Why XYZ Bank?

Is it sufficient to just talk about how robust the banks different divisons are? For example, I just say something like "xyz puts client service as a top priority ...." then I talk about how, say, they have a strong retail banking sector where they have a branch every 15 miles of a city but also a strong M&A division and either I'll talk about a recent deal or in my case I talked about how they acquired an investment bank to get a hand in M&A which makes them a powerhouse in the middle-market. 

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Honestly, this seems like a pretty weak response. You want to work for a bank because they have a strong commitment to customer service and they have a strong retail banking presence? That just doesn't really seem believable. You want to think about this question in terms of your story of 'why banking', 'why this industry/group', and 'why our firm'. You want to show off the fact that you've researched the group/firm and can articulate why your goals align with what they do (both internally and externally).

  • Do you get access to senior bankers where you think you'll get to learn more?
  • Access to live deals, pitching, or mix of both?
  • How much hands on experience do you get? What about with models?
  • Does the firm have a lot of A2As? 
  • You spoke a bit about the firm's retail banking presence, how significant is the firm's balance sheet? Do you think that'll lead to more M&A business with more frequent touch points?

A lot of this is telling the banks what they want to hear, but the idea behind the question is that candidates have done their homework on the firm/group.

 

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