Merrill Lynch first round on campus

What should I expect in this interview? The career center said it shall be 2, 1 on 1 or 2 on 1 interviews lasting 20 minutes each. For someone with significant experience in finance and with a boutique bank, what questions should I expect? I am coming from a non-target school that has a relationship with ML.

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Best Response

Why do you specifically ask for someone with experience with a boutique bank? This is Merrill Lynch...

I have had experience with ML interviews, having had mock interviews on campus, on campus interviews for an SA, and on campus interviews for FT (as well as final round for SA and FT). It follows the fairly traditional mold in I-banking interviewing. You'll walk through your resume, talk about qualitative issues such as why I-banking, why ML, why the specific industry or product group, or a preferred one, etc.

Then you'll have the typical first round technical questions: accounting statements and how they flow, DCF, P/E ratios, free cash flow, enterprise value, etc. There are many threads on typical technical questions.

Then you'll have time to ask questions.

 
Why do you specifically ask for someone with experience with a boutique bank? This is Merrill Lynch...

He means that HE has had significant experience with a boutique.

 

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