Investment Banking Internship Debrief: Akbar Shah

Akbar Shah is heading into his second year at Johnson. He is coming off a great summer in Investment Banking at Jefferies. This is the first in a series of summer internship debrief interviews.

Hi Akbar, thanks for taking the time! For some context, do you mind walking us through your background? 

Sure! I’m happy to be here. I am originally from Pakistan and attended high school in UAE before heading to the UK for a degree in mechanical engineering. After graduation, I took a position at a power plant back home in Pakistan. I enjoyed using my degree and I learned a lot about the sector but I wanted a more client facing role. To that end, I took an opportunity to pursue investment banking at a regional bank in Pakistan, working mainly on project finance and debt advisory deals. I enjoyed the work but I wanted to have a more holistic experience in banking, looking at different products in a market with higher deal flow. I decided the best way to pursue that goal was to get my MBA in the states.  

After you decided to get your MBA, how did you choose Johnson?

 I had a lot of friends in banking and my network spoke highly of the program. I knew Johnson had good traction in the investment banking industry and I decided to go all-in.  As it turns out, if anything, I had underestimated how helpful the program would be.

How did you feel going into the internship? 

Frankly, I was well-prepared from a technical standpoint due to my background. A lot of the value I gained came from becoming adept with CapIQ, FactSet, and developing an intense attention to detail in PowerPoint. Associate Dean Pascarella set our expectations in the Investment Banking Immersion. The biggest benefit was the mindset preparation. The Investment Banking Immersion was week-in, week-out, open-ended projects under a lot of scrutiny. Becoming acclimated to that type of pressure situation was the greatest benefit.

Is there anything from Old Ezra Finance Club or the Immersion that you want to call out as particularly helpful?

The informational preparation we did at the start of the year was very helpful. In general, all the time and effort the second-years took to prepare us helped set the standard for my performance in the internship. I don’t want to harp on this, but setting expectations is incredibly important. I am really looking forward to giving back to this upcoming class in the same way.   

Any advice for upcoming applicants?

Know what you are applying to. You are joining a community that will be your support network for recruiting, your career network for post-grad, and your friends for the rest of your life. Come in with an open mind, be ready to put yourself out there, and make connections! The recruiting process is structured enough that you can focus on what is in front of you on a week-by-week basis without having to be entrepreneurial. That said, doing technical prep has never hurt anyone.

Akbar can be reached at as3926@cornell.edu