Lateral Hires - What were your interviews like?

At a BB in a top group finishing up my 1st year as Analyst. Currently considering applying laterally to an EB/MM in a hopefully slower group. Targeting either 'senior' analyst at EBs and potentially Associate at some MM firms considering I have 4 total years of professional experience now in related fields (only 1 in IB specifically).

Any lateral higher with insight into the interview process? I.e. another superday? Do they grill technicals? Modeling tests? Or do you kinda just chop it up with the VPs/MDs about deals you've worked on?

TIA

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List of places I've interviewed with for senior analyst positions two years ago regurgitating my processes below if at all helpful. From my experience, lateral processes are more group dependent but surprisingly processes were tightly ran and most were ~3 weeks tops from start to offer

Evercore M&A specific coverage

i) 1st round phone screen - VP/director behavioral (why EVR, why leave, why xyz group)

ii) 2nd round - 45 min 'case study', two on one interview of technical questions

iii) 3rd round interviews - Two 30-min phone calls talking primarily on deals

iv) Final round - 2-3 hour  modeling test followed up with 30-45 min debrief session followed up with offer within 3 days

JPM Coverage (TMT/FIG)

i) 1st round phone screen - Associate mix of behavioral / technical

ii) Superday - 3 directors 1 VP 1 MD - Everything, but generally deals/behavioral received offer next day

PWP M&A

i) 1st round interview - VP mix of behavioral / technical

ii) 1 hour acc/dil modeling test

iii) 2nd round interview - MD mix of behavioral/deals

iii) 3rd round interview - Partner mix of behavioral/deals; signed elsewhere before hearing back 

Lazard M&A specific coverage

i) 1st round interview- associate behavioral/technical

ii) 2nd round interview - VP technical/deal specific; did not make it to next stage

Goldman Sachs TMT

i) 1st round interview - VP behavioral/deal related; did not make it to next stage

RBC M&A

i) 1st round interview - associate behavioral/technical

ii) Superday - 4-5 VP/Director/MD mix  

iii) Post superday model test - 2 hour test, received offer in a week

MS Menlo Park

i) 1st round interview - VP behavioral/technical; signed before moving to next stage

William Blair SF

i) 1st round interview - VP behavioral/technical; signed before moving to next stage

 

Hey. I wanted to pm you to ask about one of these processes since I am currently doing a lateral process for one of the firms you mentioned, but I can't pm you. It would be great if you could pm me, so I can ask for a few quick pointers as I approach the final rounds of my process. Thank you.

 

How did you study and prepare for interviews especially for the technical / modeling portions when working full time ?

 

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