Superday Insights & Regrets
Hi guys, have my first supersay scheduled early next week and was wondering what did your feel you did to stand out and got the offer or what did you feel you could have done better to secure the offer?
Thanks alot, really appreciate any response!
Bump
Same here. Wonder whether it is possible to succeed in my first ever interview and superday.
know the 400 questions guide, be confident, say i'm not sure when you don't know
Have had a couple superdays and I think my biggest regret so far/what I have fixed going into these next couple are that you have to make them know you would do literally whatever it takes for the offer. Plenty of kids are cool enough and can rip off technicals with ease but what I think (my opinion at least) is that you have to set yourself out as the hungriest in the room
Ditto on this - I'll add hungry and humble/genuine. It's easy to come off as hungry and a little arrogant.
Hi OP here, yes I do want to appear hungry and energetics and show how much I want the job.
At the same time, I do want to come off as arrogant or too aggressive so I am trying to find a perfect balance now haha. (Tbh its quite tough)
Going off this, keep that nervous chip on your shoulder for the whole interview. Dont get too comfortable with any one interviewer and let your guard down if they seem to take it easy or let you run with the conversation - they are still evaluating you no matter what, always be cognizant of that.
I think one thing that often goes under the radar is making sure you have some great questions to ask the person interviewing you.
Obviously, if you completely miss on your behavioral and technicals, this will not bail you out, but it can differentiate you and help show a deeper understanding. You can also use it as an opportunity to flatter the interviewer.
Hi, OP here.
I do want to ask thoughtful questions such as how the interviewer see macro trends and national tensions affect M&A but do not want to come off being too try-hard.
How do you think I should phrase it such that it does not come off as a try-hard?
Thanks a lot for your insights btw!
I'd probably ask the interviewers about questions that aren't really technically focused.
following
you gotta be cool w it, make sure you're relaxed but still sharp. Match the vibe of the interviewers, mirror them if that makes sense.
OP here, thank you for the advice.
Yes, I think matching the vibe is quite an effective strategy and I have had success using it as well. Thank you for the response!
easier said than done, but try not to be nervous. I would practice with a friend so you can nail the technicals. They aren't ever terribly hard, but a nervous mind can easily make a mistake. Just go in confidence in yourself but knowing you need to learn a lot for the job.
Yeap, just finished one mock yesterday and will schedule more. Thank a lot for the tips!
Dude unironically send an email after the superday, everyone forgets to do that and it costs them really big
Hi OP here, thanks for the response!
Would like to know how do I get their email if its just zoom interviews?
Obviously, if there are calendar invites it will be cc-ed but what if its just a zoom meeting.
Also, do you think asking for their email at the end of the interview is appropriate?
1) Remember the names of everyone you've spoken with - some bankers will ask who you have spoken to in order to get a sense of what industry/levels/etc. you've spoken to already (and some as a 'gotcha' question...). Make sure you can recite the names back to them or it will be a bad look
2) Remember it is a marathon, not a sprint. If one goes poorly, don't let it effect all of the other ones thereafter
3) As others have stated, have pre-loaded questions and be able to ask additional questions on top of their responses. Don't ask a question about deal teams, get an answer, and then switch to something completely unrelated. Ask a follow-up question to the original answer to show your understanding and make it more conversational
4) Have a good answer to 'why X bank' - this can be a very easy differentiator for you if you get this right. Really you need to have networked prior to this and gotten perspectives on what makes this bank unique from the bankers working there. If you say something generic that could apply to any bank that will call into question your interest level
Hi OP here, thank you so much for the insights.
What questions do you feel its pre-loaded questions? I want to ask macro and how they see the trends going forward, affecting the bank but others pointed out not to ask technical questions
Lastly, for "why X bank", how do you think I should structure it? Should I mention culture first from talking to my contacts?
Thanks a lot & SBed, really appreciate the response!
On the pre-loaded questions, I'm not a huge fan of getting asked macro questions because at the end of the day bankers aren't economists so you'll get fluff answers. In general people like to talk about themselves so if you have the names of your interviewers in advance, look up their background on Linkedin, etc. Ask them why they picked the bank your interviewing at, why the X industry/product group, etc. Also questions that demonstrate a specific knowledge about the bank, whether that is how they staff deal teams, what the analyst program is like, etc. are all good.
Culture is fine but a little generic (though do name drop subtly that you've spoken in the past with X, Y, and Z). I know for my bank (which is for the most part generalist) it shows a good knowledge when analysts can cite working across multiple/products groups, emphasis on our specialties (whatever it may be at your bank, RX/sponsor coverage/public-to-public deals, etc.
I was 3/3 on converting superdays to offers. I think humility, showing intelectual curiousity, that you're able to learn and willing to learn.
Also, and I think this is a huge thing - actually understanding what you're talking about and not BS'ing what you don't. Obviously you have to know the basics, but there's a huge difference between memorizing the guides, or "when yields rise, bond prices drop" and actually understanding the ramifications and why those things are true. Understanding the news, having an interesting insight - no matter the sector/product. It shows you're able of having insights.
If the interviewer can see that you know how to think - if they ask you a question, even if you're not 100% right, explain why you're unsure. Like random example "on the one hand, this sector has been hot and I would think that this company which I don't know a ton about would be a strong buy, but on the other hand I see a lot geo-political risk in this company and wouldn't be as attractive, so I could hear both sides".
Show nuance and depth, show understanding and logic, show capability and humility. And if you are that person, and don't have to fake it, it makes it that much easier and you'll walk away with the offer 9/10.
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