What to Say for Interests for Investment Banking

I accept only heard standard cookie cutter answers before, and I am curious how best to answer this investment banking interview question.

The Safe Answers

Of class, your desire to stand out and leave a strong impression is justified. Interviewers have more applicants than they know what to do with. And yes, they're looking for people that display intelligence, conviction, and certainty in their future career path. But sometimes it'south best to stick to the rubber answers and just go with what works.

Hither is a collection of the all-time standard responses to this common question from WSO users.

• CompBanker - Private Disinterestedness VP: Stick with cookie cutter -- Don't endeavour to be special or unique; stick to logic and passion.

• WSO User: Steep learning curve. Result driven surround. Savor working nether pressure level. Pregnant responsibility.
• Ideating - WSO User: The best answers would typically be some combination of experience working on big deals, the caliber of your colleagues, gaining a strong fiscal foundation, and a strong interest in finance.

Detailed Why IB Answers?

While cookie-cutter responses are prophylactic, sometimes a lilliputian more than substance is appropriate/appreciated.

I want to piece of work in investment banking because I empathize it has a steep learning bend and will permit me to plant a strong foundation for valuation, Excel modeling skills, and understanding the XXX sector. I know the hours will be long, only the time spent understanding and learning virtually XXX space would give me the opportunity to remain in finance over the longer term.

This reply does a few things:

1. Y'all left him 'bait.' Now he will ask, "Oh really? Then what hours do you lot expect?" And then you simply respond 80 depression-end and 100+ if a lot of going on.
2. By mentioning valuation/Excel, you lot're showing y'all know what yous'll exist doing, and you lot accept pitched why it is valuable 'a stiff base of skills for *future* on Wall Street'.
3. Considering you never want the interviewer to think you're interested in annihilation besides cyberbanking."

The Wrong Answers

While at that place are very few "correct" answers, at that place are plenty answers that are just patently wrong. Here are a few examples and how to avoid them:

• Answers that somehow point you are going into the profession to earn large amounts of money or because y'all eventually desire to go to concern school/individual equity/hedge funds. Even if this may be true, y'all want the interviewer to think that you are committed to the manufacture fifty-fifty though he/she knows that, more than likely, you'll decide to leave afterwards two years of service.
• Marcus_Halberstram - Manufacture CEO: Don't say annihilation about client interaction. Period. Any interviewer that's said anything about 'CEOs, executives, clients, management teams, and (blench) the C-suite' are immediate 'this kid doesn't know what we/he volition do here' dings.

What If You Are a Non-Business concern Major?

Great answers to this question focus on skill-building, networking, and a love for difficult challenges. You want to emphasize that:

• Being a non-business major, you are excited to larn the circuitous accounting and finance skills involved on the job and somewhen transform into an analyst that has potential to significantly touch on the grouping.
• You are excited to work with driven, smart, and motivated colleagues and are looking forward to pushing your limits from a work standpoint.
• You ultimately desire to come off every bit a positive, 'go-getter' type."

Constabulary to Investment Banking

Jbarret34 [2nd Year Corporate Acquaintance] outlines why the move from big constabulary to investment cyberbanking makes sense for him:

• I know that I love transactional work, like working in a fast-paced, enervating environment, don't mind long hours, and eventually want to be the one making the deals, rather than a lawyer/banker who simply facilitates them.
• Investment banking makes sense considering I can develop valuation/pitching/modeling skills.

Consulting to Investment Cyberbanking

"WallStreetOasis.com" noted the following if coming from consulting.

• If you lot're interviewing for an entry-level inferior office, and then your response to this question could be, "While I have gained some great experience working in consulting that translates well to investment banking, I experience that I could learn a more useful technical skill set up at an investment bank working on alive transactions at [XYZ House]."
• For those trying to get into more than senior roles postal service-MBA, a more appropriate response would be, "I similar long projects and getting to know clients; however, the transactional nature of investment cyberbanking is very highly-seasoned to me because you meet the results of your piece of work much more quickly. Whereas consulting engagements can last for years, especially when implementation is involved, the average investment banking mandate typically lasts for several months, so y'all are getting exposed to more scenarios and the learning curve is faster.

Commercial Banking to Investment Banking

Onemanwolfpack [Investment Banking VP] Gives those coming from a background in commercial cyberbanking some solid advice:

• Demonstrate you belong. Given your 'atypical' background, yous will have to try that much harder to show you belong compared to your interviewing peers who may already be working at other IBs and looking to lateral.
• Read up on the latest Thou&A deals, know your technicals frontward and back, and evidence an over-the-peak eagerness to break into the manufacture.
• In response to the 'Why switch from CB to IB?' question, I recall responding, "Because I wait around at 5 pm seeing everyone head for the go out, and I know I accept more to offer and want more out of my career than that." May have been cheesy in retrospect, just I believe that'due south when I won over the interviewer."

Nugget Management to Investment Banking

Started your career in AM and want to make a motion to IB? Here's some insight on whether or not it's the right choice for you, and if and so, how to convince a potential employer you'd be a fit.

• MandAisOkay [Investment Banking Analyst: If you don't experience you lot have an actual passion for AM, I would make the switch to IB because it gives much broader exit opps. If you really enjoy your work in AM and tin can see yourself in this business for a long time, merely stay.
• WallStreetOasis.com [WSO CEO]: With a background in AM, a strong response to the 'why' question could be, "Although Asset Management immune me to analyze companies and financials and make trades based on that assay, where I really feel that I would excel long term is working more direct with these companies and in transactional work.

Interested in Investment Banking - Breaking In

The fact of the thing is you won't improve unless you exercise. To have whatsoever chance at the technical questions, you need to prepare yourself with legitimate questions. The WallStreetOasis investment cyberbanking interview course is designed by countless professionals with real world feel, tailored to help you lot interruption into investment cyberbanking by acing the technical questions.

IB Interview Course Hither

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Source: https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forums/why-investment-banking-0

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