Are investment banking interviews hard?
Comparatively speaking, investment banking interviews are known to be extremely difficult. You'll face highly technical questions along with behavioral inquiries and even an occasional brainteaser.
What is the most difficult part for a fresher to crack an investment banking interview? Getting the first interview as a fresher is very hard on its own when it comes to valuation, mergers and acquisitions, initial public offerings, corporate finance, and accounting particularly technical question rounds.
Preparing for an investment banking interview requires a lot of preparation. Before going into an interview, research the particular bank, familiarize yourself with the deals it has done in the past or is currently working on, and be prepared to talk about the economy and financial markets.
Business Insider spoke with a Wall Street intern who interviewed with a ton of banks, including Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, and Jefferies Group. The toughest wasn't any of the bulge brackets, but the boutique bank, Jefferies.
Investment banking recruiters look for relevant skills and experience that demonstrate you're capable of handling the job. Highlight transferable skills, such as teamwork, communication, or analytical abilities. Showcase relevant experience, such as internships or relevant coursework.
Goldman Sachs Interviews FAQs
Candidates interviewing for Wealth Management Professional and Chief Executive Officer rated their interviews as the hardest, whereas interviews for Computer Programmer and Janitor roles were rated as the easiest.
Glassdoor users rated their interview experience at JPMorgan Chase & Co as 72.4% positive with a difficulty rating score of 3.15 out of 5 (where 5 is the highest level of difficulty).
Be Real, But Not TOO Real – Pick something that is a real weakness, but which is not a “deal-breaker weakness.” For example, you could say that you sometimes take too long to make decisions, which makes projects take more time. This weakness could affect your performance, but it won't kill you.
Investment banks typically hold two rounds of interviews, although some hold more than this. The first round usually takes the form of a telephone interview or video interview. Questions about your motivation for applying often feature heavily in this initial interview.
The lucrative and fast-paced career of an investment banker is a highly competitive one. For instance, in a recent year, 236,000 applicants competed for roughly 3,500 internships at Goldman Sachs. This is common across the industry where acceptance rates for programs are typically less than 2%.
Are JP Morgan interviews hard?
J.P. Morgan Interviews FAQs
Is it hard to get hired at J.P. Morgan? Glassdoor users rated their interview experience at J.P. Morgan as 61.6% positive with a difficulty rating score of 2.93 out of 5 (where 5 is the highest level of difficulty).
Investment Banking Analyst
Analysts are the lowest in the hierarchy chain and therefore do the majority of the work. The work includes three primary tasks: presentations, analysis, and administrative.
- Apple. Apple has always been a tough company to work for, especially under the late Steve Jobs, who was a meticulous perfectionist who would have it his way or no way. ...
- Google. ...
- Bain & Company. ...
- BP. ...
- Microsoft.
Here's how to make it shine. Highlight your skills and abilities: We want to know your accomplishments and what drives you. Share relevant experiences and specific attributes like self-discipline, collaboration and attention to detail to show us why you'd be a great fit.
Quite broadly, there are two types of investment banking interview questions – qualitative “soft” questions, or quantitative “technical” questions. Most technical questions will be on basic accounting and valuation. But come prepared for technicals around discounted cash flow analysis (DCF), intrinsic valuation vs.
- "With my previous investment banking experience, I'm excited to advance my career with a leading company in the industry. ...
- “I'm interested in investment banking because, as a kid, my parents taught me how to invest at an early age.
Goldman Sachs internships are highly competitive. In fact, the bank is estimated to have a 1.5% acceptance rate — that's more selective than Harvard! However, getting accepted into an internship at Goldman can be a life-changing opportunity.
Goldman Sachs is the premier investment bank in the world. With an acceptance rate of roughly 4%, it's harder to get into Goldman than it is to get into Harvard or Yale. Let me share how to get a job at Goldman Sachs from someone who did.
More selective than Harvard
(Interns typically return as first-year analysts after they graduate.) The acceptance rate of less than 1% makes JPMorgan's investment bank harder to get into than Harvard or Yale.
Do we like negotiating with JP Morgan? JP Morgan does negotiate, however, it is also important to note that JP Morgan does not pay competitively for technical roles - especially when you compare it to FAANG company compensation.
What is the STAR method in interviewing?
The STAR method is a structured manner of responding to a behavioral-based interview question by discussing the specific situation, task, action, and result of the situation you are describing.
Q: What are your GPA requirements? A: We value diverse degree backgrounds and experiences and while a GPA 3.2 (or equivalent) in your undergraduate degree is preferred it is not required. Our training programs are designed to allow everyone, regardless of major studied to succeed.
Some examples of common weaknesses in investment banking include public speaking, networking, and delegating tasks. Explain how you are working to improve your weaknesses. For example, you could talk about how you are taking a public speaking class or how you are practicing delegating tasks to your team members.
To make sure you're a good fit for investment banking, here is a list of traits that are considered important in the industry: Willingness to work extremely long hours (80+ per week) High attention to detail. Ability to take direction well.
There are only four types of questions you'll encounter in interviews at investment banks, and you can prepare for 3 / 4 of them in 1-2 days (or less). The last category – technical questions – will take more time and effort, but you can save time by focusing on the right topics and ignoring the fluff.
