Mat Ishbia’s Post

I’ve been talking to intern candidates over the past few weeks. The job market is clearly much better than when I graduated college in May of 2010. I was fortunate to find a brokerage mentor at that time and get into the REO sales business. Most of my college friends were working at Hollister or going back to school that year. It was easy for me to go into brokerage. Nobody else offered me a job. #jobmarket #employment #brokerage #interns #cre

You don't want to miss this webinar! The DE&I Committee worked hard to put this together and it is going to be amazing! Register today as this is happening tomorrow, September 13, 2023. #mortgageindustry #mortgagebroker #mortgagelender #learning #DE&I #cmba #webinar #homefree

I had my first internship years ago in 2018. But I have three main takeaways. 1. Networking Beyond the Office: I learned that through the events First Bank would throw for interns, I would meet so many people. I never skipped a happy hour or baseball game. I still have connections from people outside of my branch that I met at events like those. 2. The World of Mortgages and Underwriting: My days at First Bank introduced me to the intricate world of mortgages and underwriting. It was a time of exploration, where I unraveled the complexities that make homeownership possible. Understanding the meticulous attention to detail and the diligence that underwriters invest in their work was awe-inspiring. It was a time where I truly learned to understand financial and credit risk. But also it helped me personally understand the process of getting a mortgage as First Bank was the mortgage bank! 3. Staying Organized as a Teller: Part of the internship program was to start as a teller for a couple of weeks and progress up. I learned so much about soft skills then. Money is a really sensitive and important matter and you have to make sure people trust you to handle their cash. Looking back, I can't help but smile at how far I've come since then. As I continue to forge ahead in my career, I carry these 2018 lessons with me—always seeking to grow, connect, and excel. The experiences from First Bank laid the foundation for my career, and I'll forever be thankful for the opportunities it provided. 🚀 #FirstBankMemories #Networking #Mortgages #Underwriting #TimelessLessons

Want to help those college students you know get some professional development? See below for more details!

Students prefer banking jobs in bulge brackets NOT boutiques. There are many back door entries into bulge bracket banks (BBs) if you fail to land a graduate job. To secure a graduate job in a BB, students typically need a summer internship at one, the year before. So apply for these summer internships early. And if you miss out, make sure you have been applying to boutique banks concurrently. You can easily work there for 2/3 years, learn the skills and make the transfer to BBs. It’s all about building your skills.

I chased my dream relentlessly in college. I aimed for a junior summer internship. But rejections came aplenty. Finally, Bear Stearns offered me an internship in 2007, though it wasn't my first choice. That summer, Bear Stearns faced turmoil due to mortgage-backed securities. My internship ended without a return offer—quite the gut punch. I had to regroup and aim for a full-time offer elsewhere in my senior year. Interviews flooded in, thanks to Bear Stearns on my resume. However, the dreaded return offer question loomed. I didn't have a perfect answer, but I pressed on. Bank after bank rejected me, pushing my limits. Doubts crept in, but I couldn't quit. It was my immigrant parents' sacrifices that fueled my persistence. At my lowest, with nothing to lose, I faced superday interviews at two banks back-to-back. Ten grueling hours later, I received calls from both Deutsche Bank and Jefferies with job offers. My journey inspired me to create Wall Street Mastermind—a service I wished existed during those challenging times. Now, I'm helping students facing the same struggles. Sometimes, success emerges when your back is against the wall. It's during those tough times that we discover our true potential. That's when we realize that we are on the right path.

It's never too early to start thinking about a summer #internship! Whether you're interested in #Marketing, #ProjectManagement, #Finance, #Sales, etc., The Bancorp Internship Program offers valuable experience to help shape your future. Read first-hand experience from one of our summer interns below!

Check out our latest blog post, written by The Bancorp ‘s Marketing intern, Sarina Abate! Read more from her perspective and gain valuable insights on the intern experience! #thebancorp #internship2023 #marketinginternship

If you're graduating and don't have everything figured out yet, know that you've got plenty of company. Banking has been the best possible career path for me. But I only became a banker because I couldn't get an internship in the field I wanted. I was on track to graduate from college in 2002 with a finance degree. I was a 21-year-old guy from Quincy, Illinois. I didn't have a network. My resume featured McDonald's and Blockbuster. At that point, I realized I didn't have much to offer...yet. I needed experience, so I started hunting for internships. But I wasn't thinking about banking at all. I wanted to work at one of the big brokerage houses in St. Louis. Not surprisingly, those companies weren't hiring someone with my lack of credentials. Then I was lucky enough to bump into an executive from Regions Bank (FKA Union Planters Bank) at a career fair. They offered me an internship. That's how I started in banking. My plan initially was to strengthen my resume with that internship and then try to get a job as a broker after graduation. Instead, I fell in love with banking. I enjoyed the work and learned that I had a knack for building relationships. I spent the first decade of my career at Regions. Then, amid the Great Recession, I learned the power of community banking. That shift toward a more relational approach to business has shaped the last decade of my career. I expect that community banking will shape the next few decades for me as well. I want to be more than just a bank for my clients. I want to be an advocate. I want to stand with them through the ups and downs of running a business. I firmly believe the relationship is based on more than just the numbers. I've been so lucky to have had great mentors and friends along the way. They've taught me so much and have helped me avoid countless mistakes. That's been true throughout my career, but never more so than since I started building ATTY Financial last year. I know it's easy to look at somebody who's achieved some level of success and think they had it all figured out from the start. That might be true for some. It definitely wasn't the case for me.

Happy National Intern Day! Meet our intern at Legacy Franchise Concepts, Bauer Gucky, he is a rising junior at The University of Georgia - Terry College of Business majoring in Finance. We had Bauer answer some questions about his experience as a Finance Intern: 1. What has been your favorite part of interning at LFC?  My favorite part about interning at LFC is the people. I find myself surrounded by incredibly bright, humorous, and kind-hearted individuals. Their guidance has extended beyond the realms of finance and accounting, imparting invaluable life lessons that I will cherish forever. I am very happy with the relationships I have built. 2. What projects have you gotten to work on during your internship? What skills did you gain from it?  During my time at LFC, I got to work on two projects. The first was a competitor analysis for SweatHouz while the other was an introduction to a field our CEO, Jamie, was thinking of investing in. These projects proved to be invaluable learning experiences for me. Firstly, I gained a comprehensive understanding of the rationale behind companies' pricing decisions and how they position themselves amidst competitors. Secondly, I learned what investors look at when thinking about investing in certain companies, from broad aspects all the way down to the very detailed elements. Lastly, I strengthened my presentation skills. After presenting a few times in front of the office, I got comfortable presenting in front of a large crowd. Overall, I enjoyed doing these projects and I learned a lot of valuable skills. 3. What's a piece of advice you would give to future interns? Dear future intern, As you embark on your journey, I want to share a valuable lesson I've learned during my time here: respect. Respect others and they will respect you. By treating others with respect, you create a positive environment where respect is reciprocated. Here, everyone values each other's contributions, and there is a culture of active listening and mutual learning, regardless of one's position. Embrace this principle, and you'll undoubtedly thrive in this supportive and collaborative workplace. We are so thankful for our intern and all that he did this summer. We will miss his crazy basketball takes, his choice in food, and who he thinks is going to win the next national title. He truly was an asset for LFC this summer. Crush it at UGA, Bauer! #NationalInternDay #Intern #Internship #LifeAtLFC