Ishaan Arora

"Cleared FRM at 19, CFA at 23. Yet unemployed.

What's the point of spending so many years and lakhs on these?"

Got this message last night. And honestly, I get some version of this almost every week.

The frustration is completely valid.

But the problem isn't the certification. The problem is that somewhere along the way, we were all sold the same idea.

Study hard → clear the exam → get the job. Like life works the same way school did.

It doesn't.

In school, if you scored well, you won the trophy. But real life has a completely different scoring system, and nobody tells you that while you're buried in CFA prep material at 2 a.m.

Degrees matter. Certifications matter.

CA, CFA, FRM, ACCA, CMA, these are not small things.

They give you deep, structured knowledge that genuinely sets you apart. That part is real. But knowledge alone has never been enough to get hired. It just gets you past the first filter.

What actually moves the needle after that:

→ 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄:

A project, an analysis, a portfolio breakdown, anything that shows you can apply the concepts, not just recite them. Recruiters want proof, not just credentials.

→ 𝗕𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿.

If you can't explain your thinking clearly to someone outside your domain, you will keep losing to people who can, regardless of what's on your resume.

→ 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴.

Even unpaid, even small. Real exposure in a real environment teaches you things no exam ever will.

→ Network like it's part of the job.

Most good roles never get posted. They get filled through conversations. If you're only applying online, you're playing a game with very bad odds.

→ Keep building skills around the core.

Excel, Python, financial modelling, presentation skills. The certification gives you the foundation. These make you usable on day one.

Getting a job requires you to be a complete package!

The degree gets you in the room. Everything else decides whether you stay there.💯

1 day ago | [YT] | 83

Ishaan Arora

Can you REALLY get into Investment Banking without an IIT/IIM?

Let me give you a reality check!

Yes, you can. But I'm not going to sugarcoat it; it's harder. IIT/IIM students get campus placements, direct access to top banks, and a clear path.

But if you’re from a tier 2-3 college, no banks are visiting your college, so you have to build your own path.

I've helped students from tier 2 and tier 3 colleges break into IB. Here's the actual roadmap.

💡Build technical skills that match or beat IIT/IIM students

Investment banking interviews are technical. They'll test you on financial modelling, valuation, and accounting. If you're weak here, you won't get past round one.

Learn Excel deeply. Build 3-statement models, DCF models, and comparable company analyses. Don't just watch tutorials; actually build models repeatedly until it becomes second nature.

💡Do internships that actually matter

One good internship at a boutique investment bank or M&A advisory is worth more than five random finance internships.

If you can't get into IB directly, go adjacent. Corporate finance at startups, equity research, FP&A roles, anywhere you're building models and analysing companies.

If applications aren't working, cold email the analysts directly. Offer to help with projects.

💡Build a portfolio that proves you can do the work

Build 3-4 financial models for real companies. Write equity research reports. Analyse recent M&A deals and break down the valuation.

Create pitch decks. Put everything in a clean portfolio, either on a personal website or a well-organised PDF.

💡Network like your career depends on it, because it does

Find analysts and associates on LinkedIn, especially people from non-target schools who made it into IB. You'll need to reach out to 50-100 people, not 5.

One good connection can get you a referral. One referral can get you an interview.

💡Target boutique firms first, then move up

Bulge bracket banks like Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan recruit almost exclusively from IITs/IIMs. Your odds there are low unless you have an insane profile or a strong internal referral.

Instead, go for boutique investment banks and mid-market M&A advisories. They care more about skills than college names.

Work there for 1-2 years, build your resume, then lateral into bigger banks if that's your goal. Boutiques are actually better learning environments early on anyway because you work on full deals, not just small parts.

You'll face more rejections. You'll hear "no" more often.

That's just reality. But I know people from tier 3 colleges now working at GS, Rothschild, Avendus, and other top firms.

They all took the longer route. They all stayed consistent. And they all made it.
The door isn't closed. You just have to push harder to open it.

All the best ⭐

2 days ago | [YT] | 73

Ishaan Arora

"We're like a family here" is the most overused excuse to underpay, overwork, and guilt trip employees.

This line almost always comes out right before something unreasonable is asked of you.

And the scary part is how well it works.

People skip vacations they earned, reply to emails at midnight, and feel guilty for leaving the office on time.

Not because anyone forced them. But because somewhere along the way, the culture made them feel like doing anything less meant they didn't care enough.

That's not culture. Real culture is actually pretty simple.

It's when a workplace understands that its people have a life outside of it. That they have a family, relationships, health, and things that matter beyond the four walls of an office.

But here's what gets normalised instead:

→Staying late is seen as dedication. Output stopped mattering. Hours did.

→ Being reachable at all hours is expected. Having boundaries suddenly makes you seem like you're not a team player.

→ Taking leave feels like asking for a favour. Even when those leaves are literally part of your offer letter.

→ Someone not taking a vacation in two years gets praised. When it should honestly be a conversation with HR.

→ Every concern gets met with "that's just how things work here." Which is just a polished way of saying no one is going to fix this.

The worst part is that it doesn't happen overnight.

If your workplace makes you feel guilty for having a life outside of it,

It’s time that you reconsider where you want to contribute your time and efforts.

6 days ago | [YT] | 43

Ishaan Arora

The next wave of wealth will be built at the intersection of two industries.

Not inside them. Between them.

Specialists will always have a place. A great surgeon, a sharp lawyer, and a brilliant engineer. Depth matters, and it always will.

But the people creating disproportionate value right now are not the deepest experts in one room.

They're the ones who can walk between two rooms and translate what each side desperately needs from the other.

AI + healthcare. A doctor who understands what AI can actually do doesn't just become a better doctor.

They become the person who can redesign how an entire hospital operates.

Finance + AI. Someone who understands both risk and models isn't just an analyst anymore. They're the person every fintech company in the country is fighting to hire.

Nobody teaches you to do this. No course, no degree, no roadmap.

You just have to be curious enough about two things at once and stubborn enough to stay in that uncomfortable middle ground until it clicks.

Most people aren't. That's why the seat is still empty.

1 week ago | [YT] | 37

Ishaan Arora

2017: Had no idea what FRM is
2019: One of the youngest to clear both levels of FRM
2024: So many of students cleared FRM

Just how fast the night changes!

For the last five years, on every result day, my DMs have been flooded with students telling me they have cleared the exam.

The best part? Some students who never studied at FinLadder are still tagging me because my videos and consultation calls helped them!

Let me break down the strategy I used to clear FRM!

💡Create Four Notebooks for Organised Notes

↪ Class Notes: Use one notebook to jot down important points from lectures or videos. This helps reinforce what you learn in real time.

↪ Self-Study Notes: Maintain a separate notebook for self-study where you create concise notes from your textbooks. This should contain only the critical points that can be quickly reviewed before exams.

↪ Formula Notebook: Since exams like FRM involve many formulas, dedicate a notebook to compile all essential formulas. Review this notebook, incorporating it into your daily routine (e.g., while travelling).

↪ Key Points Notebook: For each chapter you study, write down 5-6 key points that highlight the most important aspects. This can help you quickly recall essential information during exams.

💡Network with Peers and Professionals

↪ Connect with Successful Candidates: Talk to people who have already cleared the exam. They can offer insights on effective study methods and potential pitfalls to avoid.

↪ Utilize LinkedIn: Use LinkedIn to find and connect with individuals who have relevant experience or have passed the exam you're preparing for. Engaging in discussions can provide valuable tips and motivation.

💡Research and Start with Smaller Courses

↪ Before diving into a long-term course (like FRM), do some short-term courses that cover similar material (NCFM/NISM courses.) This will help find your interest and understanding of the subject matter, making it easier to commit to longer courses later.

💡Manage Your Time Effectively

↪ Track Your Time: Write down how you spend your day to identify how much time you have available for studying.

↪ Calculate Productive Hours: Assess your daily routine to determine how many productive hours you can dedicate to studying.

↪ Set a Study Schedule: Based on the time available, plan a study schedule for the upcoming months, ensuring that you allocate sufficient hours for exam preparation.

Need help with your strategy?
Book a 1:1 call with me: (topmate.io/ishaan_arora) 💡

1 week ago | [YT] | 36

Ishaan Arora

Not sure how many of you have noticed this, but 90% of employees and interns are nothing more than just AI.

They only do what their manager prompts.

Task assigned. Task completed. Laptop closed. Repeat.

And I get it. You came in, did what was asked, and didn't mess up. That feels like a win. But that's the bare minimum.

That's just showing up. And only showing up will never take you to the top.

The brutal truth is that if everything you contribute can be replicated by a prompt, you are not building a career. You are filling a slot.

And slots get filled by whoever is cheapest and most available.

What actually makes you grow, make more money, and become someone a company cannot easily let go of is leverage. 💯

And leverage doesn't come from doing your job well. It comes from becoming the person who does things nobody else thought to do.

When you spot problems before anyone asks you to fix them, when you bring skills nobody else on the team has, when you consistently deliver more than what was expected, you stop being a resource and start becoming a dependency.

And when you're a dependent, the conversation around your salary changes completely.

The company doesn't really have a choice but to pay you because losing you costs more than keeping you.

That's the game. And most people don't even know it exists.

If you want to start building that leverage:

📌Go beyond the brief. Whatever you're handed, ask what a sharper version looks like and deliver that instead.

📌Learn something nobody else on your team knows. One extra skill can make you the go-to person for an entire function.

📌Have opinions and share them. Thoughtful initiative is genuinely rare, and people remember it.

📌Stop waiting for feedback to improve. Fix things before anyone points them out.

📌Build visibility. Doing good work quietly is fine, but being known for it is what actually opens doors.

The people who grow fast and earn more aren't always the most talented. They're just the ones who understood that leverage is built, not given.

AI does exactly what it's prompted to and nothing more. That's also its biggest limitation.

Don't make it yours.

1 week ago | [YT] | 52

Ishaan Arora

Dreaming big is free. That's why everyone does it.

What's not free is the Friday evening you have to give up.

The Saturday morning that's easier to sleep through.
& the hour after work when Netflix is right there and that course you bought three months ago is still on chapter one.

It’s just about the choice between doing the thing or not doing it.

That choice, made repeatedly, in private, is the whole game.

1 week ago | [YT] | 130

Ishaan Arora

The only people getting rich from "𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝘀" content are the people selling it.

And I say this as someone who has seen students ruining their lives for it.

There's an entire industry built around the anxiety of feeling financially behind in your 20s.

Courses, masterclasses, ebooks, and mentorship programs, all sold to you by someone who figured out that your insecurity is a very reliable revenue stream.

The formula is always the same.

Show a lifestyle that looks aspirational → talk about how lost you were at 22 → reveal the "system" that changed everything → sell you access to that system for 4999 rupees.

And the worst part is 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘆𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘆𝗹𝗲. It's a loop. A very profitable one for them.

Now I'm not saying wealth can't be built in your 20s. It absolutely can.

If you're genuinely building something, 𝗽𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀, 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸𝘀, then yes, your 20s can be the foundation of something incredible.

That's real, and it happens. But that version looks nothing like what's being sold to you online.

The real version is boring on camera.

It's spending less than you earn, staying consistent without anyone watching, and making peace with slow progress.

No one is making reels about that because it doesn't get views. What gets views is the transformation story, the before and after, the "I was broke; now look at me."

And somewhere in our heads, we keep thinking we're going to be the after.

So if you're genuinely building something, 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴. 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗶𝘁. 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴.

But if you're about to spend 5000 rupees on a course from someone whose only proof of wealth is the course itself, just pause for a second and think about who's actually making money in that transaction.

Your 20s are for laying a foundation, not for arriving at a destination. The sooner you make peace with that, the less money you'll hand over to people who figured out that your impatience is their business model.

Thoughts? 🤔

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 35

Ishaan Arora

The only people getting rich from "𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝘀" content are the people selling it.

And I say this as someone who has seen students ruining their lives for it.

There's an entire industry built around the anxiety of feeling financially behind in your 20s.

Courses, masterclasses, ebooks, and mentorship programs, all sold to you by someone who figured out that your insecurity is a very reliable revenue stream.

The formula is always the same.

Show a lifestyle that looks aspirational → talk about how lost you were at 22 → reveal the "system" that changed everything → sell you access to that system for 4999 rupees.

And the worst part is 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘆𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘆𝗹𝗲. It's a loop. A very profitable one for them.

Now I'm not saying wealth can't be built in your 20s. It absolutely can.

If you're genuinely building something, 𝗽𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀, 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸𝘀, then yes, your 20s can be the foundation of something incredible.

That's real, and it happens. But that version looks nothing like what's being sold to you online.

The real version is boring on camera.

It's spending less than you earn, staying consistent without anyone watching, and making peace with slow progress.

No one is making reels about that because it doesn't get views. What gets views is the transformation story, the before and after, the "I was broke; now look at me."

And somewhere in our heads, we keep thinking we're going to be the after.

So if you're genuinely building something, 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴. 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗶𝘁. 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴.

But if you're about to spend 5000 rupees on a course from someone whose only proof of wealth is the course itself, just pause for a second and think about who's actually making money in that transaction.

Your 20s are for laying a foundation, not for arriving at a destination. The sooner you make peace with that, the less money you'll hand over to people who figured out that your impatience is their business model.

Thoughts? 🤔

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 30

Ishaan Arora

Ever heard about the 80/20 rule in your career?

80% of your career growth will come from just 20% of the things you do.

But nobody actually tells you which 20% actually matters!

The 80/20 rule, also known as the Pareto Principle will change the way you look at your career.

Because not everything you do at your workplace will add value.

You can spend hours perfecting a presentation or project but it just won’t matter if it doesn’t solve a real problem.

So here’s what that “20%” consists of:

✅ Building strong relationships

Connections matter more than you think. It will open doors for you that you didn’t even know existed.

✅ Learning high-leverage skills

Learn to invest in skills that can multiply your value like- public speaking, problem solving and leadership. It shows your presence in a group of people.

✅ Taking initiatives

Be the one to always volunteer for a project that matters. Stop waiting for instructions and start owning it.

✅Being consistent

Add small habits to your daily routine that will change your lifestyle. Even small ones like Reading, taking a walk, and networking will make a big difference.

✅Staying visible

If you are someone who says “hard work matters”, I hate to say it but, it wouldn’t pay off in corporate if people don’t know what change you are bringing.

Share your work, speak up in meetings, let people know what you bring to the table.
If you are also someone who feels “stuck” in their career, stop wasting your energy on endless emails and trying to please everyone.

You cannot, you aren’t a bonus!💁🏻‍♂️

Growth doesn’t come from doing more, it comes from doing what is right and what matters!

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 55