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Master Investment Banking Interviews

150+ page Recruiting Guide with templates and case studies covering the most common technical & fit questions plus critical Excel modeling and career skills

 

Everything you'll ever need to start your elite Investment Banking career. Written by seasoned ex-Investment Bankers

Want to Ace Your Interviews?

First, You Must Know the Secret Code...

 

Investment Banking is still one of the most sought after careers straight out of college. You know it. We know it. Case closed.

 

Not only does it offer money and big bonuses, but it’s also THE key stepping-stone for your career wherever you want to go: Private Equity, Hedge Funds or higher up the ladder in IB.

But breaking in is much harder than you think...

... because Wall Street guards its secrets like Fort Knox its gold.

Landing an Investment Banking job is not about the skills to DO the job... But about the skills to GET the job.

Two DIFFERENT pairs of shoes!

The untold truth is that everything you’ve learned so far is practically useless when it comes to interviewing. It's a whole new skill set...

  • Technical knowledge alone? Not good enough.

  • A high GPA? Not good enough.

  • Great connections? Not good enough.

  • And a CV full of high-profile internships? Not good enough.

Your interviewer’s job isn’t to find the best candidates... But to eliminate the wannabes. They’ll stress test you. Confuse you. They will do everything to break you.

  • You will be grilled technically...

  • You will be hit with complex brain teasers designed to trick you...

  • You will be tested for your knowledge of the industry and their bank...

  • You will be examined closely on your ability to function under pressure and think on your feet...

They’ll pick you apart to see what you're made of:

  • Your body language and tone of voice...

  • Your character and confidence...

  • Your presentation skills and presence in front of clients and colleagues...

  • Your ability to both lead and follow at the appropriate time...

  • And they’ll decide if you have the proper "manners" to make the cut...

In short, the Investment Banking Interview process is grueling. You will be eaten up alive if you don’t know what you're doing and are just "winging it".

There is Only one Way:
Learn From Those who Walked Your Path before

The best way to learn anything is to simply follow the footsteps of those who done it successfully. Like learning from a big brother, who has successfully navigated this process, landed a lucrative offer and is now on the other side.

 

Only then will you know the "secret code" of IB interviews to ace your interviews and beat your competition: the thousands of straight-A finance enthusiast who are willing to grind it out.

And once you have this knowledge, the gauntlet will be like a walk in the park.

Others are left confused and intimidated, you’ll be calm, cool and collected because it's an open book test for you.

 

While others are cramming last minute, you are reviewing your game plan for the third time. All questions in place. That's your edge!

 

And while others end up working in back offices earning half your salary, you’ll be climbing the Investment Banking ladder.

NO Errors Allowed:
Less Than 2% of Applicants Make the Cut

  • You must know everything – before the interview. This is serious business. You can’t just wing it walking into a highly competitive Investment Banking interview. Most are rejected because they were not prepared ENOUGH thinking they could rely on their strongest skill. You need to know exactly what you are doing. You need to know ALL of the key concepts that will be thrown at you. You cannot cut corners.

  • You must learn how to interview – NOT how to memorize questions. It’s an interview. It’s a dynamic conversation. Simply memorizing answers will only get so fare. Suddenly you are hit with an unexpected "fit question". You are caught completely off-guard. Now what? You need the industry knowledge of how the recruiting process works from those who were on the other side. There is a "correct" way to competently handle all types of derailing questions.

  • You must project confidence at all times. Just one crack of insecurity in your voice or body language… and the interviewers smell your fear. You will be challenged even harder at that point. Good luck! You need to master the content to the point where you can easily and confidently walk through it – as if it’s your second nature. That’s how you set yourself apart from your competition.

  • One single error will kill all your chances. This is not University anymore. All you need is one candidate, who has his game better together, for you to lose your offer. Your competition does not sleep. They are working relentlessly to up their interview game. The recruiting process is designed to weed out the wannabes from the “run through a brick wall” candidates. You must put on your A game – every single time.

 

In Short: You will NOT make it without an edge.

“It took us over 5 years of trial-and-error to crack the code. A rejection meant waiting another full year. When we finally broke into Investment Banking, we vowed ourselves to pass on the knowledge to others as well.”

Our expert team of ex-Investment Bankers

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What You Will Learn

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Build Your Job-Winning Resume

Expert resume writing tips from start to finish – incl. templates. Beat your writers block. No more worrying about wrong content and missed opportunities. You will get professional advice on how to build your CV and which internships to choose to get interviews.

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Ace Your Interviews

Fit questions, technical questions and the right mindset to ace your interviews. Proven methods from ex-IB professionals. No more worrying about missed questions and lost jobs. You will get access to proven Executive Summaries that are geared towards interview performance covering all major concepts — no academic fluff.

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Master Your Excel

Breeze through Excel without a mouse! All best practices to tackle everything Investment Banking throws at you – incl. templates and case studies. No more worrying about Excel or getting reamed because you are too slow. All Excel best practices in one place from formatting to formulas. Breeze through Excel and impress your Senior Bankers.

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Survive and Thrive in the Jungle

You won your IB job. What’s next? Succeeding on-the-job. Expert tips on how to survive and thrive. Secrets tips on how to increase your performance. No more worrying about office politics or stepping on someone’s toes. You will get a clear vision of top tier interns, who land offers vs bottom tier interns, who are silently let go.

Who is This Program for?

It's the ultimate guide for Investment Banking interviews. Specifically designed for MBAs, post-grads and undergrads, finance and liberal arts students and anyone interviewing for a career in:

Investment Banking (Mergers & Acquisition), Corporate Finance and Transaction Services

It's a knowledge base that solves all your headaches from student to entering the workforce: resume editing, interviewing, Excel modeling and succeeding on-the-job. All the best practices and wisdom from seasoned ex-Investment Bankers in one place.

 

Everything you'll ever need to start your high-profile finance career in one place.

  • Executive summary
    Introduction Major building blocks of Investment Banking interviews Fit questions Accounting Valuation Understanding Investment Banking
  • Introduction
    How to use this course How this course is structured WARNING: Do not simply memorize questions & answers
  • CV, cover letter & application process"
    How to draft a professional CV How to draft a professional Cover Letter Which internships should you pick to strategically build your CV? How to structure your application process Thoughts on networking BONUS: How to deal with headhunters Pre-interview warm up routine
  • Fit questions
    Overview of fit questions How to tell your story – Introduction How to tell your story – From Finance Student to IB How to tell your story – From Big4 to IB How to tell your story – From Corporate Finance/Controlling to IB How to tell your story – From Management Consulting to IB How to discuss deals in interviews for entry-level positions How to spin your weaknesses into strengths Leadership questions Commitment questions Do you have any questions? How to build rapport in an interview
  • Accounting
    Overview of accounting Income statement / Profit & loss statement EBITDA adjustments Cash flow statement Unlevered free cash flow Balance sheet Working capital Net debt How the three statements work together
  • Valuation
    Overview of valuation methods Enterprise value and equity value Multiple valuation (transaction & trading comps) Discounted cash flow (DCF) Leveraged buyout (LBO) Valuation case study Applied valuation in real life
  • Understanding Investment Banking
    What is Investment Banking? How long do Investment Bankers actually work? M&A sell-side process M&A buy-side process Who does what on a real M&A transaction?
  • Debugging and troubleshooting your application process
    How to avoid being nervous in interviews What to do if you get rejected? The most common interview mistakes "What if I fall behind?"
  • Motivation and mindset
    The worst question in the world How to beat procrastination Why you should be working 80h a week Increase productivity working from home
  • Excel best practices for Investment Banking
    Investment Bankers and Excel — Why is it so important? Know your Excel short cuts — no mouse! The most common professional formatting conventions The most common Excel formulas Your Excel master file and professional templates
  • Succeeding on-the-Job
    Why internships are extended job interviews Seven truths about work life you don’t learn in business school What separates a bottom tier from a top tier intern? Attention to detail and error-free work How to never get bad feedback Performance vs office politics How to position yourself for a return offer Bulge Brackets vs Boutiques — What’s best for you? How to get promoted and advance your career How to pick the right company for your career How to break the golden handcuffs
  • Parting thoughts
    Final words

Consider This an Investment in YOUR Career...

After all, you’ve likely already spent tens of thousands of Euros on college tuition and textbooks that don’t even get you interviews... When you land your coveted Investment Banking job, you’ll be making well over 100,000 €...

And that’s just the beginning of a long and very LUCRATIVE career. This is your FOUNDATION

We could easily charge thousands of Euros and your ROI would still be huge…

However, for just a fraction of the price of your (useless) textbooks, you get the experience and best practices of a full-time professional handed down to you. When you think about, it’s a no brainer.

Sure, you can figure it out on your own. But it would take forever! Yes, information is abundantly available for free. But think about it. You would have to find, organize it, test it and most importantly incorporate it into your workflow. All of that while keeping your GPA up! What a hassle. You don't have time for that!

It would take too long… and by the time you are ready, you will have missed your opportunity. Your chances of getting a job in IB will be slimmer and slimmer each and every year. All while your peers are getting ahead with their Investment Banking and Private Equity careers.

Your Choice is Simple.

Get Unlimited Access to the iBankingAdvice Interview Guide

Everything you'll ever need to start your elite Investment Banking career.

€147

Lifetime access

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Your Opportunities are VERY Limited... You Only Have ONE Good Shot

This is the dirty little secret nobody is telling you. If you don’t land your IB job by the time you graduate, your chances of breaking into the industry are slim to none. You don’t get unlimited chances to interview and collect “practice experiences”. This is serious business.

Banks will sort you out as “damaged goods” once you are too old. Don’t believe us? Talk to our friends. They are stuck in back office roles after failing their interviews. They will never have the chance to make the move again.

You will have an extremely difficult time making up for a wrong start. Your competition is getting better and better with real IB work experience while you are still busy breaking in. It is going to be an uphill battle. You need to break in quickly and start collecting “street-cred”.

Yes, this is make it or break it time – not just for this job, but for your entire career. Your next interviews have the potential to determine whether you will land your dream career. 

We’re not exaggerating… Landing a job in Investment Banking is the most important stepping-stone of your career. It’s the essential launchpad to Private Equity, Hedged Funds and Senior Investment Banking roles. Not to mention multimillion-euro deals, high paying salaries and access to a network only few will ever get to.

 

Don’t let one missed question cost you your entire Investment Banking career.

 

We’ll give you everything you need to land the IB job you want… 

  • How to professionally edit your CV & cover letter... never worry about wrong bullets and missed opportunities again

  • How to ace all technical questions... never feel the pain of missing one question that could have changed everything

  • How to shine with tricky behavioral questions... never feel helpless when hit with an unexpected curve ball

  • How to master Excel like a pro... never feel inadequate because you are taking too long

  • How to navigate office politics to maximize your chances of a return offer... never feel clueless in an office set up while constantly stepping on other people’s toes

 

This is the entire body of knowledge you need to unlock the door to one of the most elite and exclusive professions in the world.

 

Don’t get stuck on the sideline while everyone is getting ahead with their careers.

 

Let us help you piece the puzzle together.

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  • Executive summary
    Introduction Major building blocks of Investment Banking interviews Fit questions Accounting Valuation Understanding Investment Banking
  • Introduction
    How to use this course How this course is structured WARNING: Do not simply memorize questions & answers
  • CV, cover letter & application process"
    How to draft a professional CV How to draft a professional Cover Letter Which internships should you pick to strategically build your CV? How to structure your application process Thoughts on networking BONUS: How to deal with headhunters Pre-interview warm up routine
  • Fit questions
    Overview of fit questions How to tell your story – Introduction How to tell your story – From Finance Student to IB How to tell your story – From Big4 to IB How to tell your story – From Corporate Finance/Controlling to IB How to tell your story – From Management Consulting to IB How to discuss deals in interviews for entry-level positions How to spin your weaknesses into strengths Leadership questions Commitment questions Do you have any questions? How to build rapport in an interview
  • Accounting
    Overview of accounting Income statement / Profit & loss statement EBITDA adjustments Cash flow statement Unlevered free cash flow Balance sheet Working capital Net debt How the three statements work together
  • Valuation
    Overview of valuation methods Enterprise value and equity value Multiple valuation (transaction & trading comps) Discounted cash flow (DCF) Leveraged buyout (LBO) Valuation case study Applied valuation in real life
  • Understanding Investment Banking
    What is Investment Banking? How long do Investment Bankers actually work? M&A sell-side process M&A buy-side process Who does what on a real M&A transaction?
  • Debugging and troubleshooting your application process
    How to avoid being nervous in interviews What to do if you get rejected? The most common interview mistakes "What if I fall behind?"
  • Motivation and mindset
    The worst question in the world How to beat procrastination Why you should be working 80h a week Increase productivity working from home
  • Excel best practices for Investment Banking
    Investment Bankers and Excel — Why is it so important? Know your Excel short cuts — no mouse! The most common professional formatting conventions The most common Excel formulas Your Excel master file and professional templates
  • Succeeding on-the-Job
    Why internships are extended job interviews Seven truths about work life you don’t learn in business school What separates a bottom tier from a top tier intern? Attention to detail and error-free work How to never get bad feedback Performance vs office politics How to position yourself for a return offer Bulge Brackets vs Boutiques — What’s best for you? How to get promoted and advance your career How to pick the right company for your career How to break the golden handcuffs
  • Parting thoughts
    Final words
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