Tech iBank interview help

So i have an interview with a VP from a boutique tech ibank in SF next week, i guess i passed the initial phone interview stage a few days back with an associate. This bank is more of an "eat what you kill" type, where the analysts/associates find the deals and work on them from start to finish.

During the phone interview, it seemed that the associate was trying to pitch me more than the other way around- I figure that at a firm like that, they expect their analysts/associates to have personalities, as they're gonna be shmoozing potential clients, and if someone is looking for a number-crunching-only job, this isn't the place to be. Here are some of my questions for someone that works or has worked in a similar-style firm (pee-ons drive the business, not the MDs):

1) How does compensation truly work? Is there a base salary that you get and then you get equity in the target + % off the deal? Does anyone know an average take-home for someone that does, lets say, 1 deal in a year? The dude said they did near 800mm in m&a in 2010 so far.

2) I understand its not going to be a typical ibank experience, where i'm gonna come out just being a boss in excel and getting to peek in on a few deals- this is gonna be very hands on. How does this look on one's resume for b-school or an MM/BB move (2 years down the road)? Will GS/CS/JP/LF look and laugh at it or think its a good background?

3) Anything that I should focus on when prepping for an interview like this? From what the associate told me, its like 90% deal-making and 10% excel work.

Thanks guys

 

Sounds odd....a lot of excel / grunt work is needed for deals. Are you sure you won't be on the phone sourcing all day and trying to find deals? I would definitely do your due dilligence if given an offer and it would be impossible for anybody on these boards to have an accurate comp number. Why don't you name the bank or some of its competitors? Check the backgrounds of the VP's and MD's and if they come from BB's or other reputable shops, it will prob be a good place to start a career.

 

I doubt you will be asked this but some common multiples for Internet companies are Unique Visitors / EBITDA or Rev or Page Views/EBITDA or Rev and other than that know what is going on in the space. There have been a ton of high profile Tech M&A deals/bidding wars as of late and its a really hot space right now. Read Venturebeat and techcrunch to lean about what is going on in the tech subsectors.

 

I'm not in tech banking but I talked with a tech banker for a while about how useful my computer science undergrad and IT work experience would be and he said it's pretty much irrelevant.

The main things about "tech" that is needed is to know the difference between the companies and how they make they're money. Are they SaS or are they a component maker, and etc.

Knowing how many transistors are on a processor would be useless to know.

make it hard to spot the general by working like a soldier
 

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