time off to yourself
- Promotion of good mental health practices (you can take time off if you feel that you require it)
- Reasonable working hours. No, we do not think that you need to burn the midnight oil to be a good banker. Just owning your work and being efficient will do well. (Maybe this is because none of our current members are ex-bankers)
- Start-up like culture (because we are a start-up). One can feel free to crack jokes, talk about their routine/weekends, or absolutely anything as long as it is not disrespectful to others
- Gender neutral and inclusive hiring. We consciously make a choice to ensure that there is a fair balance in how our team looks. Currently, 50 percent of our team is female (and that is by design)
- Independent working. Everyone at LoEstro works pretty much independently. So, that means that apart from having our morning and evening catch-ups, no member is consistently micro-managed, and no one has to keep track of time for each and every step they take. Owning your own work solves for the problem around time management
- Getting paid what you’re worth. At LoEstro, we truly value the people we work with and do not throw around jargons like “industry standards”. If we like you (and you like us), then we will make sure that you like your paycheck
- Off-sites, parties, and dinners. Unlike display in popular media, a lot of investment bankers are actually pretty gentle and sober folks. And while many of us at LoEstro are “pretty chill”, we ensure that there is enough partying for all of us to have some fun! (Leaving some pictures here for you to see for yourself)
Want to Join Us?
If you would like to jumpstart or boost your investment banking career, we believe that LoEstro Advisors would be a great place for you.
We are based out of Hyderabad, and would love to have you work with us. We always appreciate hearing from potential candidates who would like to be a part of our journey.
If you would like to join us, write to us at connectwithus@loestro.com with either of the following subject lines:
- For the Intern Position: Application_Intern_Your Name
- For the Analyst Position: Application_Analyst_Your Name
- For the Associate Position: Application_Associate_Your Name
Also, please feel free to reach out to any of the team members on LinkedIn.
We look forward to hearing from you!
