James' success story: Securing a graduate role at Greenhill

James is a History graduate from University of Oxford. He secured an Investment Banking Analyst role at Greenhill in London. 

First, please tell us a little bit about yourself.

“I’m a first-year analyst at Greenhill with a background in studying History at the University of Oxford.

I previously interned at Greenhill as a summer analyst in 2024 and joined the firm full-time in 2025.”

What motivated you to apply for your role?

“My motivations to join Greenhill were wide-ranging, encompassing the appeal of their horizontal organizational structure, supportive firm-wide culture and established reputation as a leading advisory firm.

The unique combination of these factors, coupled with Greenhill’s extensive history of working with blue-chip clients, ultimately encouraged me to pursue a career at the firm.”

What was the application process like?

“I found Greenhill’s application process both varied and highly personable, offering the opportunity to engage with experienced senior and junior bankers across the firm.

This gave me real insight into how Greenhill’s collegiate working environment extends across the organizational structure, allowing me to invest fully in both the recruiting process and the firm itself.

I was fortunate enough to have a seamless application process with many opportunities to demonstrate different skill sets to various members of the Greenhill team.”

What are you most proud of about your journey?

“The proudest aspects of my journey relate to handling significant responsibilities on a daily basis and continuously pushing my comfort zone by taking on progressively harder tasks.

The exposure at Greenhill is second to none, and the team is always supportive of juniors who are looking to develop their skills by taking on new workstreams and projects.

This is something that I have experienced both as an analyst and as an intern, and the process of taking on additional responsibility has been immensely rewarding in my early career so far.”

What have you learnt from going through the process?

“The process gave me a clearer picture of where my strengths lie both technically and commercially, providing a chance to test my learning capabilities while working with talented bankers in different sector teams.

It also shed light on the intricacies of an analyst’s role at Greenhill, reaffirming my interest in both the firm and the investment banking industry more broadly.”

What are your tips for people looking to follow in your footsteps?

“The core piece of advice I would give is to try to be as enthusiastic and intellectually curious as possible.

While it’s no secret that banking is a fast-paced and challenging career path, an eagerness to learn new concepts and ask questions can really boost the satisfaction gained from working in the industry!”

Tell us about the future. What’s next?

“My next steps are to continue expanding my technical knowledge and gain further experience within the field, particularly from a deal execution standpoint.

I look forward to hopefully participating in transformative M&A transactions over the next few years and playing a greater role in deals with far-reaching impacts across a range of different sectors!”