Practical thought #2
How I secured roles by doing things that others didn’t - Inspired by Kobe Bryant
Growing up, one of my idols was Kobe Bryant. He had it all, the confidence, the skills, the style and the swagger. He taught me many things and I wanted to highlight some of them here.
At first, I admired him purely for his skills on the court. Over time, as I studied him closely, his speeches, interviews, and the unique way he approached life, I began to realise there was something deeper. Kobe’s mindset was unlike any other, a way of thinking that truly set him apart, and this thinking taught me a great lesson in life. It made me ask the question - What are others doing, what am I doing, and how can I separate myself from them?
In an interview, Kobe was asked about his confidence and whether he always knew he was going to be the best. His answer was simple but powerful. He explained that, early on, he observed most players showed up at the gym around 7 or 8 a.m. So he decided he would start at 4 a.m. He knew that by doing this, he would gain three extra hours every single day, which would add up over the years and create an advantage that could not be closed. ‘If I am better than you to begin with, and I continue to work harder than you, how do you ever expect to catch up?’
For me, this was mind-blowing. I had always knew Kobe was a relentless worker, but it was more than that. His confidence came from having a thoughtful, strategic plan that would create an insurmountable advantage and following through on it. It was not just working hard because that did not matter if others worked harder or you ended up working so hard and inefficiently that you burned out; it was by working smart. He knew very early on that he just had to do a little more than others, and this process would ultimately pay off.
The Lesson I Learned
Kobe’s approach taught me a crucial lesson: success and progression is not always just about hard work in isolation; it's also about understanding what others are doing and then doing something different or something more. This mindset can apply to almost any area of life, not just sports.
My Journey to where I am now
My dream was always to work in finance, but that path wasn’t obvious growing up in a small city where finance barely existed. The journey was long. Early in my career, I landed a graduate role at a Big Four accounting firm. From there, I moved to a mid-sized investment bank as a sell-side equity analyst, working alongside the top-rated analyst in the country. Our team ranked first in the industry every year for five consecutive years. I later transitioned to the buy side. (That team continues to rank first even after I left—full credit to my former boss.)
Now, I don’t consider this background especially remarkable, but I share it to provide context.
I grew up with incredible parents who worked tirelessly. However, as immigrants without university degrees, they didn’t have insight into the corporate world, and I had no network to lean on. I’m not particularly gifted academically, and my grades didn’t meet the standard cut-offs for most graduate programs. I attended a fairly average high school and started university with no background in commerce, finance, or business. I originally wanted to study law, but didn’t get the grades. So I chose commerce instead, a decision I eventually came to love. Still, my GPA hovered around 65%, a level that most major accounting firms wouldn’t typically consider for graduate roles.
How did I get an offer?
Despite my low grades and (the fact that I didn’t fully understand debits and credits until well into my first year on the job), I applied to every graduate program I could find. Rejection after rejection followed; I rarely made it past the initial screening, let alone to an interview.
But I kept digging. Eventually, I realised something critical: most people were pouring all their time and energy into maximising their grades. I couldn’t compete on that front. I wasn’t naturally inclined toward commerce, and even if I aced every subject from that point on, my GPA would only be respectable, not outstanding. I needed a different edge.
So I did what I could: I researched relentlessly, spoke to as many people as I could, and scoured every piece of advice I could find online. Over time, a path began to emerge.
Alongside this, I was also studying much harder than before, a shift I credit to the work ethic Kobe Bryant embodied. To be clear, hard work remains 80–90% of the driver of success. This approach I’m describing makes up the final 10% that helps you stand out. But without the fundamentals, it’s meaningless.
Eventually, I connected with people who had successfully secured internships and graduate roles. Many were generous enough to share contact details for HR and recruiters. I began reaching out—explaining my background, my interest in their firm, and why I wanted to be part of their team.
One recruiter suggested I apply for an internship instead of a graduate role. Despite being in my final year, I followed the advice. Perhaps because HR recognised my name, or because internships had more flexible academic requirements, I started making it through—to interviews and assessment centres.
I went all-in preparing for every stage. And in what turned out to be one of the smartest decisions I’ve made, I added extra subjects to my course load to delay graduation by a year, making me eligible for another round of internships rather than competing for graduate roles. That internship eventually led to a full-time offer.
I firmly believe that by doing things like this, you are creating little opportunities for yourself that would not otherwise be available, and when you get these opportunities, you need to be bold and aggressive and take them. I could have easily thought to myself, ‘Why delay my graduation by a year, let's just finish the course, then look for a job’, and I believe if I had done that, I would not be where I am today.
Through this experience, I realised that while grades were important, I got the role because I made the effort to stand out. By reaching out directly to the team and having a positive, genuine exchange, I left an impression. They would have thought, "This person seems motivated, intelligent, and personable, let’s give him a shot."
I’ll summarise the approach I used to secure not only this role but the next ones as well. This method has worked repeatedly, and I highly recommend it to anyone seeking a new job. Credentials and experience are essential, but they’re increasingly just the table stakes. Everyone has a polished résumé and relevant experience. However, nothing cuts through the noise like a personal referral from someone reputable within the organisation; it’s often the edge that gets you the interview
Creating Nepotism?
In a way, it was like creating my own "nepotism." I built a network from the ground up, and I believe others can do the same. For subsequent roles, I thought my experience alone would be enough to secure top positions. While that was fine for good roles, it wasn’t enough for the very best ones. So, I returned to my tried-and-true method. After a few years at a Big Four accounting firm, I used this same method which led to interviews at nearly every major investment bank: Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, Macquarie, Citi, and Deutsche Bank.
Developing a Process to Succeed in Any Role
The method I’ve used throughout my career to land the roles I want:
Identify Target Companies: Make a list of companies you’re genuinely interested in.
Research Thoroughly: Study everything about these companies, their values, and their goals.
Build Connections on LinkedIn: Add people who work in the roles or teams you're aiming for. Junior team members were usually more receptive but try both.
Reach Out Thoughtfully: Send a personalised message sharing a bit about yourself, your interest in the role, and ask if they’d be open to chatting. Here is one I successfully used, seven years ago now:
Hi X,
Thanks for accepting my request. I noticed you have recently started a role at Goldman Sachs in the equity research team and was hoping you could provide me with some assistance. I am a Senior Analyst in the Assurance & Advisory division at X, with experience in Transactions through a number of secondments to the Corporate Finance Team.
I have always been interested in equity research as I have a passion for understanding how businesses work and how current and future events could affect the value of a company. I am hoping that you could take the time from your busy schedule to give me some advice in regards to seeking a role within equity research with my current background.
More specifically, any skills I should look to develop, the types of roles I should seek in my current position as well as any general advice on the application process. In addition, I realise there are various personnel within this division and details of any key contacts that may be able to facilitate this would be immensely appreciated. I would also love the opportunity to catch up for coffee if you were keen.
Thanks in advance,
Over time, I sent out many personalised messages and received replies from about 10-20% of people. Meeting up with those who responded taught me a great deal about the roles, which later proved invaluable during interviews and the application process. But the most important takeaway was building genuine connections with people in the field.
Now, I know this might sound like “networking” or simply reaching out to get something in return, but I don’t see it that way. Yes, I hoped to land a role through this process, but I was equally committed to offering help to these people—whether immediately, in the future, or by supporting others trying to break into the field as I had. This approach has helped me form lasting relationships with friends, clients, and colleagues, many of whom I still keep in touch with today. After doing this a few times, gaining insights into the role, and building connections, I moved to step five:
After one coffee meeting (and maybe one or two brief follow-ups), I make sure to leave a polite thank-you note without being overbearing. Avoid asking for too much, as this can quickly become annoying. Sometimes nothing immediate comes of it, but in some cases, the person might refer you to an open role—or, if they’re senior enough, they might even facilitate an interview.
5. Follow up - but do not be annoying: After one coffee meeting , I make sure to leave a polite thank-you note and ask them to let me know if any roles open up in the future as these meetings has confirmed this is something that I love. Do it without being overbearing. Avoid asking for too much, as this can quickly become annoying. Sometimes nothing immediate comes of it, but in some cases, the person might refer you to an open role—or, if they’re senior enough, they might even facilitate an interview.
6. Use this during the hiring process: When these firms start actively hiring, reach out to the recruiter with a message like, “Hi [Recruiter’s Name], I recently met with [Contact’s Name] from your team, who mentioned you might be recruiting soon. I wanted to follow up on my application and see if there’s anything I can do to strengthen my candidacy.” Complete the online application, and when prompted about knowing someone at the company, select “Yes” and include your contact’s name.
7. Standing out: Once you’ve taken these steps, HR will likely notice that you’re connected with someone on the team, which can prompt them to reach out to that contact. Provided you made a good impression, your contact might say something like, “Yes, I met with them—they seemed like a good person, great attitude, motivated and capable.” This endorsement is invaluable.
8. Its all you: With a positive referral from someone within the team, you’ll often be invited to an interview. This is far more impactful than having slightly better grades or a marginally stronger CV because all CVs tend to look similar. A referral makes you stand out and gives you a direct path to showcase your strengths.
9. Prepare, prepare, prepare: I won’t go into detail about interview preparation here, but after meeting enough people in the field, you’ll have a good sense of the role, the company culture, and how to present yourself effectively.
Keep in mind, this approach has consistently worked for me and many others, but the foundation is always the hard work you put in. It’s essential to learn the field, build connections gradually, and allow sufficient time for the process. I will probably make a post about this later - but I do think the key ingredient for this is being genuine, as much as it may sound, or even feel like it, I am not doing this to use people, I am hoping someone can give me a hand, and I will do everything I can to repay this person later. At the same time, you will find in this world that if you are genuine, many people are just happy to help you out.
This does take time. When I consider changing jobs, it typically takes at least six months, sometimes up to a year, to navigate the steps effectively.
To emphasise, the key is thinking critically about what others are doing and then taking a different, more strategic approach. This mindset has propelled me forward in various aspects of life, especially in financial markets, where having a unique perspective is crucial to staying ahead of both the market and competitors.
