2 Comments
 

Swinging through the jungle of finance interviews, I've seen some tough nuts to crack. Here are a couple of brain-busters that have made the rounds:

  1. "What is your beta?" - This one's a classic. It's not just about knowing what beta is, but also being able to discuss its relevance to a company or your own investment portfolio, and how it relates to the risk and expected return.

  2. "If you were shrunk to the size of a pencil and put in a blender, how would you get out?" - Goldman Sachs was known for this doozy. It's less about the practicality of the situation and more about assessing your problem-solving skills and creativity.

Remember, it's not just about the answer, but how you peel the layers of the question and present your thought process. Keep your cool, and show them that even when the market goes bananas, you can still make a-peeling decisions.

Sources: What's the hardest interview question you were ever asked?, Hardest Behavioral Questions You've Been Asked, Hardest interview questions?, https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forum/investment-banking/what-are-some-good-questions-to-ask-the-interviewer-at-the-end-of-the?customgpt=1, Key Interview Takeaways - 2nd Year Analyst Perspective

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.
 

Unde dolorem magni maxime. Dolor dignissimos tempore praesentium ea veniam mollitia est veritatis. Nemo omnis omnis iste.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Private Equity

  • The Riverside Company 99.6%
  • Blackstone Group 99.3%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 98.9%
  • Warburg Pincus 98.5%
  • Vista Equity Partners 98.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Private Equity

  • Blackstone Group 99.6%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 99.2%
  • The Riverside Company 98.9%
  • Ardian 98.5%
  • Starwood Capital Group 98.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Private Equity

  • Bain Capital 99.6%
  • The Riverside Company 99.3%
  • Blackstone Group 98.9%
  • Starwood Capital Group 98.5%
  • Vista Equity Partners 98.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Private Equity

  • Principal (9) $653
  • Director/MD (24) $547
  • Vice President (98) $365
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (104) $281
  • 2nd Year Associate (235) $272
  • 1st Year Associate (411) $229
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (33) $157
  • 2nd Year Analyst (97) $134
  • 1st Year Analyst (272) $124
  • Intern/Summer Associate (38) $81
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (356) $61
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
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
6
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
7
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
10
bolo up's picture
bolo up
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...”