Trending Content - Investment Banking Forum
Career Resources
WSO Free Modeling Series - Now Open Through
August 31, 2026
9 Free Financial Modeling Lessons
Get instant access to lessons taught by experienced private equity pros and bulge bracket investment bankers including financial statement modeling, DCF, M&A, LBO, Comps and Excel Modeling.
+Bonus: Get 27 financial modeling templates in swipe file
+Bonus: Get 27 financial modeling templates in swipe file
High Finance Applications
Guaranteed
Get at least one offer GUARANTEED
- 1:1 support
- 92% success rate
- 2,000+ mentor network
- Unlimited Live bootcamps
- AI for resume + LinkedIn
- Networking automation tools
- HireVue simulation tool
- Full course library
- Private Slack community
- 20hrs of mocks
- + much more...
Just ask them in the interview. If they say yes, then yes. And if they say no, no. They probably won't say no, though.
And I don't think it would be frowned upon.
Thank you for the response, I just wanted to make sure going into the interview.
Should probably be okay, just have one of those resume holders + note pads with you (and a pen).
I've seen some bankers did that. Some even drew diagrams on their own business cards.
I've never asked. When technical questions start, I always have a pen/paper in hand ready to write down whatever information they provide. It really is good form. I'm surprised people don't do this.
Don't get me wrong, if its just a simple accounting question, you probably will look incompetent / lack of confidence, but anything slightly complex, I write down.
If you need to use pen and paper (and sometimes you will), then use it. Even if the interviewer expects you to know how to do the question off the top of your head, it's better to write it down, take a little longer and get it right than to try to figure it out without writing everything down and getting it wrong.
In fact, there are many technical questions where an interviewer would expect you to write stuff down, for example, a question with multiple parts and specific numbers. This is why you always bring your padfolio that you bought at the campus bookstore for $50 bucks along with a pen/pencil and paper to interviews (besides the part where you will never, ever use it again after that, so you might as well get your use in.)
or you could just use a jackknife and etch your thought process into the table.
... or your leg so they'll think you're tough and can handle the pain that comes with IB hours
In corrupti delectus laudantium quia assumenda eius. Debitis quo quia dolorum earum eligendi. Temporibus porro sapiente et ipsam perferendis. Sed possimus illo quas exercitationem qui molestias.
Vel veritatis sequi minus et quia nemo et. Corporis id neque minus qui sunt animi. Itaque accusamus omnis expedita. Iste harum delectus quia voluptas iure quaerat quisquam. Sint porro laboriosam rerum ut.
Neque recusandae autem dolores est repellat occaecati officia. Incidunt eos saepe autem aperiam asperiores. Esse ea ut ut dolor autem non rerum. Neque officiis illum dolor et. Sit ut eum qui facilis porro magni sed. Porro velit molestiae corporis aliquam.
Doloribus quas mollitia aut aperiam. Doloribus debitis sed saepe temporibus dolore. Voluptas dolorem omnis sit autem. Aut expedita qui qui amet. Nisi natus sint nam. Ut repudiandae ut assumenda magnam neque quas consequuntur.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...