Apollo Interview Process

Is anyone familiar with the Apollo interview process / gone through the process? Any advice on what to expect from the technical rounds? Assuming ask detailed questions about my deals but not sure what else to prepare. Thanks!

 
Most Helpful

Know your deals inside out. Cap structure, financials, FCF drivers, returns. Be able to do a paper LBO on every deal you did. Have a view on if it was a good deal or not. Be able to change assumptions when prompted and spit out the revised returns. Be able to speak to returns attribution.

Apollo is obsessed with FCF above anything else. Make sure that is your primary perspective, not ebitda.

Apollo is also obsessed with figuring out across the cap structure investment perspectives. Understand where you want to come in in the cap structure and why. What would a debt investment create the asset at via loan to own. And what that means for your downside protection/asymmetric risk-return.

You should also know that founders of Apollo can’t go 3 sentences without saying their avg buy in multiple across the portfolio is [4-6]x ebitda, or something like that. Very value oriented. Downside protected. Run it for cash and burn it to the ground and still make money.

Lastly, they’re also obsessed with finding what they think is an angle. Be able to say something like if I were looking at this company while at Apollo, I’d probably try to leverage any angle we could get from our investment in Direct Chassis Link for X Y Z purpose (should be thoughtful not try hard). Or some other creative angle that demonstrates you’re scrappy and find ways to be differentiated.

Lastly, if you can do all of the above, also be sure to bring a pen and make sure your cell phone is fully charged. Because after you finish those questions, you’ll need to sign an offer letter and will want to call your mom.

 
Funniest

Ok I’m fucked for oncycle lol 💀

 

Very helpful comment, thank you so much. Would you happen to know of any books/primer that would be helpful to understand the value angle Apollo invests in?

 

This would be typical for on-cycle? Even when most participating this year will only have the experience of ~2-3 months of summer intern work?

 

Know your deals inside out. Cap structure, financials, FCF drivers, returns. Be able to do a paper LBO on every deal you did. Have a view on if it was a good deal or not. Be able to change assumptions when prompted and spit out the revised returns. Be able to speak to returns attribution.

Apollo is obsessed with FCF above anything else. Make sure that is your primary perspective, not ebitda.

Apollo is also obsessed with figuring out across the cap structure investment perspectives. Understand where you want to come in in the cap structure and why. What would a debt investment create the asset at via loan to own. And what that means for your downside protection/asymmetric risk-return.

You should also know that founders of Apollo can't go 3 sentences without saying their avg buy in multiple across the portfolio is [4-6]x ebitda, or something like that. Very value oriented. Downside protected. Run it for cash and burn it to the ground and still make money.

Lastly, they're also obsessed with finding what they think is an angle. Be able to say something like if I were looking at this company while at Apollo, I'd probably try to leverage any angle we could get from our investment in Direct Chassis Link for X Y Z purpose (should be thoughtful not try hard). Or some other creative angle that demonstrates you're scrappy and find ways to be differentiated.

Lastly, if you can do all of the above, also be sure to bring a pen and make sure your cell phone is fully charged. Because after you finish those questions, you'll need to sign an offer letter and will want to call your mom.

100% AGREE - my interviews nearly mirrored all of this.  

 

I have a 30 minute technical interview on Friday. I'm wondering what to expect 

 

Regarding the ESG fund, Apollo's definition of impact investing is broader than usual, to include: 

  • The impact of layoffs and cost cutting 
  • The impact of excessive leverage 
  • The impact of vigorous creditor-on-creditor violence
  • And finally, the impact of an in- or out of court restructuring 

On a serious note... The notion that Apollo of all funds has an ESG strategy is a meme. Makes you wonder what the catch is. 

 

Anyone have any updates on the Impact process? Are they still interviewing?

 

Is that the same as the sustainable investing platform (energy transition) or different?

 

Adipisci id laudantium quos. Cupiditate culpa mollitia totam quis itaque. Voluptas magni qui magnam consequatur ea est.

Occaecati sunt at beatae ratione aliquid dolorem. Delectus eaque reiciendis explicabo ullam aut ab voluptatem placeat.

Id voluptas et sapiente cum. Ut nobis ratione atque ratione numquam. Accusantium aut distinctio qui est repellat est placeat.

 

Ab autem atque molestias. Beatae voluptatum consequatur quam architecto quaerat aliquid. Nulla praesentium nisi labore omnis sunt laudantium non. Dolore cupiditate ipsam qui expedita. Est soluta placeat exercitationem odio voluptate totam inventore debitis. Quo qui necessitatibus et qui qui fugit et.

Hic quia unde amet mollitia beatae. At et optio sit iste. Rem accusamus ea distinctio aliquid deleniti nisi officiis quam. Qui veritatis eligendi quia aut et rerum labore.

Atque tempora autem aliquam nostrum. Sit nihil voluptate atque quidem rerum officiis.

Career Advancement Opportunities

April 2024 Private Equity

  • The Riverside Company 99.5%
  • Blackstone Group 99.0%
  • Warburg Pincus 98.4%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 97.9%
  • Bain Capital 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

April 2024 Private Equity

  • The Riverside Company 99.5%
  • Blackstone Group 98.9%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 98.4%
  • Ardian 97.9%
  • Bain Capital 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

April 2024 Private Equity

  • The Riverside Company 99.5%
  • Bain Capital 99.0%
  • Blackstone Group 98.4%
  • Warburg Pincus 97.9%
  • Starwood Capital Group 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

April 2024 Private Equity

  • Principal (9) $653
  • Director/MD (22) $569
  • Vice President (92) $362
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (90) $280
  • 2nd Year Associate (205) $268
  • 1st Year Associate (387) $229
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (29) $154
  • 2nd Year Analyst (83) $134
  • 1st Year Analyst (246) $122
  • Intern/Summer Associate (32) $82
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (314) $59
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
kanon's picture
kanon
98.9
9
bolo up's picture
bolo up
98.8
10
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”