So, when asked about your motivation to join the industry, remember that banks will be particularly sensitive to your appetite to learn. Instead, they’re essentially blank slates who have been drafted in to learn the ropes. You must demonstrate that you want to learnĪnyone already in the business assumes that junior investment bankers bring little to the table. The points below are what you need to include. In your preparation, ask yourself the four questions above, try to be honest in your answers, but still include the reasons why they will hire you. That is really 'all' they need to hear from you in the fit interview. Think elevator pitch – a short story (three minutes, as if you were in a lift with the interviewer) that sums up your application in four points: why the industry, why the firm, why the region, and why, specifically, you. Come prepared for the fit interview questions The same questions come up every time: your preparation of the fit and technical questions, as well as brainteasers, is key. They are just older, with more experience.Īnd finally, as an analyst candidate, you do not need to know everything about the job (forget trying to show financial modelling skills during the interview, for example). Once you have start interviewing with several banks, you will realise investment banking interviews are generally the same. Your interviewers are also not more talented than you are. Successful candidates are those who are honest about what they think, regardless of what opinion the interviewer might have (this, done in an intelligent way, will make you stand out as honest and mature). I encourage you to say what you really think. You can be confident about what you are saying without tipping over into arrogance. And finally, listen to the interviewer – definitely do not interrupt them. The interview is a short exercise, so show maturity by understanding that juniors, given their workload and lack of sleep, always need to get to the point quickly. Secondly, be as short and concise as possible in your answers - always summarize and let the interviewer ask for the details they need. Show respect, and never give the impression you know more than your interviewer – investment banking remains a very hierarchical industry, so don’t let your motivation or ambition make your interviewer feel uncomfortable. Demonstrate humility - these are the four ways to do itįirstly, remove any mark of over-confidence. Smile genuinely and enjoy the moment - this is nothing more than an exercise. Speaking as someone on the other side of the table, this is one thing I really want to see. You would be surprised at how many candidates, because of stress, forget to smile. A combination of the two is almost guaranteed to get you an offer. This job is all about reputation, and a solid financial knowledge is the best way to gain respect. However, as well as a positive attitude you need to demonstrate technical skills. You can be weak at answering these types of questions and still be successful, but never, ever show the wrong personality. Contrary to what you may have heard, they do not look for over-confident people with great intelligence, particularly if you cannot fit in a team.īy comparison, answering fit questions correctly is secondary. Associates in the recruiting team will essentially look for flexible, enjoyable personalities people who will be willing to continuously be loaded with work and who they will enjoy being around for 15 hours a day. Think about it juniors work the longest hours. The right attitude is the number one factor technical skills are also importantĪttitude is 70% of your overall assessment. He’s now author of the Investment Banking Interview Preparation Pack, designed to help undergraduate and MBA students secure analyst or associate positions in M&A. In his own words, these are his top ten tips:ġ. During this time he was involved in the recruitment of investment banking analysts and associates, interviewing scores of applicants alongside senior executives. Assuming you've made it through the psychometric tests, and successfully beaten the Hirevue digital interviews, now is the time that you'll be quizzed by real people.ĭo you really know what it takes to impress those people? Mark Hatz worked for four years in banking at firms like Goldman Sachs and Perella Weinberg Partners in London, Paris and Dubai. While the vast majority of front office roles go to summer analysts who have converted their internship, most investment banks will shortly close their full-time programmes to applications and embark on the interview process. It's graduate recruitment season in investment banks.