Interview with Boutique...Engineering Background...How Technical will it be?
Hey all,
I've got an interview with a small boutique investment bank in NYC in the next few weeks. Anyways I cold emailed the MP and he forwarded my info to an MD who eventually called me on the phone. We talked and he said set up a time to come by and meet him and the MP. They both have seen my resume and know I have an engineering background.
This firm deals alot with advisory/M&A type activity...my question is: How technical will the questions be?
This firm is pretty small so I dont think they would have a SOP for how they handle interviews.
I have the WSO tech and fit guide, and i've complied them and made my own 15+ page study guide. I think this should suffice (in addition to basic industry research).
Anything else I should look for? What are the chances they will make me try to do a DCF on the spot since i'm a non-finance/non-business undergrad?
I've taken a graduate accounting and econ classes, so I am pretty straight with the financial statements, PV, inflation and interest rate basics.
Anything else I should focus on? Thx.





They'll (at least should)
They'll (at least should) only really ask you about whats on your resume. If put that you did all this outlandish finance experience, yeah they'll probably ask you about it. But as long as you've been straight with them in terms of your background you should be fine.
Definitely go through the
Definitely go through the valuation methodologies. It's the most basic question they can ask, but it can spur a conversation. You probably won't get any LBO / complex accretion-dilution questions, but the general valuation stuff is general enough that you can have a discussion.
I'd know simple DCF and multiples analysis frameworks.
Thanks!
Thanks!
Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis - when I was dead broke man I couldn't picture this
I'd say just know the basics
I'd say just know the basics of a DCF and comps/multiples. Maybe go over some basic accounting... shouldn't be too technical. In your interview you can focus on the fact that you're an engineer, and technical is "what you do", so even if at present your knowledge is limited, you are "confident that you can learn new technical skills quickly", etc... obviously don't sound cocky or like "finance is easy compared to fluid dynamics" or whatever, because that might piss people off, but I think you can feel out the balance.
I'd say just know the basics
I'd say just know the basics of a DCF and comps/multiples. Maybe go over some basic accounting... shouldn't be too technical. In your interview you can focus on the fact that you're an engineer, and technical is "what you do", so even if at present your knowledge is limited, you are "confident that you can learn new technical skills quickly", etc... obviously don't sound cocky or like "finance is easy compared to fluid dynamics" or whatever, because that might piss people off, but I think you can feel out the balance.
I was recruited last year by
I was recruited last year by a BB IBD, I was invited to a few suppers and what not and skipped most of the rounds and ended up directly at the superday.
Since I was from an engineering background, I thought that they would go easy on me with the technicals. It ends up that they asked a lot of technicals and in depth questions on valuation methods. I wasn't prepared enough and this cost me the position...
So I'd say. Know all the valuation methods on the tip of your fingers, know their strenghts / weaknesses. Know the diff between debt / equity / hybrids. Be fluent with accouting.