IR initial interview

Just found out I will be doing a first round interview for a PE IR firm later this week. This is my first time interviewing for an IR seat so trying to best anticipate potential interview questions. This is for a generalist seat.

Understood that the interview method will vary from firm to firm, but am curious what some of the most important questions to be prepared for are. I imagine they’d ask why IR, why this specific firm, what are you looking to get out of your next job, and maybe walking through previous deals I’ve worked on in banking. Is this a decent starting point?

1 Comments
 

Aut officiis fugiat ut dignissimos sequi rerum ad soluta. Quas omnis deleniti atque enim. Illo non cum in molestias quas cum voluptatibus aut.

Et nostrum occaecati voluptatem aut numquam repellendus. Maiores odio blanditiis veritatis sed perspiciatis. Nobis earum quis ipsam alias.

Hic nobis doloremque deserunt dolores hic sit eum. Aliquam et voluptas ex reprehenderit nobis minus. Necessitatibus dolorem temporibus quo quis.

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

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 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

July 2026 Private Equity

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

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Private Equity

  • Bain Capital 99.6%
  • The Riverside Company 99.3%
  • Blackstone Group 98.9%
  • Starwood Capital Group 98.5%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 98.1%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Private Equity

  • Principal (9) $653
  • Director/MD (24) $547
  • Vice President (99) $363
  • 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 (355) $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

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...”