Best prep material for lateralling

Currently an analyst a middle market bank and have been interviewing for lateral positions at both BB + EBs - have got my foot in the door multiple times but some how always seem to miss one or two technicals. Anyone have good prep materials for technicals aside from the classic intern banking guides like BIWS?

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Based on the most helpful WSO content, here are some excellent prep materials and strategies for lateral interviews, especially for technicals:

  1. WSO Investment Banking Interview Course: This course is designed by professionals with real-world experience and is tailored to help you ace technical questions. It’s a comprehensive resource that covers everything from valuation techniques to financial modeling.

  2. M&I Interview Guide: The Mergers & Inquisitions (M&I) guide is highly recommended for technical prep. It’s detailed and provides a strong foundation for tackling technical questions.

  3. Basic Modeling Course: If you feel behind on modeling, the basic modeling course mentioned in WSO threads is a great way to catch up. It’s particularly useful if your current role doesn’t involve much modeling.

  4. Rosenbaum & Pearl (Investment Banking: Valuation, Leveraged Buyouts, and Mergers & Acquisitions): This book is a classic for understanding M&A and LevFin-heavy concepts. It’s often recommended for deeper technical prep.

  5. WSO Prep Pack: This includes new models and materials specifically designed for technical prep, including LBOs and other advanced topics.

  6. MultipleExpansion Website: This site offers free resources on modeling and LBOs, which can be a great supplement to your prep.

  7. Networking for Insights: Reach out to peers or mentors who have recently gone through lateral interviews. They can provide insights into the specific technicals being asked at BBs and EBs.

  8. Know Your Deals Cold: As emphasized in WSO threads, your deal experience is critical. Be prepared to discuss company revenue, EBITDA, selling price, deal complexities, your role, and the buyer search process in detail.

By combining these resources and focusing on your weak spots, you can strengthen your technical skills and improve your chances of landing a lateral position.

Sources: Lateraling Guide for Investment Banking, Lateraling Guide for Investment Banking, An ex-Goldman Sachs insider’s 10 tips on how to sail through investment banking interviews, Q&A 2.0: 3rd Year BA/A/AC At MBB Going To UMM/MF This Summer, Guide for Investment Banking Full-Time Recruiting

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.
 
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Controversial

If you're consistently missing just 1/2 technicals, chances are it's those advanced technicals used to separate good from great candidates. 

BIWS is great for building a solid foundation, but for lateral interviews I would recommend Capital Interview Experts guides. Check out their sample questions, would expect that level of difficulty for top EB/BB interviews. I personally used it after my SA stint and lateraled to a top EB (EVR/PJT/MOE) and some questions during my interviews were straight from those guides.

Also, heads up since you are interviewing for lateral roles there's also a model test and deal experience grill that is weighed heavily so make sure you are prepared for those as well

 
Most Helpful

capital interview experts guide is expensive and ineffective - nothing that is different from the BIWS guides... good ad for them tho hope you raked in some money and im about to get a monkey shit from the fake accounts that upvoted you

 

Personally used Capital Interview Experts guides while recruiting and I found it extremely helpful.

I came from a semi-target and didn't have access to the same resources as kids from HYPW so I found the difficulty and depth of the CIE gudies was way beyond what BIWS or the free guides offer. For me, it was a $90 investment that helped me land a six-figure role, so it was a no-brainer.

Obviously no guide alone guarantees an offer, networking and so on still matters, but having everything consolidated and being able to practice the level of technicals firms actually test made it worth it in my view.

Just my two cents - everyone's experience is different

 

Capital Interview Experts is a scam by the way - had a chance to look at the "guides" through a friend. Most of the questions are taken from a guide available from Ivey called "Beyond the Guide" - should be able to find it online might be behind some paywalls on websites. 

 

How have you gotten your foot in the door for lateral analyst interviews at BB/EBs? Currently am an incoming analyst at a MM bank and am planning on lateraling as soon as possible, so your insights/advice would be really appreciated!

 

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