Robert W. Baird Interview

if you really want to turn the interviews into an ac then prepare like hell. you cannot predict whether they will only ask competency or strength based questions - if the interviewer is in a bad mood he can grill you on technicals - so better be prepared. and: better be overprepared than underprepared (better for your self confidence).

How did this go?

I spent three years at Baird - excellent culture and place to work, especially for banking. If you have the option, I'd choose them.

When I had a SA phone interview with them (two years ago) the technicals they asked were:

Am I familiar with the different ways of Valuing a Company? Name them. Could you give me a brief overview of a DCF? (note: this is different from asking "walk me through a DCF") How do you calculate Enterprise Value?

Those are the only 3 I remember and then it was more behavioral.

Asked me of their offices, which one would I most prefer to work at? and why? Why Baird? What about the MM is appealing to you?

... The guy who gave me a phone interview was kind of a dick though and I guess he ended up leaving the firm for Citi while the SA class was there. Everyone else I met during the Superday, etc was awesome though - it's a really great firm, congratulations man!

also make sure u have y banking down too.

Thank you. How deep do first interviews usually go into technical questions?

I had a first round with Baird for a full time and they asked 2 technical questions if I remember correctly. They asked an accounting question - how depreciation flowed through the 3 statements and to walk through an LBO.

yeah depreciation flowing thru statments is most likely one. Prepare as though they will ask every techinical. Definetly don't expect that it will be mostly fit.

PM me

Okay one thing I was hoping someone could clear up for me is how a decrease in depreciation affects the financial statements. I thoroughly understand how an increase of depreciation expense flows through the statements and all of the line items it changes, but I still haven't been able to get a definitive answer about any decrease.

Is that because there isn't one? Unless you're talking about a decrease in accumulated depreciation, say through a sale of a plant? If so, would it just boost NI/RE, increase cash from Investing activities and ultimately the ending cash balance? And finally would there be no net change in CA if you sold the item for book value?

Thanks in advance, this has been bugging me for a while.

Bump

Has anyone heard back from Baird IBD about first round interviews (non OCR)?

I got emailed last week for an interview in Equity Research but still haven't heard back from IBD.

Interviewed with them last year for SA position and also went to their Chicago superday. My first phone interview with them consisted of behaviorals, technicals, and brain teasers as well. Brain teasers included how to calculate the sum of 1 to 100 and calculating degrees between the hour and minute hand of a clock at 1:45 PM. Technicals were mostly focused on DCF, how to calculate WACC, and how to arrive at the inputs for WACC.

Black Jack, I had the prelim interview yesterday. It was quick and was all behavioral, consisted of walk me through your resume, why Barid, why investment banking, what do you expect to get out of the internship. Granted I am guessing each interviewer has authority to interview how they want, but he said decisions will be made next week and supper day the following week.

Good luck

Went quite well. No technicals.

bump.

I would like to know this as well

Anyone have insight?

Bump, any info on RW Baird first round phone interviews?

er or ib?

IB. Phone interview tomorrow for summer analyst program.

Any advice?

i had a walk you through your resume, why ib, and why baird (just those 3) phone interview last week.

they really stress why baird, so id have a good answer for that.

Thanks a lot! Check your PM if you can.

make sure you praise baird a lot, they're big on that.

yes why baird.

try to squeze in my mm why ib and sound enthusiastic about the firm.

How did you get the interview? What location/group is it for?

Also- I've talked to a few Baird people and they said it's important to not sound like an a**hole. They like to hire genuine, down to earth, midwestern type people.

Yeah it'd help to know if this is capital markets focused or industry group... I'd expect basic techs but maybe a little more advanced if you had a summer analyst stint last summer. I had a first round with Baird for a summer position last year and it consisted of a resume walkthrough, depreciation question, and discount rate question.

ok thanks, so basic first round screening stuff?

my experience with Baird phone interview was everything lucidfighter mentioned. Walk me through your resume, why baird, and some simple tech's (DCF, how do you determine IRR)