Bridgewater Associates HF Interview - advice?

I have my 2nd round finance interview with Bridgewater, a hedge fund in Westport, coming up this month, and I wanted to know if anyone had insight on how it works, or what to expect from them. I have heard it is a rather argumentative environment, and no matter what the topic I should stick to my guns and defend my reasoning. Is this on track with how to be successful for the interview?

  • EntryLevelGuy
 

How can you be invited to the 2nd round if you dont know how their interview process looks like ? I had a first round interview (only) with them and yes this is what you were told, can you please explain how your 1st round was ? If you ever had one :)

 

You'll be put in a room with a few other people and given the task of coming up with a topic, and then arguing a position on that issue. Read the Economist (most recent one has a huge section on Chinese colonialism that might be helpful), absorb some facts, and be confident.

 
devin:
You'll be put in a room with a few other people and given the task of coming up with a topic, and then arguing a position on that issue. Read the Economist (most recent one has a huge section on Chinese colonialism that might be helpful), absorb some facts, and be confident.

been awhile since you originally posted this, was wondering if you have any additional insight for the second round? thanks!

"...the art of good business, is being a good middle man, putting people togeather. It's all about honor and respect."
 

Hi Carla,

I know it was some time ago for you now, and I hope your path went as you had wanted with Bridgewater. However, I am to have a phone screening with Bridgewater in the near future, and was wondering if you could shed any light on the process? Any advice would be helpful... Thank you!

All the best, DuckyJane

 
carla_rsr:
Hi - I have a coming first round interview at Bridgewater. Could you give me any insights on the interview process (other than what's already been posted) and how to best prepare.

Thanks

hey carla - was wondering if you could provide any additional insight into the second round, thanks.

"...the art of good business, is being a good middle man, putting people togeather. It's all about honor and respect."
 

i had second round there over winter break... the first half = they give you 5 questions to choose from and you have 5 minutes to brainstorm ideas and a formal argument... they come back in and you debate for 25 min. second half = discretionary, basic questions about yourself and your interests as they pertain to the financial ind. pretty fun way to interview IMO. unique firm, some people love it some hate it.

 

I interviewed recently for the Management Associate role.

You will have one discussion in which they are trying to assess your analytical capabilities. They can ask you an open ended question (anything really - eg. should online gambling be banned) this can literally be anything under the sun where you can formulate a constructive argument one way or the other. You will be nudged while answering to see how thoroughly you have thought through your reasoning and argument. I did not encounter too much negativity or someone who was overly argumentative. But you gotta take it in your stride. That is what they are also judging you on.

Then, they spend a good amount of time really getting to know you - and trust me, this is not a bullshit round. They are gonna talk to you and talk to you and talk to you till they get down to your real story. What they are trying to judge is if you do or don't have what it takes to succeed at BWater. What I noticed in particular about them is how thorough the process was - they are not looking to rush into hiring someone.

Well - thats what I can say. Really think through your experiences, and how you are gonna talk about them. And be current on the news. Other than that, good luck!

 
Best Response
sinner_u:
I interviewed recently for the Management Associate role.

You will have one discussion in which they are trying to assess your analytical capabilities. They can ask you an open ended question (anything really - eg. should online gambling be banned) this can literally be anything under the sun where you can formulate a constructive argument one way or the other. You will be nudged while answering to see how thoroughly you have thought through your reasoning and argument. I did not encounter too much negativity or someone who was overly argumentative. But you gotta take it in your stride. That is what they are also judging you on.

Then, they spend a good amount of time really getting to know you - and trust me, this is not a bullshit round. They are gonna talk to you and talk to you and talk to you till they get down to your real story. What they are trying to judge is if you do or don't have what it takes to succeed at BWater. What I noticed in particular about them is how thorough the process was - they are not looking to rush into hiring someone.

Well - thats what I can say. Really think through your experiences, and how you are gonna talk about them. And be current on the news. Other than that, good luck!

was wondering if you had any additinoal comments on this process. will be heading out there in a couple weeks.

"...the art of good business, is being a good middle man, putting people togeather. It's all about honor and respect."
 

I got headhunted by BW themselves, they contacted me via email saying that they saw my resume and would like to know if I would be interested in working for them, upon revealing my interest they called me and did a preliminary interview and then the next day, they sent me assessment test - which was on a Thursday, I completed them same day. On Friday, I was asked whether or not I was a US citizen - I speak multiple languages and I lived most of my life in Europe which can be seen on my resume. Then on Monday they said they would like to invite me for an interview, Tuesday, which is today, asked me if Friday would be good. I replied yes. What I'd like to know is, since BW came after me, and asking me for a face to face interview after all the tests and stuff, what are my chances? The 'Principles' don't cause a problem to me, and criticism is always welcomed, and I am brutally honest person that seems to fit perfectly with BW. Any responses??? advice?

 
mad.brooklyn49:
I got headhunted by BW themselves, they contacted me via email saying that they saw my resume and would like to know if I would be interested in working for them, upon revealing my interest they called me and did a preliminary interview and then the next day, they sent me assessment test - which was on a Thursday, I completed them same day. On Friday, I was asked whether or not I was a US citizen - I speak multiple languages and I lived most of my life in Europe which can be seen on my resume. Then on Monday they said they would like to invite me for an interview, Tuesday, which is today, asked me if Friday would be good. I replied yes. What I'd like to know is, since BW came after me, and asking me for a face to face interview after all the tests and stuff, what are my chances? The 'Principles' don't cause a problem to me, and criticism is always welcomed, and I am brutally honest person that seems to fit perfectly with BW. Any responses??? advice?

IA or MA or TA?

"...the art of good business, is being a good middle man, putting people togeather. It's all about honor and respect."
 

I don't even know what position, but I do know it will be directly with the team that works right under Ray D. Although I have finance background and worked in the financial sector for over 10 yrs - that was in Europe - I had changed my resume around to reflect Executive Assistant experience since I've been in the US

 
mad.brooklyn49:
I don't even know what position, but I do know it will be directly with the team that works right under Ray D. Although I have finance background and worked in the financial sector for over 10 yrs - that was in Europe - I had changed my resume around to reflect Executive Assistant experience since I've been in the US

well without details about the role i cant really say because the process is very different for each of the roles. if youve shown executive assist. experience its likley for that kind of position? in whcih case i wont be able to help you out. sorry. but as general advice...which you already know and can glean from a routine visit to their site - 1) dont lie 2) be yourself - i went thru 5 interviews so they will catch on if you are not beign truthful!

"...the art of good business, is being a good middle man, putting people togeather. It's all about honor and respect."
 

I heard there is, but I didn't have any 2 weeks ago. I have some portfolio management question, what I think about PE shops, etc.

The interviewer tried very hard to understand the way I think. It's important to show them how you approach a problem, not so much about getting the right answer (at least there wasn't only one right answer to the questions the interviewer asked me).

chimp15, have you had your phone interview?

 

thanks math problems like in SAT or GMAT? can you tell me something about Logic exam

curious about sample questions or if you can point me to a good source just to get a sense what the structure is

 

I got: "if a rubix cube is dropped into a bucket of paint, how many individual cubes will have paint on them"

The most important part is the current events debate, its not important that you are right or wrong. Its important that you have a logic thought process and can explain how you ended up at your answer, as well do not change your answer for no reason, and most importantly do not base your answer on a personal experience "vouchers dont work, i knew this kid...." or "my father climbed his way up the social ladder" they hate that and you will be dinged automatically.

I previously worked in research and interviewed people there.

 
UBmonkey:
I got: "if a rubix cube is dropped into a bucket of paint, how many individual cubes will have paint on them"

The most important part is the current events debate, its not important that you are right or wrong. Its important that you have a logic thought process and can explain how you ended up at your answer, as well do not change your answer for no reason, and most importantly do not base your answer on a personal experience "vouchers dont work, i knew this kid...." or "my father climbed his way up the social ladder" they hate that and you will be dinged automatically.

I previously worked in research and interviewed people there.

Any idea about the Math Questions? Also I am interviewing for a Jr. Trader Associate position and was told to expect about a 6-hour day. Is this usually the final round or are there more rounds? Any advice would be extremely helpful.

 

The day is 6 hours if you make it past the first group debate/math quizzes, there is also a final round after this first round. Keep in mind that role is purely execution. I asked the head trader a question about how current market conditions (volatility, volume etc) impacted trading strategies, and he responded " I don't work in research, I wouldn't know that." Interesting experience, have fun in the debate.

 
shorttheworld:
ive heard its a madhouse and a little gestapo cult of manson mixture. but then i hear people like it.. so probably both are true in that the culture is a little odd but also great experience too

They made me take a briggs-meyer and another personality test. It's kind of endearing actually, like the little kid who tries to buy something with monopoly money.

I mean they really believe that they publicly espouse a kind of anarcho-capitalist survivalist philosophy and they DON"T expect me to make my personality test reflect that. It's not exactly rocket science to be less than honest on these things. So in the end they self select for people willing to tell them what they want to hear.

I haven't even interviewed with them yet and I already don't really trust them.

 
shorttheworld:
ive heard its a madhouse and a little gestapo cult of manson mixture. but then i hear people like it.. so probably both are true in that the culture is a little odd but also great experience too

Nice info but how do you truly know?

 

Interviewed there recently:

As mentioned above: two personality tests before the interview

-Interview consists of group debate with 3 others in addition to 2 people from the firm.

-two math tests

-second half of interview consists of personal interviews (if you make it this far)

Strangest thing I have ever been through, best of luck.

What position is this for? Trading associate?

 
BSTN05:
Interviewed there recently:

As mentioned above: two personality tests before the interview

-Interview consists of group debate with 3 others in addition to 2 people from the firm.

-two math tests

-second half of interview consists of personal interviews (if you make it this far)

Strangest thing I have ever been through, best of luck.

What position is this for? Trading associate?

More of a research role, although more than that I can't really say. What were the math tests like?

 
BSTN05:
Interviewed there recently:

As mentioned above: two personality tests before the interview

-Interview consists of group debate with 3 others in addition to 2 people from the firm.

-two math tests

-second half of interview consists of personal interviews (if you make it this far)

Strangest thing I have ever been through, best of luck.

What position is this for? Trading associate?

do you know what the timeline is for hearing back?

 

Doesn't sound right. Was the call from Bridgewater or some headhunter?

Phone interviews are typically to asses fit and situational decision making (teamwork, leadership, etc..) . You may get a couple of brainteasers but I doubt it.

How much time is slotted and how much contact have you had to this point? Are you far away such that an interview is impossible?

 

They are known for being a pretty intense shop. Interviews at Bridgewater normally involve group discussions and video cameras. Anything is possible, so some bs telelphonic test doesn't seem unreasonable. I don't think there is much you can do to prepare for interview with them. I would just be yourself because if you don't fit their mold, you probably won't be happy there anyways. Here is some more info about them: http://www.hedgetracker.com/fund/Bridgewater-Associates-LP

 

Look them up on glassdoor.com and see if anyone has posted an interview. Also, check their website for anyone to email and ask for their advice to prepare for the interview.

 

Can someone elaborate on second rounds please? We all know about the group interviews first round already.... Greatly appreciated thanks!

I don't accept sacrifices and I don't make them. ... If ever the pleasure of one has to be bought by the pain of the other, there better be no trade at all. A trade by which one gains and the other loses is a fraud.
 
shorttheworld:
they put you in a room with other people and have you deathmatch debate for the slot and eliminate people one by one. no lie.

This is true.

Also, they interview you 1 on 1 and video tape you. Then they show you tapes of other candidates and your own tape and ask you why you are more deserving of the spot. A recruiter of mine told me this, but I haven't been through the process. Also, don't forget to jerk off to Dalio's book every night and sleep with it under your pillow or you won't fit in.

 

There are multiple types of interviews, usually the first type of interview is a group debate setting asking an open ended question such as "Is TV good or bad for society?" you have a few mins to think about it then you openly debate it with other candidates. There is also a case study component along the lines of a consulting interview (market sizing, valuation) and finally a 1 on 1. Generally speaking i think the interview process is much more consulting oriented than finance oriented. They care very little about what you know, there are no technical finance questions, its more about figuring out your thought process and how you reason through problems.

 

Anybody know what the case study component entails? I have not been studying cases at all, so I was wondering how would you recommend approaching this since my interview is this week?

Is there a crash course I can study to ensure I at least don't bomb this? Anybody have any experience with this specific interview at Bridgewater? Thanks so much in advance.

 

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