Investment Banking Summer Intern

The first round of the interview was a very short phone call with the head of the internship program, Bob Castrignano. I had a phone call in November, and was told I would be given my decision within 10 weeks (it has now been just over 10 weeks). He was very hard to get a read on (in terms of how the interview went). He cut the interview short and said he had a meeting to go to. Though it seemed negative at the time, after talking to a close employee it seems the interview actually went pretty well. All he really cares about is that you sound intelligent and are very business-like during the process.

A good way to make a positive impression is to be prepared with specific, well-thought out questions about the firm. They like to see you have actually done research about the firm, even though there might not be too much information out there. There are a few articles out there about Sandler O'neill's role in the September 11 attacks. Read those. The firm lost about half its employees in the attacks and has been rebuilding ever since. This is now a huge part of their culture and history. For example, I mentioned how the firm is very successful in its niche, and then asked about his ideas on future growth prospects (i.e. does being in the niche limit its growth prospects). Moreover, a good question might be asking about the financial crisis -- overall, Sandler O'neill was not hurt by it (since it was not involved in mortgage-related lending or bonds).

After talking to one of the principals, the work culture seems pretty good. The firm is small and not very well known but has carved out a very successful niche within the small - mid cap financials industry.