IB Prep Timeline: Technicals, Networking, Market View, and Materials

The operating plan for IB prep: technical reps, story, resume, networking, market habit, applications, mocks, and late-stage Bank / Round filtering.

OFFERGOBLIN·10 min read

IB prep is not one cram session. It is a sequence: learn the field, build the technical base, create proof, network before deadlines, practice delivery, and then narrow your reps to the banks and rounds in front of you.

The exact calendar depends on the recruiting track. The operating logic is the same: build the foundation before the process starts making decisions for you.

The operating sequence

Start with GOBLIN100 if you are new or rusty. It gives you the ordered baseline before the adaptive engine starts deciding for you.

After that, live in GOBLINMODE for daily adaptive reps. When a topic keeps breaking, use Topics for focused cleanup. Late in prep, when real interviews are scheduled, use Bank / Round filters so the reps match the process in front of you.

MBA timeline

The MBA version is compressed. May before M1 is for field orientation: GOBLIN100, market habit, "why banking" draft, and early region/group/bank-list decisions.

June is for finishing the ramp and moving into GOBLINMODE. Rebuild the resume and LinkedIn, set up outreach templates, and create a target-bank tracker.

July is for delivery under pressure. Technical answers should be timed, behavioral stories should be written and tagged, and mocks should feel uncomfortable enough to expose weak spots.

August is the transition from learning to execution. Maintain technicals daily, finalize the target list, start first-round outreach, build company / deal / trend clusters, and keep the market habit running.

Materials

Every candidate needs:

A one-page resume with quantified bullets.
A clean "why banking" answer.
A bank and office tracker.
A networking tracker.
A technical prep cadence.
Four to six behavioral stories.
A simple market view.
A mock interview schedule.

The point is not to create perfect documents. The point is to keep the process visible so deadlines, relationships, weak topics, and interview rounds do not live in your head.

What ready looks like

Ready means you can answer core accounting, valuation, M&A, and LBO questions without rambling. It means your story is written, not improvised. It means your bank list has specific reasons. It means your market view connects headlines to banking activity. It means you have practiced out loud.

If you are still learning the basics when interviews arrive, you are not slightly behind. You are behind in the way that matters: recruiting will force you to network, apply, interview, and learn at the same time.

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