Question:
What surprised you the most about your interviews?
Answer:
Going into interviews, I didn't get many standard technical questions. A lot of them were ECM and market-based—things like pricing, IPO-related questions, and the treasury stock method. Overall, they felt more random and market-driven than I expected.
Question:
If you interviewed for multiple banks, would you say the questions were pretty standard across all, or were there noticeable differences?
Answer:
Most banks asked similar things: leadership questions, "Tell me about yourself," "Why this bank," and the three valuation methods. The elite boutiques pushed a bit deeper into LBOs, M&A math, and advanced accounting. I even got market-based curveballs like, "Would SOFR have been lower or higher over the past 10 years? And in the next 10 years, do you expect it to be higher or lower?"
Question:
What were some of the non-standard ways you prepped that were helpful?
Answer:
I wrote out all my behavioral answers, studied guides, and practiced covering my responses. I also did weekly mock interviews for six months straight. Talking things through and being asked questions out loud made a big difference.
Question:
What do you think helped you stand out from other candidates?
Answer:
My resume was strong—I had three internships under my belt in consulting, a search fund, and investment banking. On top of that, I networked heavily and had a ton of referrals. That combination really set me apart.
Question:
What do you wish you had during recruiting that would've been a big help?
Answer:
I wish I'd had a tracker and a resume reviewer. Also, more access to unpredictable, conceptual questions—not just the standard guide material. That would've helped me be sharper in live interviews.
Question:
How early did you start prepping and networking?
Answer:
At first I was considering high finance roles, strategy, or consulting. But I locked in on banking during the spring of freshman year. By May of that year, I started grinding both technicals and behaviorals consistently.
Question:
What non-obvious advice would you give to people prepping?
Answer:
Questions about markets, trends, deals, and current events are a huge opportunity to pull ahead of other candidates. You can really showcase your knowledge there. I'd use Spotify to listen to podcasts from big-bank research teams and drill into deals—explain whether you'd do the deal and why. That kind of rationale helps you stand out.
Question:
What would you not do if you had to go through the process again?
Answer:
I'd tell myself to be confident—confident that I'd succeed and not to stress too much. You'll get the offer if you put in the work. Everything works out if you keep testing yourself, putting yourself on the spot, and not going easy on yourself.
Question:
If you were a freshman or sophomore starting from scratch, how would you prioritize your time?
Answer:
As a freshman, the first thing I'd do is talk to seniors and build relationships with them early. If I were a sophomore, I'd get really organized with outreach, apply broadly across Wall Street, and master my technicals without cramming. I'd also go beyond just IB and build general business and investing knowledge. Be genuinely interested in what's happening in the markets—that will carry you far.