Alumni stories
Preparing for your Finance interview can be a daunting experience.
Investment banking and other finance positions are among the most stressful and demanding positions on the planet and interviews in finance often test an applicant's tolerance for such an environment. To test an applicant's stamina, interviews in finance traditionally involve three or four rounds at a minimum, and each round may have up to six interviews, with the number of interviews generally increasing in each round.
We’ve done some work on your behalf, and tracked down some of the best resources to help you prepare for your interview.
The Wall Street Oasis is just generally a great site for Finance professionals. Their page ‘How should I prepare for a finance job interview? ’ gives excellent advice, as well as pointers for further resources, such as their Interview & Recruiting Prep Courses (all of which come with a pretty price tag attached).
Wall Street Prep is a great site that has a raft of comprehensive information. Our favourite page was the one where they articulate a number of really tough finance questions, with great answers.
It also emphasises that almost any person being interviewed for a role in Finance can expect to be asked technical questions. Even if you’re an Anthropology major! They will expect you to at least have got to grips with the basics.
That said, it is always fine to say ‘I don’t know’ - in fact, it’s preferable to waffling or plain making it up!
A Simple Model is a beautiful, intuitive, fun site. It provides free content - which is pretty unusual in this space, where everyone seems to be keen to prey on fears and make a dime - for most entry-level interviews. The site provides step-by-step instructions, as well as versing you in the necessary vocabulary - and most importantly - quizzes to ascertain where your knowledge gaps sit.
And … the last but certainly not the least - in fact, almost the best:
Possibly one of the most helpful resources out there when it comes to prepping for your interview in Finance, the Vault Guide to Finance Interviews outlines what you can expect from your interview, as well as the key concepts that you will likely be expected to understand and apply.
Despite it’s length, it’s a quick and intuitive read. If you browse just one of our suggestions, make it this one!
And finally… good luck!
