How to impress in an interview?

You think its that simple? Damn I thought I hit it off with them too

Deep slow breaths (make sure you are breathing from your diaphragm) are probably one of the easiest and fastest ways to relax and calm down. Other than that don't rush yourself and just try to stay focused on the interview, not what is going to or isn't going to happen afterwards. If you messed up earlier in the interview do worry about it until after your interview. It won't help you at all to evaluate how your interview is going when you are still in it.

I try to remember that interviewers are assessing based on categories. Often times things such as confidence and professionalism can weigh just as heavily as technical knowledge. Try very hard not to sacrifice these other areas in an attempt to be a guru in a single area.

As far as overcoming nervousness, I find the best way is to be overly prepared. Practice, practice, practice. It sounds silly, but if you map out your answers to the 50 most frequently asked questions, you'll be WORLDS above your competition. Know your own story as well as what the company and position you're interviewing for is all about. If you can do this, your confidence will build on itself during the interview and you will find there is no reason to be nervous.

Take a shot or two of vodka before your interview, it will make you relax and be more sociable.

Try to talk fast, it will make you sound more enthusiastic.

Keep your eyes on their forehead or chin, otherwise they might find too much eye-to-eye contact really creepy.

Never ask them questions about themselves, they will think you're being too nosy.

If you don't know the answer to a question, just change the topic of discussion, and they'll forget all about it.

When sitting, lean forward with your elbows on their desk and your hands on your cheeks, this way you will appear very interested in what they're saying.

You really cant have any particular strategy to "ace" an interview. As compbanker said, the best thing you can do is practice - particularly by doing mock interviews. As you have more and more interviews, you'll find they get easier and easier. I was somewhat nervous for the first few, but after about 4 or 5, its really the same thing over and over again. Each person will have a different spin on questions and everyone will have a question you've never heard before or prepared for. No two interviews are the same. So much of having a good interview just comes down to the shear luck of clicking with the person across the table. Some people you just wont mesh with well and thats that. That said, even when you do get a good interview, it doesnt always work out. It's all a numbers game so try to interview at as many places as you can (provided your actually interested in the job). Oh yea try to avoid saying "um" a lot. Its annoying as hell.

After enough interviews this will happen anyway and you can give your short pitch without even thinking about it.

Also try practicing interviews with friends... sounds silly but you'd be surprised how much that kind of practice can help. Most qualitative interview questions are very similar... there's only so much they can ask in an interview setting. Even technical questions will stop surprising you after you've heard enough of them.

If you have to, speak very slowly to get your points across. I've never dinged someone for speaking too slowly, it's always the quality of their answers that determines how well they do.

• Practice, Practice

Personally, I hate practicing with a friend, because it seems so goofy to me, but if it works for you by all means do it.

When I was interviewing, I created study guides for each bank, detailing what questions I expected and how to respond to them via bullet points. I then typically practiced in my head and in a mirror how to get my points across while maintaining an air of confidence.

• Be Confident

This is just as important as knowing the answer. Enter the interview room with a smile and make sure your body language and speech patterns exude confidence. They all know you are nervous; only an idiot would not be, but first impressions are lasting impressions.

• Make sure you understand the question, if you don't, ask for clarification

• Know your resume COLD, and how each and every aspect reinforces the fact that you would make an excellent banker.

Probably forgetting some stuff...so if I remember I will come back later.

As mentioned above practice, practice, practice. Look at the 50 most asked questions online and practice your answers OUT LOUD, ask weird as that sounds. When you are in the interview it will be a lot easier to answer these questions. There are a few standard questions that you will always be asked, or in some variation of these... -Walk me through your resume? -Why investment banking? -Why this bank? If you can have good answers to these questions that will make you stand out you will have good luck. Feel free to get creative. Hope this helps

I heard the 3 questions MCDyce wrote at almost all my interviews, so definitely DO practice them. Especially the why do you want to work in insert position. Also if they ask you something about your resume and you don't know the answer, do worry about that. That publication you did your senior year? Remember the results you obtained, it might help :) Also remember that for the most part your interviewer are pretty amazing people. I think it is easier said than done; but interviewing can be an enjoyable experience. Ask them questions about themselves, you can learn so much! If you are in S&T a lot of them are scholars with PhDs, ask about what their thesis focused on! Or why did THEY chose trading (or sales ;) My advice is really make it a conversation, interview them!

For technical questions, I didn't know most of the answers to what I was asked. They know you don't know everything, they are testing whether you can learn from them or not. I was asked what was gamma hedging, I told the guy I didn't know, but I explained to him what gamma is. Then I asked him to guide me in figuring out how to hedge the gamma. He walked me through it, every time I would stall I asked him for hints. The thing is I studied derivatives in my undergrad, I am writing a thesis on derivatives, and I am doing a masters degree with a focus on quantitative financial analysis. You would expect from someone like me that I would know what gamma hedging is, but yet I didn't know and that did not matter at all. In shorter words: Do NOT worry if you don't know the answer to a technical question, DO ask them for help.

Finally as someone mentioned, either you click with the people or you don't. So if they like you no matter how much you think you messed up your interview, you are most likely going to get the job.

Never get too comfortable in an interview. If you are just asked about life, and you feel like you are clicking with the interviewer, remember you are STILL interviewing. So when they talk about going out for a beer every now and then after work, don't tell them how you were beer pong champ in college, no matter how proud you are about that achievement. Save that for when you have the job. Even if the guy probably did the same thing while in college, they need to know that you can put on a professional appearance no matter what.

Good luck, and sorry for writing my whole life in this reply; but there is not a whole lot of things I can do on Christmas at the parents :)

Remember, you will always be a salesman, no matter how fancy your title is.

- My ex girlfriend (and one of the many reasons she is my ex)

I sacrificed a chicken to the pagan gods the night before every interview. I think it helped me get a 2nd round with Merrill. I think if I had sacrificed a goat, Goldman would have been possible.

Live and learn I guess.

I brought in an experimental nuclear weapon that I stole from the Soviet Union to impress my interviewer at the VC fund that I work at. Needless to say, I "blew away" my interviewers with my uncanny ability to identify leading technologies, steal it and then use it to make a profit (in my case...getting a job). My interviewers were very impressed and gave me an on-the-spot offer to join their fund,

VCMonkey

Did you drink the blood? I've heard that increases your yield.

My secret weapon: a large, vibrating egg.

Great tan, Marcus. I mean, really impressive. Where do you tan ?

being able to answer the interviewer's question in a manner that they want answered. don't give the straight vault guide explanation, be able to truly understand the process. give examples!

last but not least be personable. everyone "should" know their technicals, make them like you above everyone else!

Bateman, you should really look into getting your own tanning bed.

Make your interviewers laugh (within reason) - shared laughter builds immense goodwill.

bring a gun, put to your head, and say you will pull the trigger if he doesn't give you an offer right then and there. This has about a 50% chance of working.

I second the laughing. As for giving the interviewer an ultimatum, I can't imagine it doing any worse than trying to get a job coming from a non-target.

Pander to your interviewers. Especially the MDs. Don't do it lavishly, but if you are perceptive, you can tell pretty quickly what type of person your interviewer is and adjust your attitude to fit theirs'. If they mention one of their interests at all, hammer home salient points about how you love traveling/skiing/golfing/whatever they like, without sounding like a homer.

Also, second the laughing. Don't make the fit interviews so suffocating. Make them seem like you're just meeting with a casual business acquaintance- meaning don't act like you're in a bar, but also don't act like you're in contract negotiations or something.

If you are in a superday, they pretty much know you are smart enough for the job. It's just a matter of whether they like you as a person at that point and would not mind seeing you 80 hours a week. So be able to make them remember you, but also make sure you think they fit in with them. If you're remotely sociable, you'll be fine so long as you don't worry that the interview is life and death or something.

get the interview guides...

Valuations... not "evaluations"

And yeah, the best place for a real beginner would be to check the WSO interview guide.

Get the technical guide

Nope, but a lot of people here has and there's been nothing but praise for it.

Since you are applying for an SA position, unless you have a previous IB internship or are applying for a quant position, the technical questions you get will likely not be very difficult and it will be hard to actually impress people based on your answers to technical questions alone.

The two questions you will be certain to get are why IB/ what's your story? and why (insert banks name)? If you can give a compelling answer to both of these questions you're golden - the rest of the interview will probably just be making sure you don't trip over your dick. Heavily research each bank you are interviewing for, go beyond their websites, be able to talk about specific transactions. If possible, speak to people who work at the bank about culture, and repeat what they tell you to the interviewer. Even if you can't access people at the bank, make sure you figure out what you can about the culture and emphasize that you want to be at whatever bank you are interviewing for because of their "unique culture."

IMHO, having a great answer to these two questions that shows you have really done your homework the bank you are talking to will take you much further than technical stuff, although you do need to know technical stuff too.

Boutiques are certainly more difficult, you may have to get a bit creative. First possible, attempt to network with some employees at the bank before your interview, ask them about culture/why they like working where they do and repeat that in your interview. If you know someone in banking who is not in the same bank but is in the same city, they may have some insight into the boutique's culture, try reaching out to them. See if you can find anything in the news about transactions they have worked on or any interviews with employees. Also since it's a boutique you might want to come up with a coherent explanation of why you want to be at a boutique instead of a BB - they may think it's bullshit but it's a point I would touch on as one reason you are interviewing with them.

Make a flash card with one side labeled Why do you want to be an intern at (Banks name)? and 3+ bullet points on the other side.

Screw books man, practice with a friend or record yourself

Other Tips Make sure to connect with your interviewer, try to make it into a conversation rather than him grillin you (try throwing in some small questions for him before the last segment if you can)

Make sure you look okay. Seen many times a kid with a suit/tie that looks terrible. I won't ding you but some people will.

Research your interviewer if you can.

Interviewing is something that you shouldn't practice with just anybody. An answer that works for your girlfriend might not (and most likely won't) work for the interviewer. Make sure you practice with somebody who is not afraid to grill you and poke holes at what you say. Make sure you have a preset story to whatever can be asked from you when somebody looks at your resume. I find writing down what I would say helps me keep a good structure.

So, do mock interviews: a) with friends who have an idea of how banking interviews go and aren't worried about hurting your feelings and ripping you apart b) career center people (make sure you tell them you want them to be super critical. no point in them boosting your ego) c) mock interviews with professional services.

Also, yeah, forget the books.

"Do we smile because we are happy or do are we happy because we smile? Theories of emotion differ in terms of whether the emotion leads to physiological and behavioral changes or the other way around. According to one theory, the facial feedback theory which has its roots in the writings and theories of Charles Darwin and William James, emotion can be regulated by behavior, particularly by facial expression.

Try smiling. Do you feel happy? Try frowning. Do you feel grumpy? Research from the 1970s and 1980s suggests you do - at least physiologically."

• From "Can Smiling Make You Happy"

Maybe you just need to smile. Just saying.

Don't just pepper them with questions. If you watch / listen to your interviewer closely they will probably drop hints about their personality. This way you can ask them about something that they're actually interested in.

Also, you need to go in with the mindset of "knowing you would be a good fit for the job" rather than a need to "prove yourself to the bankers."

One thing that I do is practice a bunch with myself and girlfriend. I type up a list of potential questions that a particular interviewer might ask me, as well as a question to each one that I think would be appropriate. From there, I just practice as much as possible before the interview. It seems to help. (Admittedly though, I am not interviewing at investment banks, so maybe your situation is much more difficult.)

You should offer them a glass of water. Tell them it's to cope with your dry sense of humour.

You should offer them a glass of water. Tell them it's to cope with your dry sense of humour.

What you don't say during an interview is as important as what you do say. What's important, when interviewing, is to appear professional and attentive throughout the interview process.

Be a happy normal person. Don't act like a stereotypical interviewee that you see in the movies. The interviews are rarely that tense and awkward. It should be like a normal interaction. A getting to know you type of deal. The point is to turn a stranger into a friend. It's not a speech so don't memorize any script. Coming off as a very approachable person is a good start, meaning smile often and have a good open posture.

You want to have something that is actually different about you. Are you a bookworm who can stack a resume and memorize interview question? Or have you started your own business, led an organization on campus or climbed Mount Everest? An interview is ONLY about differentiating yourself, so every prep question that you run through should be targeted specifically towards things that you've done that might not be status quo.

In general: know why you want banking, and lay it out for your interviewer as to why you are the perfect man/woman for the job.

First round interviews aren't usually 45 minutes (usually 30 but sometimes they will run long). You really shouldn't overestimate your competition. A lot of the kids you are interviewing against will be pretentious douches, won't have a good idea why they want to do banking/s&t, will come across as overly arrogant or extremely nervous, or will mess up technical questions. Factor all the above in and there is plenty to differentiate candidates. Interviewers ask the questions they do for a reason. Don't overestimate your competition; just come in prepared with a good attitude and be genuine and let the chips fall where they may.

While you want to stand out, you want to be careful about how you stand out. You want to showcase your accomplishments, but in a tactful manner - no one wants to work with someone who feels superior because he/she started a little business or climbed a mountain - is it pretty sweet - probably and to some it is awesome - but does it make you better than everyone and entitled, nope.

The big things you need to focus on are selling your strengths (from your work and leadership experience and academics) and fitting in - not being a sheep, but being someone that your interviewer will want to work with - being a down to earth person who can have a conversation rather than running through a bunch of memorized stock responses to questions - being able to effectively communicate and roll with things during an interview will get you far (especially if you can find some common hobbies, interests, background points and can get a bit of a rapport going).

PM me if you have any other questions and check this out for more help with preparing for your interview

Never underestimate the idiocy of other people. The amount of people who go unprepared to any interview, even important ones, is staggering... Nevertheless don't worry about them! The interviews about you, not anybody else. The way to stand out in an interview is to offer something unique (and possibly relevant) that other candidates don't have, I don't think people on an internet forum can help you more than that.

you need to find an edge.

I know for me it was knowing more than other candidates about technicals, but as was said you prob have something you have done to stand out.

A great handshake coming in at a 45 degree elbow angle coupled with an eye piercing look in to your intrvewers eyes.

stone face under the table

Look at it as if you were Charlie and you were invited to the chocolate factory

Differentiating yourself might not be the best thing to emphasize. While it's great to stand out, you want to make it seem like you are really passionate about the job and would fit in very well with everyone else, too.

Put your nuts on the table in front of you, hold a large book over them, stare the interviewer in the eyes and say "Tell me when, your wish is my command." Should secure the gig.

my advice is don't stand out. keep in mind that i haven't started work (former grad student), but i've done sa internships at a number of ibs with return offers to each.

also interviewed pretty much at every bulge and elite boutique out there with final rounds for most. the key is just don't be weird. don't be stupid. don't make it awkward. just answer the technicals correctly, and you are golden. chances are, most kids interviewing for sa will trip up on basic stuff (i.e. what is fcf? deferred taxes, capital structure, leverage, or slightly more advanced, covenants on various tranches of debt, basic brain teasers, basic 3 statement questions)

as for final rounds, a big factor is fit and your pre-interview networking. i came from a west coast semi-target, and i often lost out final round to east coast kids for ny positions during full-time. no trouble on the west coast though.