Summer Associate Intern

Coming from a non-target school, I reached out to some of the senior people at the firm with cold emails and got invited in for an interview. Since my undergrad school wasn't far from NYC, I came in for a first round in-person, though Centerview typically does first round interviews via video conference. I met with people at the 1 analyst and 2 associates in the first round. People were extremely friendly and the conversations flowed very easily. The interview consisted of the typical sorts of questions on financial statements, valuation methodology and current events, but I feel that passion for finance and a true interest in M&A were the most heavily emphasized. They are definitely looking for people who they could see becoming partners in 15 years. Second round was very similar to the first. Centerview interviews really emphasize long-term commitment to finance and organizational fit. Second round was definitely a bit more technical than the first; they had some twists on the typical finance questions to see how good you are at thinking on your feet and applying financial concepts. There were also far more brainteaser type questions: logic puzzles, hypothetical situations, mental math. Not sure how you could really study for those types of questions in advance. You just have to stay calm and avoid blurting out the first thing to pop into your head. One of the cool things about the interview process was being able to interview with Partners. I though that really showed some commitment to potential employees of the firm.