Justine Taylor-Raymond
Interned at UBS Energy Group in Houston
How did you evaluate/organize companies?
I spoke to employees at the information sessions to get to know them. I tried to determine if they were people I would want to work for and work long hours with. I researched recent deals the company had been doing. This is good preparation for the interview and helps determine what the firm specializes in. I spoke to upperclassmen and family in the industry about the different firms, the culture and how I would fit with each firm.
A good fit with the people was an important factor for me. In the interviews I was evaluating the firms to see if they were people I would want to work with.
Most difficult interview questions:
Tell me something you are good at? When I answered quantitative ability, they questioned me for something more specific. I said baking and was then asked to walk through a recipe and explain why I was better.
A “skit” preformed by the interviewers where I had to choose between different financing options for purchasing a car.
Asked to calculate the enterprise value, equity value and multiples for a company before and after debt and equity issuance.
These questions were rare; nearly all of my interviews asked about valuation methods, discount rates, and how the three financials statements relate to each other.
Ladies, how should you dress?
I would recommend a black suit, (most women wore skirts), a simple button up shirt (I wore the satin shirts from J. Crew), tights, black simple heels, and very minimal jewelry (stud earnings, pearls or a basic necklace, and if you want, a simple watch).
Blair Ohman
Interned at Greenhill & Co. in New York City
How did you evaluate/organize companies?
It is important for students to understand where they are in the recruiting process and be honest with themselves. Evaluating companies based on their name alone is never a good idea. Meet as many people as you can and truly utilize the information sessions and networking channels. Additionally, have a general idea of what you want to do. Certain banks have very good restructuring groups while having terrible M&A groups. Others are flipped. I knew I was interested in M&A and made sure I knew which banks had strong groups. Location is also extremely important for certain people and banks. Some banks that are ranked very highly in surveys do not have good groups in Houston. If you are targeting Houston, try to figure out which banks are strong there.
One of UT’s best assets is its large alumni base and they are at nearly every single bank. Fit is extremely important for the bank, and for yourself. Take that into account when thinking about where you want to go.
Most difficult interview questions:
I walked into my New York Super Day first interview and was asked “What are you good at?” before he even introduced himself or asked my name. It is important to be able to adapt to your interviewer’s style and be ready for anything and everything.
You will get drilled with accounting questions throughout super week. While they are all different variations, knowing how the three statements flow together is extremely important.
Lastly, while it may seem extremely simple, answering “Tell me about yourself” and “Walk me through your resume” are the most difficult to answer. Also, these are the same questions! People constantly hear about how interviewers make a decision within the first couple of minutes. Many times this is because of your story. If you stumble through this question or don’t have it structured correctly, you will get dinged by every single interviewer. I cannot stress enough how important your “story” is.
Understanding concepts, not just answers, will help you deal with the difficult accounting questions.
Gentlemen, how should you dress?
Wear a white shirt, try not to wear pinstripes but since some don’t have a choice, try to avoid bright ones and have your clothes dry cleaned before Super Week. Don’t wear cuff links or a white collar/blue shirt. They are for people more senior than you. Dress your part.
Need more help prepping for Super Week? Make an appointment with a Career Services Advisor and check out the below resources recommended by students!
Students have cited the following resources to be helpful for financial services interviews and investment banking knowledge in general:
- Vault Guides (Available through McCombs Online Resources https://acsprod.mccombs.utexas.edu/MOR/. Click on Vault Career Insider in the Interview Preparation tab ) – Review both the Vault Guide to Finance Interviews and the Vault Guide to Investment Banking.
- http://dealbook.nytimes.com/ Subscribe to the daily dealbook email. Read articles daily to keep up with important deals and happenings in finance.
- www.ibankingfaq.com
- www.mergersandinquisitions.com
- www.wallstreetoasis.com (informal forum), Guides (both technical and behavioral).
- On-line Forums – Search Keywords: investment banking questions, Super Day questions, etc.
- Peers – It’s one thing to review guides, but it’s totally different under pressure with bankers re-wording questions and asking about tricky scenarios. It’s important to practice interview questions with someone who’s been through IB recruiting and/or works in banking. If you decide you are interested in IB then we would suggest conducting multiple informational interviews with students who have worked in IB.
BBA Career Management 