From Finance Student to Investment Banking
Background
Drake Dettore enrolled in our 2021 program as a rising senior from St. Bonaventure University (SBU). He was a finance major with minors in accounting and economics pursuing a career in investment banking or private equity. Coming from a non-target school with no bulge bracket or big four internships, Drake was at a disadvantage to those also pursuing careers in investment banking and private equity. Within 10-months of completing our program, Drake had secured an incredible opportunity.
The Results
- Drake received a full-time job offer as an investment banking analyst at Bryant Park Capital, a lower middle market investment bank focused on specialty finance with a private equity arm focused on the cannabis market
- Drake is still working with Romero Mentoring as a mentor and is currently studying for his CFA level I designation
Challenge
Drake attended a non-target school and was at a disadvantage to those also pursuing careers in investment banking and private equity. Furthermore, Drake’s sophomore year internship was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This made recruiting for competitive roles much more challenging, as most undergraduate students who pursue careers in finance begin building their technical skills and experiences in their freshman/sophomore year internships. After receiving a promotion to become the General Manager of SBU’s student run equity fund, Drake realized he needed to fill the gap in his technical and soft skills ASAP and applied to Romero Mentoring’s APP.
The Process
Drake completed our structured 196-hour training, mentoring, internship, and career development program.
- He received essential training in Excel and PowerPoint and gained a solid foundational base in accounting, valuation, and financial modeling that ultimately set him up for success in his General Manager role and future interviews
- We also taught Drake our time-tested investment strategies rooted in fundamental analysis, as well as technical analysis skills to help him better identify investment opportunities
- We also provided Drake with career training and an internship, where he was given a high level of responsibilities to prepare him for his future professional endeavors. For example, during a DraftKings stock analysis case, Drake completed a three-statement pro-forma operating model on DraftKings’ acquisition of Golden Nugget Online Gaming. He then performed discounted cash flow analysis, comparable company analysis, and accretion/dilution analysis to formulate his own price target for DraftKings.
Drake gained the same on-the-job skills that professionals take years to develop, giving him a tremendous competitive advantage in the field.
Drake is now on the career express lane.