An interviewer may ask you this question to know how you have previously operated with management. This will also clue them into the type of team player you happen to be. Again, an example will be effective as you answer this question.

An interviewer will be interested to see the kind of communication you tend to exhibit in conflict situations. Open hostility or passive aggression is not conducive to a connective culture. Instead, listening, respect, and compromise are important skills to display.

“In a previous role, I disagreed with my manager about how to complete a project. I decided to listen and validate their thoughts and opinions. I then shared my own opinion along with additional information that would help my manager see the situation in another light.

We ultimately decided to pursue my idea, and it worked out well. My relationship with my manager was stronger afterward. I look forward to using these compromising abilities in the future too.”

Much of your work, especially early on, could be categorized as a project out of your comfort zone. An interviewer is looking for proof that you have completed work like this in the past without crumbling or becoming overwhelmed.

You can talk about an experience from whatever past endeavor you choose and then draw out the lessons you learned due to this experience. This will show that you accomplished something and have learned skills that you are ready to apply elsewhere.

“When I was volunteering for XYZ, I had to step in and organize a conference with less than a day’s notice. This meant drawing up a program, putting together presentations, tracking down speakers on such short notice, and hosting the conference the next day.

With so little notice, I took no time for breaks before the conference was set to begin. Not only were all the necessities difficult to organize, but I also knew it would play out in front of over a hundred people, adding to the pressure.

What seemed impossible at the outset eventually became a reality as I buckled down and worked through the tasks I had outlined. I learned that I can generate an incredible amount when I put forth a concerted effort. I bring that same confidence into my projects today.”

Like other behavioral questions, you want to detail an example while showing the interviewer that you have learned from the experience and are better.

“My first semester in college, I went into a final test unprepared and failed it. I had assumed that my intellect would help me pass easily, so I neglected to study thoroughly. I learned that I needed to stay humble and put in the work before walking into any situation.”

You can use this question as a tee-up to discuss what makes JPM unique and why you are drawn to those things. This will convince the interviewer that your passion will play well in the organization.

“I want to work at JPM because I feel at home in the principle-driven culture here. I have enjoyed the time I have spent with different people here and would love to belong to an organization with such strong growth prospects.”

Questions about discounted cash flow are likely to appear in your interviews. This valuation method is a fundamental tool when estimating investment outcomes. Your answer could be quite extensive but focus on hitting the key points and simplifying the rest.

“First of all, you will want to find the future cash flow and discount each year by the weighted average cost of capital. You will then want to calculate your terminal value and add them to get your enterprise value. Finally, after accounting for net debt, you arrive at equity value.

You would use a DCF when you are trying to find the value of an investment. It accounts for the time value of money and lets you know what the current value is of an investment based on future cash flow projections.”

This hypothetical situation will cue your ability to react calmly to a high-stakes environment. Let your interviewer see that you have the ability to take on responsibility at the drop of a hat.

“I would look up the CFO to get some personal background. Then I would run through their recent quarterly reports. Then I would search for recent articles about the company to ensure I was up to date on recent developments.”

This financial statement question will test your foundational financial knowledge, similar to other technical questions. Be sure to address each financial statement in your response.

“The income statement will not change, the balance sheet’s liabilities will increase by $1.2 million, and the statement of cash flow will show a $1.2 million increase in cash.”

This question will assess your mastery of basic financial concepts. Use it as an opportunity to show that you can speak with clarity about information that can be convoluted to those who have less experience.

“Net income is a great place to start to link them together. You will find net income at the bottom of the income statement. Looking at the balance sheet, you can see that net income flows into stockholders' equity through retained earnings.

To calculate retained earnings, you take the previous period’s retained earnings and add in net income from the current period while subtracting dividends from the current period.

With the statement of cash flows, net income is the first line and is used to calculate cash flow from operations after you take out non-cash expenses from the income statement. Net income is thus the thread between the three statements.”

This question will seek to uncover your baseline knowledge of bedrock concepts of finance. Because of this, it will be helpful to walk through the components of a DCF, explaining the meaning and purpose behind different parts of the process.

Tying your answer into related financial concepts can also show an interviewer that you have a comfortable and dynamic handling of financial concepts and can conclude several steps of reasoning.

“A discounted cash flow, or DCF, is a method to value an investment based upon how much money that investment will generate in the future. It can inform you as you make decisions about whether or not to acquire a company.

Using your best estimations, you can apply a WACC and future cash flows and work through a standard DCF equation.

You can subtract your initial investment total and arrive at a net present value with your final answer. A positive NPV will usually suggest a project or investment worth pursuing.”

You will often be asked questions similar to this throughout your interviews, which will help the interviewer understand what kind of person you will be in difficult interpersonal situations.

The STAR method of response will serve you well in behavioral-type interview questions. Explain the situation, the task, your actions, and the results.

“While I was a volunteer, I worked in an area with a person with whom I did not get along. We needed to collaborate if we hoped to accomplish what was expected of us, so I tried to get to know them better and find areas of agreement. As a result, we met all of our goals.”

This is a common interview question, but you may benefit from reconsidering your usual response. Ideally, you should keep your answer pretty brief, talking about specific lessons learned in experiences rather than just recounting your resume bullet points.

A sample answer may not be very helpful, considering this is a personal response. But remember these key things in responding:

• Stay focused on results
• Don’t cover everything, just the most relevant points
• Show how you have prepared for this role within past roles

This question should be straightforward for those with experience working on a real-life LBO. However, applicants have reported being asked this question without actually having real experience to point to. In that case, honesty is the best route.

“I haven’t had the opportunity to work on a real-life LBO at this point. However, I have spent a lot of time studying the process and putting together mock LBOs. I would be happy to talk more in depth about these experiences if you would like.”