Preparation for summer analyst interview

Hello, I am a junior attempting to land a summer analyst internship at an investment bank. If I am able to pull off some interviews, they will likely happen towards the earlier part of next semester. I was wondering how should I prepare for the technical aspect of these finance interviews. I want to spend my winter break preparing and increasing my knowledge in finance. Some advice I have heard was to read the WSJ and to keep up with most financial news. I have also been recommended to read Liar's Poker by more than a few people. I would like to know if anyone has any suggestions on how to study the technical aspects, such as websites or books or anything of the sort. The analyst internships I am applying to are not only in IB, but in other divisions as well. Thank you for any useful info.

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Best Response

Liar's Poker is more about trading, personally I think it's overrated. But it's still a good story. I recommend Monkey Business to learn what investment banking is. Perhaps also "The Accidental Investment Banker" if you have time. But these are just good stories. I wouldn't say they are necessary for interview prep.

For technicals, first check out www.ibankingfaq.com for the most common questions - these you should know cold without hesitation and are the most common questions you will get. Also get the WSO technical guide (covers technicals for all divisions). Anything you don't understand, read more about on Investopedia / Wikipedia.

However, don't kill yourself over the technicals. Make sure to have your behavioral questions and your "story" down as well. The WSO behavioral guide is good for this.

Lastly, practice the most common questions out loud in front of a mirror and with friends until they sound natural and not like you have memorized them from a guide. Personalize your story and make each answer your own. Also post your resume on this site for a review before applying. Good luck.

 

Hey thanks for the information. Just wondering, you mentioned the WSO guide, are they good? Is it worth buying the fit and technical guides? Anyway, open to any other suggestions.

 

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