Best Response

Most important is probably know your resume. Seems obvious, but from my experience GS interviewers like to pick out very specific items from your resume (maybe more so than interviewers at other firms? don't remember), taking specific words/concepts out of resume context if necessary. Fumbling on the basics is a pretty sure way of not moving forward.

Otherwise, if it's for anything Strat related, expect standard fare stats/probability/brainteaser problems. Reviewing Heard on the Street or something similar can usually get you past the initial rounds. Basic algorithms are also fair game even if you don't have much of a programming background (e.g. sorting). First few rounds tend to be via phone, don't expect many behavioral questions (if any) outside of the usual get to know you stuff.

Face-to-face interviews tend to follow a similar format, but aside from standard fare problems, may delve deeper into your resume. For example, you may be asked to explain a project or thesis in great detail. Easy question to ask is something regarding a particular subject within your major. For example if you studied mechanical engineering, you may be asked about Fourier transforms. Or if asked what subject you liked as a math major and you mention complex analysis, you may be asked about the consequences of complex differentiability.

Basic market knowledge and portfolio theory concepts are useful, but depending on your background you may not be asked these. By basics I mean modern portfolio theory, mean variance optimization, and CAPM. GS dudes have done a lot of work in this area, so if you're familiar with that, feel free to discuss. However, attempting to show-off and failing is possibly worse than not knowing your resume.

Good luck, if this is for a more sales related role I guess much of above may be useless.

 

Thanks for the detailed reply. This is not exactly strats. Its more of the quantitative portfolio management role and not sales so this was definitely helpful. So I guess brainteasers, portfolio theory and resume questions might be fair game. Not too sure about the programming focus as that seems to be done more by the strats. Has anyone gone through the QIS-specific interview process?

 

Did not interview with this particular group, but did interview with quant groups at a couple of other firms. The general trend was lots and lots of math. Know your probability models and conditional probability well. Depending on your education, expect algorithms (efficient ways to do things and order complexities)/programming or finance qs.

Don't know if you've seen this link, but she explains pretty well what the group does.

 

Hey. thanks for your reply. I am a sophomore technically, although I am planning to graduate early. I am a math major but really haven't taken lots of math/ stats classes. Are there any website/ studying materials that you recommend to prep for? Thanks.

 

unqwertyfied, please stop spreading false information. That woman is not related to the Quantitative Investment Strategies group. She specifically says in the video she works in Private Wealth Management and does not manage money, whereas the description for the job says that they do manage billions of dollars in hedge funds and other products.

 

Hi unqwertyfied, I also have the same interview coming up pretty soon. Can you suggest some preparation stuff to me as well. Thanks a lot.

 

If you haven't taken a probability class, you can get an introduction here. If you just want to review conditional probability, skip to the later part of that chapter. Depending on your level of knowledge, expect questions on distributions and maybe a proof. If you're a finance guy, expect finance questions. If you're an engineer, expect algorithms (as was in my case). brainteasers (especially mathematical ones) are common. Other than that just google 'interview math questions' and try solving them in your free time.

Also, remember I didn't actually interview with this group...this is based on a bunch of other quant interviews I had.

 

I have an interview coming up with that group as well. I have no idea what to expect and am also from a non-finance area. Are you an undergrad or MFE/PhD student?

 

For those of you who have interviewed with the group, could you share about how did the interview go? Was that more technical or more behavioral? I appreciate your advice.

 

How did the interview go - I've an interview lined up for the CPM role in the group. Would love to hear more on the interviewing dynamics as well as the group.

 

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