I have a second-round interview with a corporate development director later this week. The first-round interview was with an associate, and it involved basic merger model questions. The interview is for a fairly small firm, but I want to be prepared nonetheless. I have gone through all transactions on my resume to make sure that I know them cold and have poured over the M&I guide that I used for IB recruiting to make sure that my technicals are sharp. Any other suggestions? SBs for any helpful responses.
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You should be pretty good. I'd be able to explain why your interest in the industry, be up to date on current trends, etc. Have a solid story for why corp dev besides better hours. Pretty basic stuff for natives of this forum and experienced IB analysts but you would be surprised...
Curious, do you want to do PE?
I would consider PE, but am more so interested in corp dev given the long investment horizon (obviously similar to PE), but also the fact that in corp dev, one is building a long-term strategy for one particular company. The company that I am interviewing with is also in an industry that interests me very much and is in a location that would be ideal.
Hi Sil, I'm also very interested in corporate development and want to ask you some questions. Why do yo switch after only one year in banking? How did you find out about this company?
I have two years of experience, but am technically a first-analyst since I lateraled. The job was posted online. I have just started my search, so unfortunately, I don't have too much advice/recommendations to give.
Hey Sil, I see you said this is a small firm, so my comment may not relate.
Knowing your transactions on your resume is great, but if they can't sense that you truly got the strategic fit of those deals, then they will move on. You said it yourself, Corp Dev is about long-term strategic fit for the company, and they want employees who will think like that. If you show that your technical are sharp, they may not have confidence that you can think big and think like a CEO.
I'm an intern, so take what I'm saying with a grain of salt. I'd focus most of your time on becoming well read on this industry, so if this is healthcare, watch the JPM healthcare conference/etc. You're not going to know the industry better than your interviewer, but if you can show that you know and vaguely understand the industry, that shows more interest than the typical "I want to make a difference" "Your industry is exciting, growing, and dynamic" etc.
For a Corp Dev internship interview at one of the largest HC companies, I was peppered with questions about the affordable care act, the implications on the industry and where I saw the industry going in 5 years. That made up nearly half, and the other half was technicals. Since you have relevant prior experience, that'll probably be the third big discussion point.
@Sil I hope your interview went well. Quick question - did you by any chance receive a modeling test throughout the interview process? Appreciate your insights!
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