FocalPoint Partners LLC Interview Questions

13 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 (98%)

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.

3.2
  • Very Easy
  • Easy
  • Average
  • Difficult
  • Very Difficult
% Interns - FT Offers (80%)

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.

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

Interviews at FocalPoint Partners LLC

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Filter by:
Year
Job Title
Group/Division
Location
Experience
Difficulty
2nd Year Associate
Year 2023
Job Title 2nd Year Associate
Group/Division Generalist
Location Los Angeles
Experience
Very Positive
Difficulty
Average
Intern
Year 2022
Job Title Intern
Group/Division Mergers and Acquisitions
Location Chicago
Experience
Positive
Difficulty
Average
2nd Year Associate
Year 2022
Job Title 2nd Year Associate
Group/Division Generalist
Location Los Angeles
Experience
Very Positive
Difficulty
Average
Intern
Year 2022
Job Title Intern
Group/Division Generalist
Location Chicago
Experience
Very Negative
Difficulty
Average
Student / Prospective Monkey
Year 2021
Job Title Student / Prospective Monkey
Group/Division Generalist
Location Los Angeles
Experience
Very Positive
Difficulty
Average
Student / Prospective Monkey
Year 2021
Job Title Student / Prospective Monkey
Group/Division N/A
Location Los Angeles
Experience
Very Positive
Difficulty
Average
Intern
Year 2017
Job Title Intern
Group/Division Generalist
Location Chicago
Experience
Very Negative
Difficulty
Very Difficult
Student / Prospective Monkey
Year 2020
Job Title Student / Prospective Monkey
Group/Division Generalist
Location Los Angeles
Experience
Positive
Difficulty
Difficult
Student / Prospective Monkey
Year 2018
Job Title Student / Prospective Monkey
Group/Division Investment Banking
Location Los Angeles
Experience
Positive
Difficulty
Average
1st Year Analyst
Year 2016
Job Title 1st Year Analyst
Group/Division Mergers and Acquisitions
Location Los Angeles
Experience
Very Positive
Difficulty
Average

Interview Questions & Answers - FocalPoint Partners LLC Examples

Associate Interview - Generalist

Anonymous interview candidate in Los Angeles
Interviewed: April 2023
Date Submitted: Apr 24, 2023
Outcome
Declined Offer
Interview Source
Employee Referral
Length of Process
1-2 months
Application
Phone Interview
Group Interview
Background Check
Other
Interview
The hiring process was fairly simple and everyone was nice who I spoke with. I had 3 different phone interviews with minimal technical questions and a little more focus on fit. Then I had a 2.5 hr modeling test and finally, an in person meeting/super day with the team.
Interview Questions
The technical questions were right from the 400IB guide
Hardest part was building a somewhat complex LBO model in 1.5hr. Didn't finish completely but was able to explain it and finished it up after time to show I knew what I was doing.
Sample Answer

Investment Banking Summer Analyst Interview - Mergers and Acquisitions

Anonymous employee in Chicago
Interviewed: October 2022
Date Submitted: Dec 07, 2022
Outcome
Accepted Offer
Interview Source
Applied Online
Length of Process
1-2 months
Application
Phone Interview
1 on 1 Interview
Personality Test
Drug Test
Background Check
Interview
5 rounds of interviews. All were a mix of behavioral and technical questions. All interviews were one on one as well including the super day. Basic behavioral questions with a few curveball technical questions. People seemed friendly and willing to help.
Interview Questions
If 2 companies have the same revenue, same gross profit but different EBITDA/EBITs how would their valuation differ?
Sample Answer

Associate Interview - Generalist

Anonymous interview candidate in Los Angeles
Interviewed: June 2022
Date Submitted: Jun 27, 2022
Outcome
No Offer
Interview Source
Staffing Agency
Length of Process
1-2 months
Application
Phone Interview
1 on 1 Interview
Skills Test
Interview
Standard behavioral and technical interviews with Associates and VPs. Technical questions were directly from the 400 Questions. there was also an LBO modeling test
Interview Questions
LBO modeling test was tough, mostly becuase of the short time frame provided to complete - 2 hours.
Sample Answer

Summer Analyst Interview - Generalist

Anonymous interview candidate in Chicago
Interviewed: February 2022
Date Submitted: Mar 10, 2022
Outcome
No Offer
Interview Source
Applied Online
Length of Process
2-3 months
Application
Phone Interview
Interview
Applied then got the email that I was selected to interview around mid December. Emailed back and got ghosted then reached out to other Analsyt and set up chats who pushed the recuierter to reply back. Started the interview process a month later as they told me they only had spots in the Chicago office left. Started with a phone call with an Analysts which was technicals and behavioral then next week moved on to a phone call with an Associate. Then after a couple weeks got set up for a phone call with an VP who gave me a brain teaser + technicals with questions about my past experiences. She told me I would have to speak to 1 more banker then take a modeling test. Next week had another phone call with an VP from the LA office who grilled with lots of technicals. After two weeks never heard anything back about the model test and got rejected.
Interview Questions
Technicals about M&A and enterprise value
Sample Answer

Investment Banking Summer Analyst Interview - Generalist

Anonymous interview candidate in Los Angeles
Interviewed: September 2021
Date Submitted: Sep 21, 2021
Outcome
Declined Offer
Interview Source
Other
Length of Process
Less than 1 month
Application
Phone Interview
1 on 1 Interview
Interview
I networked with an associate via LinkedIn (just reached out interested to learn about the company). He connected me the Hiring Manager (he happened to go to a consortium school). After that, he told me there would be a series of conversations to assess my fit. I spoke with 2 analyst, 1 associate, and 1 director. Analysts were the most technical (Qs: 4 valuations, walk me through the statements, bond market knowledge, what stocks are you hot on, valuation for startups) but if you prepare they shouldn't be too bad. After I spoke to the director, he called me later that week and offered. Whole process took 3 weeks from first contact to offer. Interview process took 2 weeks.
Interview Questions
Nothing extreme. How would you value a startup or early stage grow business?
Sample Answer

Summer Analyst Interview

Anonymous employee in Los Angeles
Interviewed: September 2021
Date Submitted: Sep 11, 2021
Outcome
Accepted Offer
Interview Source
Other
Length of Process
1-2 months
Application
Phone Interview
1 on 1 Interview
Interview
Networked with an analyst and got my resume in front of recruiting team. VP reached out and I had a 30 min phone call with him, which led to 4 more phone interviews with analysts and associates. Mostly behavorial.
Interview Questions
Nothing was difficult or unexpected at all. Normal behavioral and technical questions.
Sample Answer

Investment Banking Summer Analyst Interview - Generalist

Anonymous interview candidate in Chicago
Interviewed: December 2017
Date Submitted: Mar 08, 2021
Outcome
No Offer
Interview Source
Applied Online
Length of Process
Less than 1 month
Application
Phone Interview
1 on 1 Interview
Group Interview
Skills Test
Interview
Interviewed during end of first semester of Sophomore year (2017): consisting of a first round, case study, and a Superday that was via Skype since they wouldn't fly candidates to Chicago to meet in person. Overall feel was the juniors are a bunch of try hards.
Interview Questions
Superday was via Skype. One of the analyst who interviewed me was a straight hardo asking to recite specific Excel formulas and walk him through in detail an LBO model... Super unnecessary. Some of these stuff wasn't even on the Breaking into Wall Street 400 and I just wrapped up my first Finance class... I'll just leave it at that.
Sample Answer

Intern Interview - Generalist

Anonymous interview candidate in Los Angeles
Interviewed: March 2020
Date Submitted: Mar 26, 2020
Outcome
No Offer
Interview Source
Employee Referral
Length of Process
3-4 months
Application
Phone Interview
Interview
I reached out to a guy through the alumni network that works at the firm. I had a screening with an analyst and another one with associate.
Interview Questions
The process was fairly simple. You will not need to worry about it if you have done your homework and read the guides. They may ask you about the sell-side process and the breakdown of the steps but I was lucky enough to get a happy analyst that helped me out along the way. If you get stuck, keep trying because that is what they want to see in the candidates. Otherwise, general accounting questions and some enterprise value questions to keep you on your toes. Have a deal you want to talk about.
Sample Answer

Intern Interview - Investment Banking

Anonymous interview candidate in Los Angeles
Interviewed: April 2018
Date Submitted: Aug 16, 2018
Outcome
No Offer
Interview Source
Employee Referral
Length of Process
Less than 1 month
Application
Phone Interview
Interview
Wasn't very complicated. I reached out via email, then was put in touch with an associate. From there he scheduled a phone call interview for the next week.
Interview Questions
I got asked pretty much the the basics. Started out with what are the three financial statements. How are they linked together, and if I could only choose one to look at, which would it be. Then he asked what is the importance for each statement. What are some valuation models, which is most common in Investment banking, and then to quickly walk him through a DCF. He finished by asking me about the income statement, mainly about EBIT and where to find it. Overall it was pretty basic questions, and at the end he went over which one I sort of stumbled over.
Sample Answer

analyst Interview - Mergers and Acquisitions

Anonymous interview candidate in Los Angeles
Interviewed: June 2016
Date Submitted: Aug 11, 2018
Outcome
Declined Offer
Interview Source
Employee Referral
Length of Process
Less than 1 month
Application
1 on 1 Interview
Interview
Reach out to a bunch of different alums/analysts/other bankers on Linkedin. Had a few informal calls. Referred to hiring team and had phone screens from there
Interview Questions
what's better $200m of cash or $200m of ebitda? how many stop lights are in new york city? what would you do if you found a mistake on a pitchbook a few minutes before you had to give to your managing director/partner to present? From there it was mostly the advanced section of the breaking into wall street technical guide. there were questions like why we use unlevered free cash flow for perpetuity growth method and ebitda for terminal multiple? which one is better/ more accurate and why
Sample Answer