why IBD?

seedy underbelly:

I'm pursuing a career in Sales and Trading or Investment Banking because of my dynamic personality, hard working attitude and utmost for financial market research.

Have you taught yourself java in 27 days while managing to be able to bench double your body weight and do 35 pull-ups?

EDIT

Too vague. You could use that answer for any job.

Seeing as you've already got a sizable number of bananas, I'd wager you've read and participated in a fair bit of posts and would (or should) already know that answer is way too generic and vague and quite possibly 'dingable' given the lack of thought put behind (unless you do a great job with all the other interview questions).

Understandably, these days with the competition and uncertainty, students should cast a wider net and that could mean going for 'finance' in general. But for both S&T and ib interviews, you should craft a better answer (ideally one that is unique, memorable and that you can relate to your prior experience). Think about why and what you like about both roles specifically and how your prior exp/extra-currics best prepares you for the job vs. the next guy/girl.

answer points I would give for S&T

• Want to understand the broader context of how financial markets really work by dealing with sales and trading aspects daily.
• Want to be in an industry where your performance is very tangible IE the score is on the board every day.
• Want to be in a dynamic environment that challenges you to think quickly, clearly and concise.
• The entrepreneurial nature of the trading floor
• exposure to a number of products across a number of asset classes (potentially)
• working in a meritocratic environment
• balling so hard motherfuckers want to fine you...

"utmost for financial market research"

• this is not proper english
• this doesn't mean anything

but yea, get more detailed. a dynamic personality and hard working attitude are the same qualities that could make you a good best buy salesman...why banking?

Now that there are sufficient responses:

I'm surprised you guys didn't say how awful that was. A junior in my frat had this at the top of his resume. Got interviews at 4 BBs, an offer from one. And not BAML/UBS, in case you're wondering.

Made me wonder if we over-think some aspects of recruiting. I mean, if this reason can get you an interview, then aren't we?

• Money
• Network Opportunities
• Exit Opportunities: PE/MBA...

just two things, glory and prestige

I second the last two points made by nori90.

To say you're in investment banking

Found this article...thought it was relevant...haha. Replace the "(dot)" with "."

idiotdigest(dot)tumblr(dot)com/post/39248652585/why-all-college-grads-should-pursue-a-career-in

1. you learn the most you can in the next 2 years than any other job opportunity
2. surrounded by the smartest people, encouraging you to perform better
3. provide a solid financial foundation and business acumen
4. make some shit up
5. even more shit

boom

"I'm a financial modeling and PowerPoint wizard with no outside interests like friends, family, or sleep that could interfere with my productivity'"

I would consider that an outstanding answer.

honestly that's a terrible answer woudln't be surprised if you got no 2nd round interviews

I always tell a quick story. I was working on such and such with so and so and the experience made me realize how much I liked working on transactions blah blah, so IB seemed like a natural fit.

I heard this one kid from Quebec told the MDs at a BB `something like drugs, money cash and sex. Got the offer but rejected it for PE out of undergrad .. (Serious story)

In before models and bottles.

I'm just a huge finance nerd and I like to work on challenging projects with a talented team to create value.

No frills there but I'd probably polish it up for an interview. That's just the truth.

I love the smell of spreadsheets in the morning

Wow, lazy much? There are hundreds of web sites devoted to this.

The best response would likely be...why you want to do IB.

.

Military, you probably have the best username I have seen on this website. It's just so full of win

I told them that banking would make me a millionaire in the low-digits with little risk. I also added that I understood that my fortune would be capped but was willing to lower my expectations given the lower risk. I made them understand that I was kind of joking but at the same was serious about the answer and they knew it. I was about to jump to the serious standard BS answer afterwards, but the interviewer changed to a new question. BTW, got an offer.

I watched Wolf of Wall Street and I want to do blow off hookers all day and have a lot of money.

Best opportunity I had and I love working. What else would you be doing?

//www.youtube.com/embed/uJ6_t0DUXZo

That video's funny but true. No one goes into the industry because of some complex, altruistic higher calling if that's what you're wondering.

The most honest senior people I've spoken to have bluntly said that they went into the business because it paid the most.

Work hard, play hard

//www.youtube.com/embed/QHTDDPtLuKg?rel=0

//www.youtube.com/embed/Pt49XyJX-lo

Money is the answer. But the acceptable one is that you love finance.

I JUST WANNA WORK ON BIG DEALS MAN

see my signature ----> to get fucking paid man

No, you shouldn't say that. Say that you like the work, and that it'll provide you a lot of valuable skills

Deleted

Theres many different ways to answer this question. But my best advice to you is to set up your answer in sections:

Example: There are two reasons why I want to get into investment banking: 1)_________ 2)_______. That way your interviewer won't lost sight or attention of you when you are speaking.

The best way to make a lasting impression is instead of saying you are more interested in corporate finance or want to learn about the world of finance...I would dig deep, look at your past experience, and try to find a short anecdote or two so that you sound genuine.

Are you supposed to combine tell me about yourself and Why IB all into one answer?

Because you despise sleep and excess free time...

The single most important question and also the most pointless hot air question at the same time. Oh the irony. You want the money, the exit opps, the prestige. You can't say any of that. The learning experience, the challenge, working with the best, real responsibility....those are all unmemorable cookie cutter answers that everyone says and therefore you can't stand out with. And any other answer you give is 99/100 times just plain bull shit. Good luck.

But in all truthfulness, here are some guidelines:

give 3 solid reasons--avoiding selfish reasons, show your passion, mention friends in IB, mention past experiences that are relevant to showing your journey to IB, briefly acknowledge downsides, and then finish on a positive note.

You like structuring and underwriting deals. You like learning a certain product/industry in depth. Enjoy quantitative work while also being able to better understand how individual companies receive financing and deploy capital. Get to work in teams and tackle a variety of challenges. Offers an unparalleled learning experience about how finance actually operates.You like being able to see a project from start to finish. You enjoy being able to bill your dinners to clients. Happy hour expenses to the corporate credit card. etc, etc

well, to be honest, if you can't think of this yourself and have to ask an online forum, i don't think you're cut out for this field...

I would stray from any of the cookie cutter bullshit answers and try to say something unique. When I interviewed for an IB role I straight up said that at my internship I worked on smaller deals and learned a lot but school is out and I want to work on bigger more sophisticated deals and obviously remarked on the pedigree of the people I would be working with that also made their firm attractive to me.

The head of my group puts it this way (not necessarily true, but it's his pitch to college students): investment banking allows you to have the greatest amount of responsibility as fast as possible in an entry-level position, in which you have a hand in transactions that move markets.

Not sure if that's the most interview-appropriate answer, as it is a little generic, but that's the thirty second pitch.