Summer Associate

Interview Process:
I networked with KDS through my MBA program and was invited to apply to their 2023 summer associate program, application deadline was mid November and I was extended an invite to interview just before thanksgiving. Given the time of year invites go out, I was told all first round interviews take place after the holiday season. The first round interview will be over zoom and lasted about 30 minutes. It will be a behavioral/fit interview. Mine was with an associate, and questions were standard behavioral questions including:

1. Walk me through your resume. He probed about how my skills as a lawyer transferred to finance.
2. Why did i decide to go to my MBA program
3. Why IB
4. What valuations techniques have you studied so far
a. Are you comfortable with those techniques
5. Whats your comfort level with excel/powerpoint
6. Tell me about a time when you managed a conflict at your current company
7. Give me two strengths two weaknesses.
8. Why KDS/Aerospace& Def
9. Will you be happy living in the DMV

Something Unique about KDS:* KDS was acquired by CapitalOne a while back, while they are fairly separate from CO, all of the hiring back end (application portal, screening, and HR communication) goes through CO. CO will send you a document on how to prepare for interviews for Firstround interviews at CO, I would recommend largely ignoring it as the KDS hiring process and timelines differ drastically from the main CO practices.

*Given TrippleTree was acquired by CO I assume this is the same for them

People: Seems like a very chill office, had good conversations with all the people I talked to including the interviewer. Most of the team seems to come from or have attended schools in the Mid Atlantic with a heavy emphasis on Georegetown and UVA. All the VP's/Associates mentioned that due to the size of bank there is a lot of opportunity to move up the ladder by taking on increased responsibility.

Type of Work: I think people hear ADGS and think Lockheed. If thats you, temper your expectations it more aftermarket airplane parts than it is LHM M&A deals. At one point in the recruiting process I mentioned recent electric aero deal in the news and was told "yeah we dont deal with that kind of stuff, that's for the bigger banks"

Misc: One big downside of KDS is the location, its in Tyson's Corner, VA. For those unfamiliar with the DMV, Tyson's is a suburb of DC that is best known for the two malls there and the other sterile office buildings. If you're recruiting for an Associate/Analyst role you're there is not much if any of a social scene for people your age. You can get technically get there on the DC metro but that will be a journey and a half. Driving wise from the "young neighborhoods" of DC is at best 30 mins away but likely more with DC traffic which is awful.