Profiles

I get to the office around 6:30am and comb through the events of the last 24 hours to pick out which items will most impact today's market. I compile a morning update of our proprietary thoughts on important news and stocks that we have been actively trading and distribute this update internally and to clients. Before the market opens at 9:30am, our team (desk strategists, sales-people and traders) meets to discuss any relevant transactions or issues so that we are all on the same page and can work together throughout the day while managing our risk exposure. I call clients to personally apprise them of information or thoughts that I think they might find relevant.

The early market is active with most of the orders placed—yelling out orders rapid-fire, and executing orders at the best possible price for multiple clients at a time with the phones ringing off the hook. Throughout the day things become calmer and we have more time to thoroughly discuss ideas and build out our financial models. We have strategic meetings with management to discuss thoughts on specific companies or trade opportunities. As the day winds down before the market closes at 4pm, activity picks up as last-minute orders begin to come in.

After the final bell, our team reviews what went well, what did not and how we think the next day will unfold. I work on any loose ends or projects that I was not able to get to that day and head out of the office—although sometimes evenings can become later nights if a large transaction or relevant announcement is made, and we will want to frontload as much work as possible before the next morning.

I have had the great experience of being exposed to Jefferies' dynamic platform—by being afforded the unique opportunity and perspective to work in both banking and equities. After spending several rewarding years working in banking in our restructuring group advising distressed companies. A different challenge opened up as our growing global equities platform expanded its Event Driven and Special Situations desk. The cross-platform support that Jefferies provided to my career has been exceptional, and the ability to expand your knowledge base by learning different products, working in different cities or working with colleagues from different backgrounds provides an unparalleled experience. Today, with financial markets and the investing landscape continually evolving, Jefferies is on a full sprint forward—at a time when other firms are still regrouping and figuring out where they stand.

I usually get to work by 9am, grab myself a large coffee from the local coffee shop and help myself to some toast in the kitchen. I try to manage my day during my morning commute (check meetings I'm required to attend and deliverables for the day and if possible, browse the news). This allows me to free up some time to tackle the immediate deliverables by mid-day. Client requests are usually urgent so I tend to deal with those before progressing on to internal tasks, which range from building financial models to organizing logistics for meetings and calls. It is not uncommon to have a few conference calls interspersed into the morning's activities in relation to some of these tasks.

The buzz of the day usually heightens during the evening. Clients are gone for the day. So we can focus more on our tasks. We crack a few jokes on the open plan floor, grab dinner and huddle back at our desks to number crunch and prepare analyses to send to clients and seniors overnight so they can review them first thing in the morning. Once the task at hand is completed—model built, analysis completed and checked—and one section of the marketing document completed or well progressed, I order a taxi and enjoy the ride home knowing it's been a good day.

We recently worked on a sell-side transaction for a healthcare client who was very appreciative of our support and hard work throughout the four-month process, ultimately leading to a sale to a strategic player at an impressive price.

Receiving a call from the CEO on the day the deal announced to personally thank me for all the hard work and excellent results achieved put me on a high for the rest of the week and validated why I enjoy this job so much.

I was pleasantly surprised and refreshed by the trust and level of responsibility I was given from the first day: client interaction and representation of the team internally at meetings. Working in M&A gives one exposure to different industries that one often has to get up to speed on in a very short space of time. The members of my team are good-natured and have a great sense of humor but also work incredibly hard and deliver great results for our clients.

A typical day usually starts with two slices of toast and a cup of black tea at my desk while going through several commentaries from Jefferies' economists and rates/credit traders. I recently started working with the Taiwan ECB traders. We begin each morning with a discussion about pre-market levels of several Taiwan ECB issues and then update our clients. It's important for me to maintain an ongoing dialogue with all of our clients to understand what sectors and products they are focused on so that I am best prepared to add value. By focusing on our clients' investment guidelines I am able to choose the product or strategy that will best fit their needs. Several calls with clients and traders take place during the afternoon when the London market opens, which is around 3pm Asia time, and the day always continues to stay busy. Even when the day is flying by, I need to be alert and stay focused on all of the details to ensure that our trades are executed smoothly.

I was one of Jefferies' clients in Taiwan, and when the opportunity came for me to join the fixed income sales force in Asia, I took it immediately. Jefferies is a growing firm that stands out from its market competitors with its dynamic focus on clients' needs. Cultural diversity is what struck me most at first. As a native of Taiwan, this is the first time that I have relocated. Learning Cantonese, and working/talking with people of different nationalities—American, British, Italian and more—has been an exciting experience. Though it's impossible to learn in a short period of time all the products Jefferies has, I have had help along the way from traders and analysts who have shown me how different markets work; it is about learning something every day.

The transition from a buy-side job to a sell-side job has proved to be a positive move, partly because of the people I work with. Their direction and sharing of their own experiences has helped me to quickly get up to speed and assist clients. It is very satisfying to know that we have helped our clients to achieve their goals.

My recommendation for the next generation of Jefferies employees is to be well prepared, the earlier the better. Find your interest in one particular area, and dig deeper. Also, remain open-minded and optimistic about daily work. Last but not least, maintain a well-balanced life between work and leisure by developing other interests.

It may sound cliché, but Jefferies is anything but a typical firm; it hires for retention and promotes those who break the mold. Have you ever heard of the movie Planes, Trains & Automobiles? Although it was originally a classic '80s comedy, there was a Jefferies remake in March 2011 in which I played a supporting role. I was part of the team that pitched a nontraditional capital-raising strategy to an important client. After months of work and more Diet Cokes than I'd like to admit, we were finally on the roadshow. The deal was significant for many reasons. At announcement, it was the first-ever unsecured bond transaction in the non-traded REIT space. It was a huge win for the Real Estate Investment Banking Group and the Jefferies franchise: we were left lead bookrunners to a major bulge bracket firm. I took a plane to meet the company and the rest of the deal team in Baltimore. I was able to attend management's meetings with investors during part of the multi-day roadshow. Over coffee and bagels, management discussed their vision of the company and the reasoning behind the capital raise. After a successful morning meeting, we got in our black car and took a train to Philadelphia. After several meetings, we were about to board the  -company's plane when the executive team decided that they wanted to stop by the world-famous Pat's King of Steaks. I couldn't resist taking a picture of the team members in their polished business attire eating-  foot-long cheesesteaks covered in Cheez Whiz. On three types of transportation, I got the opportunity to interact directly with the most senior executives of the company. After numerous hours preparing for the transaction, it was satisfying to meet the people who make the company such a success.

In my career, I've worked at a bulge bracket firm as well as a regional firm and I truly enjoy and appreciate the entrepreneurial culture at Jefferies. In my industry, balance sheet capabilities are important to clients. Many firms win mandates because of large balance sheets and not necessarily because of idea generation. The senior bankers in my group consistently add value to client relationships “beyond the balance sheet.” My team never just shows up to a pitch or meeting; we bring original ideas—a quality that can be found in any group at Jefferies. We win business by delivering on our promises. I'm proud to be a part of the Jefferies family.

My workday begins around 9am. When I get to the office I check my email and voicemail and browse the headlines of the Wall Street Journal and LatinFinance. Most mornings involve conference calls to touch base with team members on project updates. Recently, I have been working on advising a private equity firm on a sell-side process for an industrials company in Brazil and many of our morning calls serve to coordinate materials for the virtual data room that the buyers use to diligence the target. We have also been working as lead-left bookrunner on an initial public offering for a healthcare company in Chile. Much of my mornings are spent working on the management presentation to be used during the international roadshow. Around 1pm I grab lunch with a colleague. Afternoons consist of building various analyses and preparing presentations pertaining to live transactions or deal pitches for the coming days. Many things happen last minute in banking. So there is a level of craftsmanship needed to be able to move things around and progress on multiple work streams simultaneously. I usually order dinner around 8pm. This is around the time when senior bankers begin to head out and the office gets quieter. Oftentimes last-minute meetings are scheduled for the next day and materials need to be coordinated overnight. Evenings are usually a juggling game between follow-ups on live deals and preparing analyses for meetings scheduled for the following days. Depending on the intensity of my projects, the workday can be extended deep into the night. During the summer, working with good interns who are motivated and willing to learn can be very helpful in dividing the late-night work.

Coming out of undergrad school, I was looking for five major characteristics in an investment banking analyst program: exposure to various industries and products, small deal teams, direct exposure to senior bankers and significant client interaction at an investment banking firm. As an analyst at any other investment bank, one spends more time in the office in front of Excel spreadsheets than in front of clients. At Jefferies, however, junior team members are held to a higher standard because of smaller deal teams and there is less “buffer” between the analyst and the clients. In fact, I have traveled to Brazil as the only Jefferies representative on a sell-side advisory deal to help coordinate diligence between the buyer and the seller. Jefferies has become a great success story on Wall Street and our prospects going forward outshine the brilliant story we have recently written.

My days generally begin at 8am with client conference calls and discussions with the sector team in the U.S. to discuss project status updates and market conditions. After the call I compose a status report and meeting memo to circulate to the group and grab a quick breakfast downstairs. I spend the first part of the morning collecting data and industry statistics for upcoming IPO pitches, scheduling meetings and assisting clients by providing supporting data for analysis that we have conducted. The afternoons are often filled with more conference calls and third-party due diligence calls that I listen to and take detailed notes for while eating lunch. I recently had to travel for a meeting, so I headed to the airport with my laptop, printed meeting materials and other books that could be useful for the meeting. It took about an hour to get to the airport so I continued to work on my notes on the way there and completed the summary right before arrival. During the flight I worked on the IPO pitchbook draft and was able to send it to my MD for review by the time I had landed. After arriving at the hotel I emailed the ECM team in the U.S. for a market update and got dinner around 7pm. At 8:30pm it was time for an internal project call with another sector team in the United States. I received comments from my MD on the pitchbook around 11:50pm and finished updating around 2:50am. I set an alarm for 7am to ensure I could make any final edits to the presentation and was finally ready for a few hours of sleep before the meeting later that day.

The main reason that I chose to work for Jefferies was the opportunity to "grow with the firm." The most important thing that I have learned here is that we always aim to maximize our value to clients. I've worked on many deals where other bookrunners tend to focus more on the relationship rather than the value of the deal.

As a junior banker, you always have the opportunity to work with MDs/SVPs who have rich experience in the industry and are directly responsible for the execution- not just pitching. You are encouraged to take client-facing assignments and have more opportunities to directly talk to the clients, even as a junior person. I am very confident that I will have a promising, well-rewarded career with Jefferies and continue to grow with the firm.

Investment banking is definitely not a 9 to 5 or Monday to Friday kind of job. It is one of the most involving/challenging jobs on the market. It is hard to describe a typical day and especially that of an analyst, because it is highly dynamic and involves a lot of multitasking. I firmly believe that juggling among many different projects and prioritizing tasks is the most challenging and interesting part of an investment banking lifestyle. The most fascinating part of the investment banking analyst role is the opportunity to work on not only some of the largest and transformational transactions in the market but to sit across the table from entrepreneurs to crystallize business models and build out their businesses. Investment banking allows you to work closely with companies that range in size and business domains and lets you gain an in-depth understanding of the businesses and play an active part of these companies' strategic decision-making process. Recently, I have been working on a private equity placement transaction for one of the leading Internet companies and am responsible for tasks ranging from creating the financial model to preparing the marketing materials including the Investor Memorandum and presentations. We work seamlessly across specialized product and industry groups throughout the firm and gather different perspectives and provide a holistic approach to the client. I've also been working on a sell-side advisory deal for a leading travel company in addition to playing an active role in participating in ongoing pitches and business development activities.

The people that I have met and relationships that I have forged over the course of my tenure at Jefferies are among the key things that I value most at Jefferies. The firm has an impeccable “team” culture—at every level and values integrity and uniformly promotes the “One Firm” spirit, which makes you feel you are part of something truly special.

A typical day starts at 6am by turning on Bloomberg TV, much to my roommate's annoyance, in order to know what I will walk into in the morning. By 7am I am logged onto Bloomberg and have checked the weekly calendar. I take notes during the morning meeting/call and try to quickly understand market moves overnight, catch up on European news and start showing color/follow up with customers whose day is already midway through. The morning is about disseminating information, inquiring traders about trades/positions (axes), sending out commentary and monitoring European market trades. Some days are more hectic than others. But mornings are usually the busiest part of my day since my boss and I cover both European and U.S. markets.

Lunch is usually around 11:30am and if I get an opportunity I walk briskly to my favorite lunch spot and I eat while checking my screens (and bantering about everyone else's non-healthy lunch choices). In the afternoon, European accounts go home and we are strictly trading U.S. markets (U.S. Treasury trades only) with an eye on any news, tape-bombs, changes to calendar and economic releases. The U.S. Treasury market is the largest, most frequently traded market in the world and the most reactive to news, events and economic data releases. While we execute trades, we call customers and engage the traders to exchange ideas with our customers to facilitate flow of information, present our views and introduce new trade ideas depending on market environment.

I have been tremendously lucky to work at Jefferies and believe that the single greatest asset that we have is the people who work here. That's what makes my day rewarding, that's what motivates me to go forward and to push boundaries, allowing me to learn and exceed expectations. It's all about the people who work here and the customers we engage with every day.

Typically, the first thing I do once I arrive in the office is check for any news stories that have broken overnight and circulate the most relevant items to my team. After this, I usually work on two or three separate deals or pitches over the course of the day. Examples of recent deals and pitches that I have worked on include the sale of a hotel company, the issuance of a high yield bond for a gaming business and an equity raise for a Spanish real estate developer. The varied nature of the work provides a broad exposure to different companies, sectors and products and ensures that no two days are identical. Generally speaking, early mornings are the quietest time of day when one can think about what needs to be achieved and prioritize work accordingly. Of course, ad hoc jobs that arise throughout the day must be juggled, but I usually manage to head outside to grab lunch with my teammates. During the afternoon I could be working on a financial model or putting together a pitchbook for the next day, interspersed with conference calls with clients or internal meetings with one of the product teams. By early evening, I have usually received comments from my MD on what materials are required for the next morning, for example a pitchbook for a client meeting.

As an analyst on the Real Estate, Gaming and Lodging Investment Banking team, I have developed an understanding of the key participants and drivers of the three sectors. Through working on deals and pitches alongside the product teams, my knowledge of M&A, equity and debt capital markets has expanded significantly. It is satisfying to look back and compare my knowledge and skill set from 12 months ago with today, all the time remembering, however, that I still have a huge amount to learn. One of the most enjoyable aspects of my job is the opportunity to work alongside a group of highly capable, knowledgeable and driven professionals.

I was attracted by Jefferies' growing reputation and the significant momentum that the firm has built up over recent years. While many other banks appeared to be scaling back following the crisis, Jefferies stood out as a firm moving in a more positive direction.

I get to the office around 7am and usually start the morning by perusing the wire services for any headlines that may have moved the markets overnight. Next, I call our 24-hour service desk in Chicago to see if any of our overnight orders have been executed, and if so, I report them to our clients. By now, I'll have research from our consulting analyst and any other pertinent market outlooks in my possession. I also take a look at technical charts of certain markets, spreads, etc. that might be of interest to some of our clients. Any early news, ideas, pending economic data, etc. get blasted out to our clients via IM or email.

The NYMEX floor opens at 9am and equities a half hour later, at which point volume in the markets picks up. Our clients either call in or send us IMs with orders to execute on their behalf. Most of our clients are in the futures and options markets to offset their exposure in the physical market. As the day progresses, we offer our clients color, and ideas on what might happen on the close. While our clients primarily trade in the energy market, we must be cognizant of what is going on in the equity and currency markets given the fact they are highly correlated. After the NYMEX's close at 2:30pm, we are responsible for checking out trades and handing off any open orders to our Chicago 24-hour desk to work on until the next day's floor opening. Before leaving for the day, the desk reviews any economic data, oil inventory reports, earnings, etc. that could move the market the following day. I make sure that all relevant news goes out to the customers before leaving.

I started at Bache as an intern in the summer of 2009, and began working full-time for Prudential in the summer of 2010. In April 2011, it was announced that Jefferies was buying Bache from Prudential. The transaction has proven to be a breath of fresh air. It is invigorating to work for a firm whose culture encourages outside-the-box thinking and a desire to improve every day. My experience here has epitomized the notion of “learning by doing.” VPs are more than willing to take time out and share their past experiences, which has aided in my growth both as an employee and a person.

I'm usually in the office by 6:45am, but the day starts earlier when I wake up and check my BlackBerry to make sure that nothing arose overnight.

On any given day, we'll be launching a new issue and have a management presentation for our sales force. I'll want to make sure that the team is still on time and that we've received all the materials for the transaction. After the meeting, I'll send out official announcements internally so our sales force can start to market the new issue. I usually have a lull at this point and quickly scan the high yield news publications that morning and see if anything new or breaking has hit the tape. When I'm not working on new issues, I'm working with our origination team in New York on pitches for prospective clients. By being close to the sales force and our accounts, we can gauge their appetite for certain types of structures and transactions we may be pitching.

It's safe to say that no two days are alike and that at any moment, we could be working with industry and product teams in New York, Issuers on the road marketing a new transaction, or working with investors on a new deal we have in the market.

The best experiences I have had on my desk have been working on the complex deals with my direct managers. During these transactions we'll be working with investors and issuers in real time proposing and modeling various changes in order to finalize the deal. The most rewarding days are when we are able to execute a new issue transaction in the wake of market where other underwriters are pulling deals.

After having worked at other larger banks, I realized that a large institution was not going to offer me the direct hands-on opportunities that I was seeking. Since I joined the firm, our group has grown in size and deal flow has tripled. But the biggest benefit that I could not have foreseen has been the nature of the culture. Everyone I have worked with has the same mentality that Jefferies is one firm and that nothing is outside of anyone's scope of responsibility. This has allowed me to seize opportunities within the firm that may not have been present if there was a rigid bureaucracy preventing cross collaboration. Knowing that I have the support of my team to pursue problems. As well as seek their advice when needed, has given me an unparalleled ability to expand my expertise.

I was at the office late one night finalizing a pitchbook for a meeting in San Francisco and drafting a CIM (Confidential Information Memorandum) for a manufacturer of silicone for medical devices. My managing director was leaving early the next morning for the airport and planned on taking the pitchbooks with him. The next morning I was woken up at 7am with a frantic phone call and a chain of emails saying that the books needed to change. We would have to coordinate with the convertibles team ASAP to get the convertible financing pages updated. The books were finalized at 10am, but my managing director needed hard copies for the meeting at 2pm ET. After calling four Kinko's in the Bay area, I finally reached one that could print the new books in time and was close to the meeting location. After the morning's ordeal, I turned comments to the draft of the CIM for most of the afternoon and once it was in good shape, rushed to the airport to catch the last plane to Charlottesville, VA with my MD and VPs. My deal team planned to spend the next day in Charlottesville with the sponsor owner of the silicone manufacturer to continue drafting the CIM.

I chose to work at Jefferies because of its growth potential and the generalist program. As an intern, I had no idea what group I wanted to join, so the program gave me the opportunity to interact with most of the industry and product groups. Jefferies is continually expanding, and there are numerous new opportunities to work with clients on various transactions. The best part about working at Jefferies is the camaraderie between all the junior bankers. It is very rare to work among such charismatic, intelligent people who are also always willing to lend a hand to a fellow analyst. Through the generalist program, I was able to build relationships that carried over once my analyst class was placed into groups.

It was Monday evening, after an unusually quiet day in the office, when I received a call from one of our sell-side clients, asking me to meet with his team at 7am the next day to help to compile the information needed for the company's management presentation. I immediately booked a car, packed up and went on a three-hour drive to the hotel near the company headquarters. After a sleepless night (due to the nearby church bell ringing all night long), a big cup of coffee and a cold shower, I visited the client. The entire management team welcomed me in a conference room, and we spent the day discussing the equity story, key investment highlights and, presentation structure and compiled a first draft of the presentation. When the management team asked questions and incorporated my advice into the plan, I realized that although I was the most junior member of the team, my opinion and advice were truly valuable and respected by the client. When we called it a day, the CEO expressed his gratitude and stated how much he was looking forward to working with me on the transaction. At that moment, I completely forgot about the long drive and sleepless night and very happily committed to work closely with him over the next few months to close the deal, which we successfully did.

I chose to work at Jefferies because I knew I would have the opportunity from day one to experience the challenging but ultimately inspiring life of an investment banker and work alongside clients to help them achieve their goals. I also wanted to work with highly qualified, intelligent and involved senior bankers both across Europe and around the world. I continue to be inspired by our clients and by the role we play in their growth. After four years at Jefferies, I know I made the right choice, and look forward to the opportunities and challenges to come.

My career at Jefferies started when I interned for the Aerospace & Defense team in the summer of 2007. Having an extensive background of flying and knowledge of aircraft due to my degree, I was fortunate enough to be offered a full-time position following my hard work and commitment during the summer. During my internship it was quite clear that I genuinely enjoyed working with my team and the work that I was doing. So it felt completely natural for me to return. I have definitely made the right choice and would make the same choice again.

When I arrive at work in the morning, I give the news in our sector a quick read to see if anything particular has occurred overnight, with a specific focus on the projects and companies that I am currently working on. I then run through my email to ensure that any requests from clients or senior team members are answered sharply, as these are usually urgent. Our afternoons and evenings are the most intense part of the day, mixed in with conference calls, project deadlines, ad hoc work and client meetings. Our team tries to have lunch and dinner together every day to catch up with each other on our work and social lives.

The most rewarding experience thus far, was being part of a two-week due diligence process with my former managing director for a deal that we were working on in Norway. It was a cross-border public-to-public transaction, and we were the sell-side advisors. We worked extremely hard with little sleep to ensure that the buyer had received satisfactory answers to all of their due diligence questions. Ultimately, it was a success and we sold the company. When I landed back in the UK, I received a call from my managing director telling me that both he and our clients were extremely happy with the quality and amount of work that we had covered in a very compressed timeline. This experience made me realize how much I enjoyed my job.

In April 2011, I joined the Metals & Mining team and have since been given significant exposure to the sector. I am really enjoying the caliber of work, experience and new team. What keeps me motivated when I come through the door every day is the fast pace and full schedule that comes with this job. As soon as you get to your desk it`s non-stop until you leave.

As an associate in the Leveraged Finance Group, I begin my day at 9am by catching up on recent activity in the high yield and leveraged loan markets so I am able to articulate any recent developments to my deal teams. In addition to passing along recent developments, I conduct an assessment of all outstanding items on my transactions. A recent transaction included a Mexican specialty retailer looking to access the high yield market in order to refinance its existing debt and fund capital expenditures.

One of our tasks as the company's advisor is to negotiate a description of notes, which represents the legal contract between the issuer and investors. In order to effectively negotiate the description of notes, we as investment bankers must understand recent comparable covenants and terms. I spend three to four hours reading through several offering memorandums of comparable transactions and creating a spreadsheet of key covenants and terms. This information will be used by our deal team and lawyers to negotiate a description of notes with the company. The goal of the negotiations is to provide terms that both give the company the financial flexibility it needs and are attractive to investors.

Later in the afternoon, I coordinate a preliminary diligence call with the company to lay out expectations for the upcoming organizational meeting in Mexico. Companies that are first-time issuers need to be walked through the high yield process and explained what is expected from them. Later in the evening, after I've wrapped up diligence calls, I follow up with the industry bankers on my other transactions and lay out a plan for completing any outstanding items.

I chose to work at Jefferies because of the tremendous growth opportunities for junior bankers. With the firm growing at such a rapid pace, many new opportunities become available to junior bankers who are willing to take on additional responsibilities. When I compare my experience to that of my classmates and my counterparts, I see that the amount of responsibility and level of experience are above and beyond those required at other banks. Every day at Jefferies I come across a new challenge or obstacle that requires me to use all of my previous experiences.

I get into the office at 9am and grab breakfast and a cup of tea. If I don't have anything to take care of right away, I skim through the daily news feeds in my inbox, which range from sources focused specifically on distressed companies to general global news. Mid-morning I will get comments from my associate or vice president on presentations that I'm working on, which I then turn.

For lunch, I usually walk somewhere nearby with a few of my co-workers and bring it back to the office to continue working on a presentation or dial into a call. Late afternoon, a client may contact us asking for follow-up materials from a meeting earlier in the week. I will end up working through dinner to pull together the requested data and create a revised presentation. The rest of the evening will be spent receiving comments from my MDs and turning the presentation until it is perfect and ready to be sent to the client.

I chose to work for Jefferies because of its strong momentum, ethical reputation and high caliber of people. Jefferies is growing rapidly and has a lot of potential. The open and collegial environment is very conducive to the professional development of analysts. The most rewarding part of the job is working on a deal and being able to watch it develop from the initial pitch to its successful launch, knowing that it was our hard work and client focus that got it to the finish line. I love that I never know what the day will hold. I could just as easily spend the day traveling to a client meeting, representing the firm at a recruiting event, working with my deal team to perfect a presentation or building a model. Regardless, I am always learning something new and growing with the firm. After working here for over one year, I am confident I made the right choice.

I usually arrive at the office before 9am. On a recent day, I arrived early to put the finishing touches on materials for our 9am internal group meeting which involves discussion of current/ongoing projects, future/potential deals and debt/equity capital market updates. Our group meetings. Which include bankers from the leveraged finance and equity capital markets teams, as well as our entire industry team. Once the meeting was over, my morning consisted of conference calls and putting together materials for ongoing deals. I was working with my associate on the valuation model for a buy-side engagement that we were recently awarded. We were concentrating on a revenue build-up for a Canadian satellite company. After working on this valuation model for a few hours, I stepped outside to grab a quick coffee break and met a friend who works at a firm nearby. We chatted for 5 to 10 minutes and caught up before heading back to our respective offices. The afternoon started out with a conference call for another project involving a debt refinancing for a data center company. We were working with this company to issue a new bond to refinance some of its existing debt. The call included a discussion of the current debt market environment and the pricing outlook for the new issue. My afternoon was filled with a few more calls and the continuation of the valuation work associated with the satellite revenue build-up. By the time dinner arrived, I was almost finished with the valuation model to send to my associate. For dinner, our team ordered together and took a short break to eat and catch up. Once everything was wrapped up for my ongoing projects, I sent a few last emails, left the office and ended the night with a quick trip to the gym before heading to bed.

I chose to work for Jefferies for a variety of reasons. To begin, Jefferies` momentum in the marketplace was unparalleled. It was clear that the firm was making big moves by hiring some of the best and brightest to take market share and this was exciting, especially for a young guy out of college. The culture at Jefferies was unmatched compared to other banks on the street. I met many people who spoke of senior banker accessibility and the team-oriented work environment and that was exactly what I was looking for. Working at Jefferies has taught me the value of teamwork and accountability. With many projects that I work on, I rely on the deal team to help keep all of the moving pieces together. No one banker can carry a deal alone. The best part about my job is the challenge. When a new project comes up, I enjoy the task of sitting down and brainstorming with my senior bankers on how to best tackle the new project. In these meetings, no person in the room is inferior or superior and all ideas are equally welcome and challenged.

One of my most memorable experiences at Jefferies was the day I assisted in signing my first public deal. The deal had been active through both Christmas and the New Year and we had been working very long days to get everything finalized. It was a Friday morning and the day before was entirely spent pouring over the announcement documents in great detail. The entire team and the key shareholders were in by 6:30am and waiting for the clock to strike 0700 for the announcement so that we could sign the agreements and send to other side finalizing the deal. The premium was 121% to undisturbed share price. It had been a roaring success. The moment seemed surreal, and all of the endless hours suddenly had a sense of worth and meaning. The day passed by quickly amid tracking all of the announcements and congratulatory messages. A public deal had been done in about seven weeks!

I chose to work for Jefferies because it had the best of both worlds: the firm is organized and well equipped, like the bigger firms, with a steady stream of interesting deals. It also boasted of a team-focused collegiate environment with a high degree of exposure and responsibility. My learning and experience would never have been as positive if it were not for the people around me. It has also been immensely rewarding to have a great degree of exposure to senior management teams of our clients.

I find it fascinating that every day is different and there is no such thing as typical monotonous day. One moment I'm at an SPA negotiation and the next I'm working on building a business model. The variety keeps me constantly on my feet without a chance to let any lethargy through. My advice for potential candidates is to enjoy and take advantage of all opportunities during your first year of work. Your first year provides the foundation for the rest of your career at Jefferies.

Upon arrival in the office, I reply to email requests that I have received from the Silicon Valley team over night and briefly review the slides that the presentations team has prepared for me. I then assist a VP with finishing a pitch-book for a last-minute meeting with a client and then sit down with the transaction deal team to discuss materials that need to be circulated for an update call in the afternoon. I also need to make a couple of edits to the company operating model following some input from the company CFO and I finally manage to wrap- up and send the slides ahead of the call. The discussion results in a major mark-up of the management presentation that we are putting together and I start processing the changes with the help of an analyst, so we can finalize the next draft for my MD who is flying to a meeting in Paris. After a long day and several other tasks coming up, I head home to get some sleep before walking back to the office early the next morning for a conference call regarding the upcoming pitch I was staffed on late the day before.

After graduating, I had multiple job offers but also the desire to work in technology investment banking for a firm that was strong in the sector and had the ambition to break into established markets. Jefferies was a good choice for me. I am getting very close to transactions and our clients, leading update calls, going to diligence meetings-or doing on-site company visits. Nevertheless, investment banking is hard work that requires dedication and focus in order to move forward and excel on the job. My favorite part about the job is working in a fast-paced and ever changing industry that results in a high-pressure environment where people are pushed hard to get to their limits and sometimes make the impossible possible.

It's difficult to describe a typical day, as my schedule varies so much from one day to the next. One day last month, I got into the office early for a breakfast meeting with a client, who was interested in raising new capital for their business. I started the day by catching up on all the latest news in the sector, before sitting down with my MD to go through near-term deliverables on specific projects and work streams. I got lunch with the other Analysts and Associates on my team, and spent the rest of the afternoon checking through an Excel model that an Analyst had produced, drafting and marking up various presentation materials for upcoming meetings. At the end of the day, I went home to pack, so I would be ready to catch a flight to Zurich the next morning, for another client meeting.

I chose to work for Jefferies after having spent a few years at a top bulge-bracket investment bank because it seemed like an exciting opportunity. Jefferies is consistently building momentum and recognition in the marketplace from day to day, and it's great to be a contributor and to share in the experience. On an everyday basis I find my job very rewarding, as I get to advise clients on different situations all the time and have the opportunity to work with and learn from so many talented people. I particularly enjoy going to client meetings with the more senior members of my team, as I always come away with interesting insights from the discussions. Working within the Mining & Metals group also means that I get the chance to travel to some fairly unusual places all across the world to visit mine sites.

Anyone who works in sales and trading will tell you that there is no typical day, but that's one of the things that keep this job interesting. Here's how a workday might unfold for me: My alarm goes off around 3:45am, but I usually rationalize another 15 minutes of sleep. Somehow 4am just seems like a much better time to actually get out of bed. I get up and quickly scan my BlackBerry to see if any urgent emails have come in overnight and switch on CNBC to catch up on the European and Asian markets. Around 4:45am, I hop into a car and make small talk with my driver for a few minutes before calling up my counterpart in London to chat about what's happened in the European markets. By 5am, I'm at my desk and flipping through the equity research pieces that were put out overnight. It's my job to figure out which of the 60 to 90 pieces released this morning represent Jefferies' best work so that I can ask those analysts to address the sales force on the morning call. The lineup email is released at 6:40am each morning and there are always some ruffled feathers to smooth out among the un-chosen analysts!

The market opens at 9:30am and the rest of my day is much less scripted —attending meetings, writing up trading ideas, trying to figure out why stocks are trading up or down and asking our research analysts if they have any comments on the moves. Last week, a healthcare stock that our analyst had been a strong advocate of was trading down 15% and I asked him if he thought the negative move was warranted. In his opinion, the stock was trading down based on a news article that made the side effects of the company's Alzheimer's drug seem worse than they actually are. He explained that this was an opportunity to buy the stock at a fairly significant discount. I had him speak on trading hoot to share his thoughts with the sales force and they started calling their clients. A few hours later, the stock had recovered and some of our clients had made 10 -15%. Always good news before lunch! At 4:01pm, the market is closed. I spend the rest of the day helping research analysts make updates to their ratings. Along with the Directors of Research, we talk through valuations and ensure that everyone is in agreement before coaching the analysts on how to frame their ideas to the sales force the next day. Around 4:30pm I check in with my junior analyst and respond to a few emails before heading out to meet some clients for drinks. Can't wait for tomorrow!

The constant surprises and challenges I encounter are what make my job interesting on a day-to-day basis. Working in sales and trading on the foreign exchange desk can be a bit like riding a rollercoaster and there is no such thing as a typical day. My core responsibilities are to facilitate our clients' FX execution requests and support our FX strategy offerings. My workday starts in bed at 5:15am when I review any essential market news and developments. More reading and strategizing for upcoming economic data follows when I arrive at work at 6:30am. While a laundry list of administrative tasks can't be avoided, especially as a junior, most of the day is spent talking to clients and taking care of their FX flows. Since we are a close-knit team of 10 people on the FX desk in London, being able to step up to the plate and fill in for other colleagues is essential. Trusting your colleagues and their capabilities is even more important on a trading floor than it may be in other professions, as demands soar when things get volatile. The benefit is that you are exposed to all aspects of the business from an early stage onwards, presenting an invaluable opportunity for juniors like myself.

My mornings are dedicated to the strategy aspect of my role—writing our daily FX commentary. Having an academic background in economics and being passionate about the macro-economic fundamentals underlying the dynamics of the currency market became one of the most valuable tools for me. Market news and economic data is meticulously analyzed and trading strategies that we relay to clients need to be developed. I am in a privileged position to work directly with the Head of FX Strategy who has 20 years of experience in macro-driven proprietary trading. A quick lunch is usually enjoyed at my desk as this market never sleeps and one never knows when the next unexpected headline hits the wires and a wave of flow comes our way. Afternoons tend to be slightly less hectic. This allows for more time to be dedicated to building relationships with existing clients and working on attracting new business.

I joined Jefferies through the acquisition of Bache Commodities in July 2011. This was a bold move by Jefferies to venture into the FX and commodities business and exemplifies the business's strength even in current market conditions and their determination to be at the forefront of investment banking. I am thrilled about this synergy and the resources this will open up for both units. Uncompromising commitment to excellence runs through both institutions, promising great things ahead and I would not want to miss out on contributing to a great success story.