Mesirow Financial Interview Questions

12 total interview insight submissions
Interview Experience (90%)

The Interview Experience is a score from 1 star (very negative) to 5 stars (very positive) generated based on the Interview Insights at this company.

The number you see in the middle of the doughnut pie chart is the simple average of these scores. If you hover over the various sections of the donut, you will see the % breakdown of each score given.

The percentile score in the title is calculated across the entire Company Database and uses an adjusted score based on Bayesian Estimates (to account for companies that have few interview insights). Simply put, as a company gets more reviews, the confidence of a "true score" increases so it is pulled closer to its simple average and away from the average of the entire dataset.

3.8
  • Very Negative
  • Negative
  • Neutral
  • Positive
  • Very Positive
Interview Difficulty (64%)

The Interview Difficulty is a score ranging from very difficult (red) to very easy (green) generated based on the Interview Insights at this company.

The number you see in the middle of the doughnut pie chart is the simple average of these scores. The higher the number, the more difficult the interviews on average. If you hover over the various sections of the doughnut, you will see the % breakdown of each score given.

The percentile score in the title is calculated across the entire Company Database and uses an adjusted score based on Bayesian Estimates (to account for companies that have few interview insights). Simply put, as a company gets more insights, the confidence of a "true score" increases so it is pulled closer to its simple average and away from the average of the entire data set.

2.3
  • Very Easy
  • Easy
  • Average
  • Difficult
  • Very Difficult
% Interns - FT Offers (67%)

The % of Interns Getting a Full Time Offer chart is meant to provide a realistic estimate of the hiring practices of the company based on the reviews at this company.

The number you see in the middle of the doughnut pie chart is the simple average of these scores. If you hover over the various sections of the doughnut, you will see the % breakdown of each score given.

The percentile score in the title is calculated across the entire Company Database and uses an adjusted score based on Bayesian Estimates (to account for companies that have few reviews). Simply put, as a company gets more reviews, the confidence of a "true score" increases so it is pulled closer to the simple company average and away from the average of the entire data set.

50%
  • 0%
  • 10%
  • 20%
  • 30%
  • 40%
  • 50%
  • 60%
  • 70%
  • 80%
  • 90%
  • 100%

Interviews at Mesirow Financial

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Year
Job Title
Group/Division
Location
Experience
Difficulty
Intern
Year 2023
Job Title Intern
Group/Division N/A
Location Chicago
Experience
Positive
Difficulty
Average
1st Year Analyst
Year 2020
Job Title 1st Year Analyst
Group/Division Investment Management
Location Chicago
Experience
Positive
Difficulty
Average
Student / Prospective Monkey
Year 2022
Job Title Student / Prospective Monkey
Group/Division N/A
Location Chicago
Experience
Positive
Difficulty
Easy
Student / Prospective Monkey
Year 2020
Job Title Student / Prospective Monkey
Group/Division Industrials
Location Chicago
Experience
Neutral
Difficulty
Easy
Intern
Year 2018
Job Title Intern
Group/Division Investment Banking
Location Chicago
Experience
Very Positive
Difficulty
Average
3rd+ Year Associate
Year 2016
Job Title 3rd+ Year Associate
Group/Division Investment Banking
Location Chicago
Experience
Negative
Difficulty
Easy
Intern
Year 2014
Job Title Intern
Group/Division Global Markets
Location Chicago
Experience
Positive
Difficulty
Very Easy
1st Year Analyst
Year 2014
Job Title 1st Year Analyst
Group/Division Generalist
Location Chicago
Experience
Neutral
Difficulty
Average
Intern
Year 2013
Job Title Intern
Group/Division Investment Research
Location Chicago
Experience
Very Positive
Difficulty
Easy
Intern
Year 2013
Job Title Intern
Group/Division Investment Research
Location Chicago
Experience
Very Positive
Difficulty
Easy

Interview Questions & Answers - Mesirow Financial Examples

Summer Analyst Interview

Anonymous interview candidate in Chicago
Interviewed: April 2023
Date Submitted: May 01, 2023
Outcome
No Offer
Interview Source
College / University / On Campus Recruiting
Length of Process
1-2 months
Application
1 on 1 Interview
Group Interview
Interview
One one on one interview followed by three hour group superday. Have not had the super day yet but it is with groups of 5 people 30 minute interviews each time.
Interview Questions
Walk me through a DCF, walk me through an LBO
Sample Answer

Analyst Interview - Investment Management

Anonymous employee in Chicago
Interviewed: November 2020
Date Submitted: Sep 25, 2022
Outcome
Accepted Offer
Interview Source
College / University / On Campus Recruiting
Length of Process
1-2 months
Application
Phone Interview
1 on 1 Interview
Group Interview
Drug Test
Background Check
Interview
Started off with 2 phone calls with HR. Standard routine personal interview to get to know you and your background. Followed by in person interviews with team. Followed up by two more phone calls with people from team before receiving offer.
Interview Questions
Unexpected was what do you do in your free time. Simple question but was not something I had expected.
Sample Answer

Summer Analyst Interview

Anonymous interview candidate in Chicago
Interviewed: June 2022
Date Submitted: Jun 22, 2022
Outcome
No Offer
Interview Source
Applied Online
Length of Process
1-2 months
Application
Phone Interview
Interview
First there was a brief phone screening with someone from HR. Then a first round interview with an analyst with a mix of behaviorals and basic technicals
Interview Questions
What is a LBO and what are the steps to a LBO?
Sample Answer

Summer Analyst Interview - Industrials

Anonymous interview candidate in Chicago
Interviewed: August 2020
Date Submitted: Apr 14, 2021
Outcome
No Offer
Interview Source
Employee Referral
Length of Process
2-3 months
Application
Phone Interview
Interview
The interview process was straight forwards and run by 1-2 recruiters. I was asked standard questions about valuation
Interview Questions
I was asked about the expected return of a private equity firm.
Sample Answer

Summer IB Intern Interview - Investment Banking

Anonymous employee in Chicago
Interviewed: August 2018
Date Submitted: Sep 12, 2018
Outcome
Accepted Offer
Interview Source
Applied Online
Length of Process
1-2 months
Application
Phone Interview
Group Interview
Interview
Phone screening was very brief, mostly behavioral questions, "walk me through your resume," etc... Extremely friendly HR rep. Moved directly to a superday after phone interview.
Interview Questions
Walk me through your resume
Why Mesirow
Tell me about yourself

There weren't that many difficult questions asked but WSO wants me to make my answer a little longer, so I'm typing this. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Aliquam rutrum arcu sit amet varius tempus. Donec congue pharetra quam a sollicitudin. Aenean sagittis laoreet ultricies. Suspendisse lobortis, libero id mollis cursus, enim urna luctus felis, scelerisque gravida nisi nibh nec nunc. Fusce vitae aliquam libero. Suspendisse mattis nulla nec feugiat molestie. In mollis eleifend porttitor. Phasellus consequat ut odio condimentum iaculis.
Sample Answer

Associate Interview - Investment Banking

Anonymous interview candidate in Chicago
Interviewed: August 2016
Date Submitted: Nov 30, 2016
Outcome
No Offer
Interview Source
Recruiter
Length of Process
2-3 months
Application
Phone Interview
1 on 1 Interview
Group Interview
Interview
I was put in touch with the Company through a recruiter. I met informally over coffee and meals with team members prior to going for a full on-site interview.
Interview Questions
1. Why are you leaving your current firm?
2. How did you find out about our firm?
3. How are your current deal teams constructed?
4. What experience do you have with less sophisticated companies?
5. How would you transition from larger deals to working in the lower middle market?
6. What role do you play in your current role?
7. What are your ties to Chicago?
8. How do you think about your path to VP promotion?
9. What is your current compensation and how familiar are you with how Associates here are compensated?
Sample Answer

Intern - Real Estate Capital Interview - Global Markets

Anonymous interview candidate in Chicago
Interviewed: February 2014
Date Submitted: Nov 27, 2014
Outcome
Declined Offer
Interview Source
Applied Online
Length of Process
1-2 months
Application
Phone Interview
Interview
Applied online to the general intern program. Several weeks later I received an email that I had been selected for a first round interview with HR and that I should select the three divisions that interested me most. The interview was primarily fit questions. Approximately three weeks later I was notified that I had been selected for a final round interview. The interview was with two people from the specific group. Questions were generally about fit as well as about excel skills.
Interview Questions
Nothing was particularly hard. I was asked what is my level of excel proficiency on a scale of one to ten.
I was also asked why I wanted the specific groups I selected. Specifically I had to give concrete reasons behind why I wanted the groups and demonstrate my knowledge of the groups which was fairly straight forward because they had sent me a PDF with information on all the groups looking for interns.
Sample Answer

Investment Banking Analyst Interview - Generalist

Anonymous interview candidate in Chicago
Interviewed: January 2014
Date Submitted: Oct 21, 2014
Outcome
No Offer
Interview Source
Employee Referral
Length of Process
2-3 months
Application
Phone Interview
1 on 1 Interview
Group Interview
Background Check
Interview
The entirety of the interview process and for them to come to a final decision did not take too long, I thought, but the superday was a bit long. I had thirteen separate interviews, which consisted of three, two or one person at a time. Overall, the interviews were simple with very minimal technical questions.

Process:
1) Phone interview
2) One-on-one : 3 simple technical questions. Also, know current macro issues going on
3) Super-day: 13 interviews (you meet pretty much everyone on the team)
Interview Questions
How do the three financial statements connect? They are not looking for a five minute response. Give a simple text book answer and you will do fine. Most of the technical questions you receive will not be advanced. They just want to make sure you have the basics down and that you have a good understanding of the material. This is probably the hardest technical questions you would get. If you are not sure about any questions never say "I don't know". Let them know you are not positive, but try to walk them through your thought process. That's really what it is all about, your thought process.
How do the three financial statements connect? They are not looking for a five minute response. Give a simple text book answer and you will do fine. Most of the technical questions you receive will not be advanced. They just want to make sure you have the basics down and that you have a good understanding of the material. This is probably the hardest technical questions you would get. If you are not sure about any questions never say "I don't know". Let them know you are not positive, but try to walk them through your thought process. That's really what it is all about, your thought process.
Sample Answer

Investment Research Interview - Investment Research

Anonymous employee in Chicago
Interviewed: March 2013
Date Submitted: Jul 26, 2014
Outcome
Accepted Offer
Interview Source
College / University / On Campus Recruiting
Length of Process
Less than 1 month
Application
1 on 1 Interview
Interview
The firm posted an listing on the university's career center website, and within 2 weeks was on campus interviewing. The interview was 1-on-1 and then the firm brought a few candidates for final round interviews in Chicago. The entire process was about a month
Interview Questions
What do you know about some of the different hedge fund strategies? Can explain some of the stragies in more detail?
Sample Answer

Investment Research Interview - Investment Research

Anonymous employee in Chicago
Interviewed: March 2013
Date Submitted: Jul 26, 2014
Outcome
Accepted Offer
Interview Source
College / University / On Campus Recruiting
Length of Process
Less than 1 month
Application
1 on 1 Interview
Interview
The firm posted an listing on the university's career center website, and within 2 weeks was on campus interviewing. The interview was 1-on-1 and then the firm brought a few candidates for final round interviews in Chicago. The entire process was about a month
Interview Questions
What do you know about some of the different hedge fund strategies? Can explain some of the stragies in more detail?
Sample Answer