FTI Restructuring Interview

FTI Consulting is a great company, especially if you are just starting your career. FTI is split into "segments"...corporate finance/Restructuring, Forensic & Litigation Consulting (Dispute Advisory), Technology, Economics, and Strategic Communications (which is basically PR and crisis communication).

The 2 largest groups withing FTI are the Corp Fin/Restructuring group and FLC (forensic and litigation consulting). The Restructuring group is a great place to work, and it is filled with a lot of really smart people with strong reputations in the industry. The restructuring world is not that big, so a lot of bringing in business and new projects has to do with how well connected you are and how strong the Partner's industry reputation is. FTI has a great culture, and is a fantastic place to work as a junior employee. There is a ton of post-college workers and young professionals who work hard and also like to have a good time. There is a ton of resources available through the company, and you get all the benefits of working for a large, public, corporation. As FTI is a public company with almost 4,000 employees, it is very structured and organized, especially in terms of position hierarchy.

All of the offices have unlimited snacks and drinks, which is a huge plus. The Corp Fin segment is probably the most important segment to the company. People work hard, so you will not have a problem finding work and being busy. The staffing process is efficient, so at the junior level you have no choice of what type of deal you will be working on...it is just wherever the need is at the time. You may travel, you may not. You might do all debtor work, or you could do all creditors work, or you could do a mix. Hopefully you are aware of the difference between IB restructuring and consulting restructuring, which are largely different.

"The corporate finance/Restructuring segment at FTI Consulting focuses on strategic, operational, financial and capital needs of businesses. They address the full spectrum of financial and transactional challenges faced by companies, boards, private equity sponsors, creditor constituencies and other stakeholders. Our success depends upon achieving optimal results for our clients."

Assuming this is an entry-level role, or at least a junior level hire, be prepared for normal interview questions. You should know your technicals, and be sure to know alot about FTI, their history, what projects they have worked on recently, and how the business runs. You should be fresh on valuation methodologies, basic account questions, financial statement analysis, and a fair amount of behavioral questions as well. I would expect anything that outlandish for this interview, just prepared to talk about yourself and why you would be a good fit for FTI. It is consulting, and these are "people persons," so they want to be able to put you in a board room and have you present to C-Suite Executives. Be confident, clear, and honest. Make sure to ask questions, as people love to talk about themselves and explain their own career paths.

To summarize, FTI is a great company. If you want to do consulting, esepcially corporate finance and Restructuring work, then FTI is the place. There is great exit opps, and people tend to move on to a wide variety of jobs, or go back to business school if that is appealing. Hope this helps...feel free to PM me with more questions, I'm more than happy to help and offer an honest opinion.

PC.