Has anyone been through it yet? Any idea on what questions to expect?
Do they still tend to ask behavioral/fit questions, or is it mostly technical at this point (assuming I've had a previous summer in banking, and have some valuation/modeling stuff on there)?
Should I be expecting any "Tell me about a time when you..." type of questions?
What will the format be like (1 on 1? 2 on 1? How many interviews?)
Any input would be greatly appreciated!
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IBD at GS was pretty intimidating, but i suppose it depends on who you have interviewing you...very technical, a few brain-teaser type questions, and then some other behavioral things that really put you on the spot...so it's a mix, but pretty intense, make sure you're prepared and be confident in your answers
Could you give some examples of what the brainteaser and behavioral questions were?
Thanks!
How did that interview go? What was the GS IBD superday like?
could you give some examples of tecnical questions?
Everybody wants to be at GS, but GS is not for you Streetluck..
Heh, how pissed would you be if the kid actually made it to GS? Would you implode or something?
I trust GS recruitment, it won't happen :)
You sure?
My experience:
Six or seven (don't remember) back-to-back interviews. Everybody was very chill. Third year associates and up (definitely several MDs).
A lot of technical questions of specific nature. As in, here's the yearly report of some god-forgotten small company from Germany with heavy debt. Look at the three statements, look at the debt v. equity, look at EBITDA, tell me whether it'd be a good buy. Think about pension liabilities. What do you think industry's average ROE is, and how is this company doing? Walk me through an LBO of this firm.
Tell me about your previous experiences, how did you do this and that, walk me through a sample project from your work.
Behavioral questions tend to rotate around the topic "Why this group? Why this firm? Why this industry?" with an emphasis on establishing why you want to do this.
A few brainteasers: nothing special. Vault guide would give you a good sample of them, I don't remember the specifics. I got right two of the two asked by one MD and one of the two asked by a VP.
Where do you see yourself in 2 years? 5 years? 10 years?
Your SATs are great, your high school GPA is through the roof, but your college GPA is kind of low. Talk to me about the difference -- like 3 people asked this.
Overall, I saw that people were most interested in:
damn intense indeed. did u get the offer?
I'd rather keep my privacy, but I did get a GS/MS/BS level FT.
it almost sounds like its impossible to be ready for every question they throw at u
Obviously you can't prepare for the specific questions they ask. But you can and should prepare for the building blocks that will allow you to gain understanding how to answer other questions.
Afftar covered most of the common questions very well.
One question I seemed to get at GS was: "Tell me about a couple of stocks that you follow". After I listed the companies, and gave them my 2 minute pitch on whether the company is a good buy or not, they would ask me: "Pick one of those companies and tell me about a possible acquisition target for that company. Why do you think the target would be a good buy (in terms of strategy), and how would you go about determining how much you would pay for the acquisition?"
People at GS also like starting off with very general questions like "How is the economy doing?", and leave it up to you to structure a competent answer. Compared to other banks, I also found GS to probe quite deeply if you say you were proficient in a certain topic.
Beyond that, GS places a lot of value on fit, so make sure you find a way to connect with your interviewers. I talked about college football with one of my interviewers more than half of the time, and he ended up being one of my big supporters.
^I expect they ask that if you have previous internship experience or in business school.
Is this topic talking about f/t or internship interviews or both at GS?
I presume those experiences shared were for an analyst level position. Was it an interview for a 1st, 2nd or 3rd year analyst?
My interview was an entry-level first-year FT analyst.
The questions I received were pretty similar to the ones Afftar listed.
I was interviewing for a summer analyst position, and yes, I had prior internship experience.
They didn't do it to me, but I def got it at some other places.
whats it like?
It sucks balls, that's what it's like. I had a CS interview like that once. One guy behaved really chill, while another one was an obnoxious asshole. I found it very hard to navigate through the interview and show myself in the best light, because the signals are just so disorienting. Even if you know it's a game, it still affects your performance -- at least for me.
stupid..
Goldman SA superday (Originally Posted: 01/16/2014)
I've got a buddy who's going through the process today and I was surprised to hear about the logistics for his superday (I know IBD is having one today and I think he mentioned securities as well.) First half of the interview is about two hours and starts mid-morning. After interviewing you're led to a lobby/cafeteria with all of the other candidates. All candidates then wait to receive a phone call informing them that they either move on to the second half of the interview in the afternoon or they are told that their process has ended. He's said that the calls are mixed in order (candidates will see someone get the call saying they moved on followed by the person sitting next to them finding out that their day is finished.)
I guess I'm mostly surprised because I haven't heard of a BB firm doing this (every one I participated in held interviews one after another until your day was finished and all interviewees essentially left at the same time.) It just doesn't sound like the most professional way to run your superday as clearly the kids receiving the let down call are embarrassed by their peers. I'm not suggesting people should feel bad for the kids/give them sympathy, only thought this was worth mentioning as I found it out of the ordinary.
I don't think that it's a big deal. Take the shit and move on.
wait so was he IBD or S&T?
IB, but said that securities was also having a superday.
Many firms do it.... some consulting boutiques I know of, particularly. Must be a bit shit to be at GS if they are slashing costs like that lol
I have one within a couple weeks.. Hope that doesn't happen to me!
Although it was a weird situation they had set up (I was rejected) all the other candidates were really nice and supportive. In a sense it was good to meet who you were competing with to get an idea of where everyone was at.
I will say this about the process in general, its rather arbitrary how people are selected and may be luck of the draw. There were a lot of qualified individuals that I met who should have moved on. If anyone wants more details, pm me.
Any tough interview questions you can share to help others who have interviews coming up?
My superday (this was a couple years ago) was the worst...
After interviews were finished for the day, all of us were led into a big conference room. It seemed like we were waiting in that room for hours, but in reality it couldn't have been longer than 20 minutes, maybe 30 minutes.
Eventually, a representative came into the room and explained to us that she was going to call a list of names. If you heard your name called, you were instructed to take your belongings and leave the conference room. My heart sank into my stomach when I heard my name called. I felt embarassed and put on the spot - as if all eyes were staring at me. I quickly grabbed my things and left the room with a few other people who also had their names called out, and let me tell you, there was some very grave looking faces leaving that conference room...
As I was walking down the hallway, my mind immediately began to drift towards the other interviews I had lined up. But what's this? We are not being led to the elevator hall? Where is this lady taking us? We were led into another room where we found a table with all kinds of bank paraphernalia (folders, pens, gym bags, information brochures, etc.). One set for each person whose name was called out.
As it turned out, those of us who had their names called out were the ones that were receiving offers, while the rest of the people who remained in the conference room were rejected (and then quietly escorted out of the building). In hindsight, I guess it didn't make sense that we were the ones who were rejected. One among us who also received an offer made a good point. "If they were rejecting us, why would they bother to verbally call our names out? You wouldn't do that to someone you were rejecting."
Though I was happy to receive the offer, I couldn't help but feel that it was a bit of a dick move on their part.
This is nothing special had a number of superdays and many were all like this. At GS they didn't force us to stay in a specific place, they just told us we could either go to the cafeteria or head to a nearby restaurant or cafe (there was a Cosi right downstairs). They would give us a call around 1ish to tell us if we were moving on or not. I don't think its that awful.
The toughest was actually for IBD at GS as candidates only had 1 first round interview in the morning. So basically you were judged solely on your performance in that single 30 min 2 on 1 interview.
I second this.
It happens, I believe London CS does this half day assessment, and some progress to the second half thing
Clearly I blew this out of the water by mentioning it, as it's more common than what I thought.
DB had this type of set-up this year as well, but they didn't make the candidates stay in the cafeteria.
I've talked to him more today, he said they weren't forced to stay in the cafeteria but that most did.
might as well get use to the embarssment I presume
This happened to me in a GS market risk superday. And I was the only person singled out to be rejected. I definitely deserved it though, I walked in unprepared and unshaven.
No love lost though, I got the GS IBD full time offer through FT recruiting.
damn, first MS. and that too for just telling the truth.
All but one of my superday's (at GS and other firms as well) have had this format. It is fairly conventional. Though I prefer the call to the clipboard list.
DB did this as well. Except they just told us to take a hike for an hour or two so as not to embarrass anybody in front of their peers. I had no problem with it.
I do find this to be an interesting concept... something instituted this year it seems among most firms. Having gone through the recruiting process for summer analyst programs last year, I know that last year was the first time GS implemented this kind of interview. A sort of "all-in-one" superday.
I go to a target of GS (NESCAC), and this kind of process puts an extreme emphasis on networking. At least in our process, they do not conduct first round phone screens to determine who gets flown down, thus making it important that you reach out to our school's representatives within GS. As they are limited in terms of resources in who they can fly down, it seems to severely cut down on the number of candidates the firm looks at. While GS no doubt flies down highly qualified candidates, I think the dimension of exclusivity might not be the best direction.
Addition: Candidates will get passed over who may or may not be better suited for the job. Obviously a tough call on the part of the people selecting.
Having said all of that, I will say that the process is far more efficient, and for those who secure an offer, the process is over rather quickly.
Had a superday for GS IMD SA last year and they did exactly that. In my case, the first two interviews were in Jersey City (for a NYC position) then the afternoon rounds are held in the NYC office and you get to take a private Goldman ferry that runs back and forth between the two offices which is pretty cool.
The rationale behind it is they don't wanna waste time with multiple rounds and do everything in one day. Also, that was the case with multiple divisions. From what I remember, they had people interviewing for GIR, IBD, IMD and Securities.
What is GIR and IMD?
IMD=Investment Management Division GIR=Global Investment Research
Goldman Sachs superday for new analysts? (Originally Posted: 10/20/2009)
Hey guys what's up, new to the forum. I have a 2nd round interview with Goldman next week for a new analyst postion, in the market risk department. Just looking for some advice on how to prepare for superday and what to expect from those who have been through it already. Any help is appreciated, thanks!
I went through the process last year (for IBD not risk management) but it was mainly 2 on 1 interviews. One was the "good cop bad cop" routine, where one person was really friendly and the other sat there completely unenthused. They also really seemed to like to push and see how far you could go on technicals, trying to stress you out and intimidate you.
I would say just stay calm no matter what (as for any interview), really study your technical Q&A's (pick up the WSO guides and/or the Vault and STUDY) and be ready to answer the behavioral q's as well and prove you are going to work your ass off. Also know "why goldman," they are big on that question.
Thanks for the advice, really appreciate it. Anyone else?
Delete - double post
I assume that if you do eventually get asked a harder technical question that you absolutely do not know - answering confidently without nervous hesitation that you do not know that one but would like to learn it is almost as good as answering the question correctly anyways?
I wouldn't say it's anywhere near as good as answering the question correctly - but what other alternative do you have? Trying to BS or formulate an answer that beats around the bush would surely get you caught out and make you look like a dumbass, so yes, if you don't know the answer be direct, say you don't know but would certainly like to learn more about the topic.
How would you answer "why goldman," question. I mean they are the elite and pay highest bonuses and went as best through the crisis. But I dont think thats what they want to hear. They point out their team-oriented culture but thats not very goldman-specific, any other IB tries to get the outside world to believe that. So how do the really differ from other IB's?
Never heard of market risk group, what division is that?
Goldman superday coming up: What to expect? (Originally Posted: 09/01/2007)
Anyone been through this and know what sort of questions I should expect? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
How can I find out if a school I went to has a super day arrangement with GS?
Thanks for info
Chimp,
Your best bet would be to get into industry .
a very long day. Have a big breakfast, don't drink too much during the day. If you successfully get through the morning, get ready for another 3 or 4 hours of interviews through the night. My superday as an intern was from 8am until 6pm. I met about 20 people that day, and had about 10 2-on-1 30 minute interviews.
My superday for fulltime was actually less intense..oddly. I came in separate days for separate divisions.
Goldman superday - Separate for target and non-target? (Originally Posted: 02/03/2007)
When is it? Do they have a separate super day for front office and mid/back office? Separate super day for target and non-target?
anyone know?
what group are you interviewing for?
Goldman superday - Specific questions (Originally Posted: 03/31/2011)
I know several threads were posted regarding this topic, but I have specific question that many people would like to see answered (I believe). Those that have gone through a superday, if you are sent home after lunch does this lower your chances of getting the position? Should someone feel discouraged at this point. Please reply if you have heard, seen, or personally experienced this.
A friend of mine interviewing for IBD in NY had his superday and then was sent home. He was in the airport when they called him back in for another round of interviews.
That would lead me to believe that getting sent home after your first round of superday interviews isn't necessarily a problem....as long as you get called back soon after.
Was the superday his second round interview and he was called in for a third round interview while at the airport?
Goldman IBD second and final rounds (Originally Posted: 01/19/2007)
Has anyone here gone through Goldman's IBD interview process? Anyone have a sense of what kinds of questions they will tend to ask after the first round? Technical? Stress? General knowledge of stuff?
Thanks.
First round was all personal and resume. Second round was for S&T, so I am not sure, but it was mainly fit with some easy technical questions thrown in
I did S&T, 3 rounds, lots of highly technical questions
any response corgi?
There is some bad information being spread on this board - establish a good reason to trust someone before they give you information. I have received information about interviews that turned out to be highly misleading.
actually no jimbo, still on hold
Goldman IBD, at least in my experience, the final rounds are three two-on-one half hour interviews. You get a group-specific offer. In my experience, they are pretty technical, but they also have a decent chunk of fit. Honestly, it just depends on the people you draw. I went through it both summer and full-time and the summer folks interviewing me just happened to be a lot more technical than the full-time ones. It's luck of the draw.
for intern offers, the offer is generalist, with group placement done after you accept...
Thanks for the help. How technical are we talking about? Is it technical as in brainteasers or as in "value a company" etc. Also, do you know what tends to be the acceptance rate for those going into the second round? E.g. has most of the filtering been done already?
I'm completely new here, so I don't understand its sensibilities, but why would there be people who spend their time spreading misinformation on anonymous message boards?
I don't think it is misinformation. Most people have very different experiences at interviews. I interviewed with like 6 banks and I got only 3-4 technical questions. Other people get all technical. It really varies from person to person
depends on your school, but from what i've seen they cut at least 50% of people in the final rounds, if not more. Again, all of this is going to vary.
completely depends on the person. I got some very general 'technical' questions (how do you value a company? Views on the market? etc.) but nothing that was too strenuous. Our school doesn't offer a finance major (liberal arts) so most of us don't know how to do any of that stuff yet.
I think the way the summer internship numbers worked at our school was: 60-70 ppl got first rounds, 15-20 super day rounds, maybe like 7-10 offers for internships. note this is across IBD, S&T, and GSAM
well I wasn't interviewing for investment banking, but something that is much more technical and quantitative so that's why I got heavy technical questions
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