First round interview - What to expect?

Hi all, I would love a bit of help regarding my first "person to person" interview, in fact I have been stuck at the hirevue stage for quite a while.

The role is an internship in Equity & Credit Research at a BB. I will be interviewing with the director of ER. I'm interviewing on Monday and want to prepare as bast as I can. I would like to have some general tips but also have a few specific questions:

  • Is it normal to interview with the directors/heads of a specific department for first rounds?
  • What to focus on while preparing, fit or "technicals"?
  • Should I have one or two stock pitch ready just in case?
     

Personal / Role background:

  • Did BA in a non target, yielded my ass off for a MSc in a local target
  • No experience in Finance/ER whatsoever
  • Never interviewed with someone for an ER/IB role at a bank
  • The culture here is relaxed compared to US/London...
  • Not many applicants to the role according to LinkedIn (Sub 50 in a week)

Thanks for your help!

4 Comments
 
Most Helpful

1 - Before you get hired in every ER role you always speak with a director. This discussion can either be a "walk you through your resume" discussion or/and include technical questions. I would be prepared for both. Technicals can include 3 financial statement linkage, stock pitch, walk me through a DCF, etc.

2 - See above. There are some good guides out there for technical questions on interviews. They obviously won't ask you to walk through an LBO or accretion or dilution, but they will probably ask what I mentioned above. They also will prob ask about your coverage fit too. 

3 - Definitely have a stock pitch. And make sure it is not a FAANG unless you truly have incremental info that no one is paying attention to. 

 

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