SA 2025 Assessment centres in London for MM banks - what to expect?
Have an assessment centre for a MM bank soon, it's my first one and I'm wondering what to expect/how to prepare for it. Any information or help would be great - things like what would make me stand out as a candidate? Any specific skills or ways to demonstrate them? How to navigate the dynamics of competing against the other candidates, while also working with them? etc.
Also anything specific I should prepare for? I don't know that much about the process.
Thanks!
Just as a quick follow up, I'm not good at technicals - what are the basics I need to know?
Hello, some tips:
- Technicals tend to be on easier side but DEPENDS ON BANK, so take w/ a pinch of salt – have accounting, valuation, DCF, LBO etc. basics down. Use the 400Q guide and you'll be fine
- Group case studies - just treat everyone normally, respectfully & as if they were a coworker. Take steps to reach out/encourage quieter members of the group to talk
- Behaviourals: have 110% down why IB, why that firm, and why the middle-market — implicit in these are 'why IB and not XYZ', 'why X firm not Y' (e.g. 'why us here at RJ and not WB', and 'why the middle-market and not BB'
Just have what is called humble confidence, show that you are willing to learn and eager to do so, and a good person to be around — do that and have your technicals down and you'll be fine
Thanks, that's a big help!
- About Why MM over BB, what would a reason for that be? I can't think of a proper response which doesn't sound BS
deal teams tend to be smaller so you get more responsibility from the get go, and chains of command are less rigid so you get more interaction with the client as a junior (also the client tends to be the CEO of a mid sized company, which can be a lot more rewarding to work with over dealing with a group of C-suite execs/board at a pubco)
A few reasons:
- Most deals happen in the mid-market, so more deal volume —> more execution experience
- Able to give conflict-free, "independent" advice (this applies to EBs more) since you're not lending to firms and have no balance sheet
- You might even be able to argue that you're effecting the most change when it comes to real outcomes for these companies, since you're advising them during a period of solid growth that can really make a difference (advising PepsiCo, by contrast, would probably have a smaller impact on the company's bottom line unless it was a huge deal)
Yeah that makes sense - I like that last point especially. Thanks for the help
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