Analyst interview?

Hey everyone,

A director called me from a top boutique IB in NY. He said, "Is this a good time?" Unfortunately, it was not for me, so I scheduled a call with him for tomorrow in the afternoon. Does anyone know if this would be a formal first round phone interview, where he would be asking me technical questions? Basically, I cold emailed all the MDs/Ds at the bank and sent them my resume and CL two days ago. Today, I get a call from a Director. Really confused on what to do -- should I prepare like it's an interview or do you think it will be just a chat? Thanks in advance!

13 Comments
 

Take all the above into consideration, OP, but also keep in mind that a MD will not waste his time asking you how to price a bond or where an investment lies relative to the SML line. That is to say, he probably won't ask you technical questions. It may be wise to focus on every other aspect of interviewing; IE, your story, interview technique, what your goals are, etc.

in it 2 win it
 
FSCTake all the above into consideration, OP, but also keep in mind that a MD will not waste his time asking you how to price a bond or where an investment lies relative to the SML line. That is to say, he probably won't ask you technical questions. It may be wise to focus on every other aspect of interviewing; IE, your story, interview technique, what your goals are, etc.

Those questions would never be asked in a banking interview because they are irrelevant to the banking process.

 
rufiolove
FSCTake all the above into consideration, OP, but also keep in mind that a MD will not waste his time asking you how to price a bond or where an investment lies relative to the SML line. That is to say, he probably won't ask you technical questions. It may be wise to focus on every other aspect of interviewing; IE, your story, interview technique, what your goals are, etc.

Those questions would never be asked in a banking interview because they are irrelevant to the banking process.

Which ones? Is it not important to have interview technique and his story down packed? Serious question.

If you meant the bond pricing or SML stuff, I just wanted to relate it to something he might have studied in school.

in it 2 win it
 

Why wouldn't you prepare? You applied, they called. I'd think if you were willing to send every MD your resume, you'd be willing to brush up on at least some basic knowledge. If all else fails, have them call me!

 
Best Response

If he does ask you technical questions, they won't be terribly difficult. Focus on knowing your story, why that bank/group/position and the technicals from ibankingfaq.com and you will be good to go. It takes about 30 minutes to read through that site and I don't think I've ever been asked a technical question in a first round interview that wasnt listed there. Most frequently asked questions from phone interviews:

  • What are the main valuation methods? (or some similar variation of this questions) Half the time they follow up with a question about which method will yield the higher/lower value, or what the pros/cons are of DCF etc.
  • Walk me through how you get to FCF
  • How does $X mm in capex flow through the 3 financial statements in years 0 and 1, assuming Y years of straight line depreciation and 40% tax rate

Never had anything more complex than that in first round

 

I had a call like this with a VP a few weeks ago. I thought it would be an informational interview where I ask all the questions. I was mistaken, and it turned into a first round interview. Good thing I was prepared. I would suggest going over technicals and fit. I would focus on fit because senior bankers focus more on that. Good luck :)

 

Nulla placeat vitae earum qui. Necessitatibus delectus est placeat quisquam ab aliquid. Eaque nam minus itaque suscipit qui.

Sed illum nulla aut numquam ad. Hic sunt possimus deserunt. Nihil nam iure et sit voluptas alias. Accusamus alias aspernatur fuga vitae quo labore optio vitae. Est iste voluptas aut rerum et asperiores.

Necessitatibus cumque nihil dolores. Amet omnis sint sed ullam occaecati. Occaecati ut mollitia unde porro neque unde quia totam. Reiciendis sed voluptas nobis libero voluptatem. Facere debitis fugit facere quisquam et officia. Iste eum eveniet ut suscipit.

Fugit minima eos est cum vel eos molestias. Omnis et accusantium beatae ea quia tenetur ipsa. Dolorum nihil et molestiae adipisci et nobis. Similique quas praesentium iste delectus. Doloribus rerum nam enim nam nesciunt aut sunt.

Career Advancement Opportunities

May 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.2%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

May 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.2%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.6%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

May 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.2%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

May 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (43) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (75) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (65) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
10
numi's picture
numi
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”