M&A Analyst Interview - Mergers and Acquisitions
Anonymous employee in Seoul
Interviewed:
November
2009
Date Submitted:
Oct 19, 2013
Outcome
Accepted Offer
Interview Source
Applied Online
Length of Process
1-2 months
Application
Phone Interview
1 on 1 Interview
Group Interview
Skills Test
Background Check
Interview
Being a 2009 graduate, it was very hard for me to land a job in investment banking. Thus, competition was stiff even at a local firm like Daewoo Securities.
The first round interview consisted of a group interview, with 3 interviewers and 4 candidates. These were mostly behavioral questions such as why we are interested in IB, why still apply when the industry seems to be dying, etc.
The second round was 1:1 with a VP. This was a little more technical (i.e. What is investment banking? What happens to the 3 statements when depreciation goes up by 10).
The final round was with 3 interviewers, with the CEO himself. This was very general fit questions (i.e. Why M&A? Where do you see yourself in 30 years? What would you do if your coworker stole credit for your work?)
The first round interview consisted of a group interview, with 3 interviewers and 4 candidates. These were mostly behavioral questions such as why we are interested in IB, why still apply when the industry seems to be dying, etc.
The second round was 1:1 with a VP. This was a little more technical (i.e. What is investment banking? What happens to the 3 statements when depreciation goes up by 10).
The final round was with 3 interviewers, with the CEO himself. This was very general fit questions (i.e. Why M&A? Where do you see yourself in 30 years? What would you do if your coworker stole credit for your work?)
Interview Questions
What would you do if your coworker stole credit for your work?
This was very hard for me to answer, as it really depended on what the situation was, and I couldn't really tell what kind of answer the interviewer was looking for. I stumbled a little bit here, but finally decided to take the no-brainer route and say that I would first email the coworker about my feelings and then ask for a 1:1 session outside the office. I said I wouldn't let this conflict get in the way of my professionalism.
This was very hard for me to answer, as it really depended on what the situation was, and I couldn't really tell what kind of answer the interviewer was looking for. I stumbled a little bit here, but finally decided to take the no-brainer route and say that I would first email the coworker about my feelings and then ask for a 1:1 session outside the office. I said I wouldn't let this conflict get in the way of my professionalism.
Where do you see yourself in 30 years?
Another toughie, because I hadn't really laid out my long-term goals yet. I just answered very generally that the private equity industry in Korea is still very underdeveloped, especially due to the fact that most firms are growth-focused rather than buyout-focused. As Korea gets more deregulated, buyout funds will become more popular and I would like to advise those companies.
Another toughie, because I hadn't really laid out my long-term goals yet. I just answered very generally that the private equity industry in Korea is still very underdeveloped, especially due to the fact that most firms are growth-focused rather than buyout-focused. As Korea gets more deregulated, buyout funds will become more popular and I would like to advise those companies.
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