Are you looking for a change of job in the Finance Field?

Tell me about an industry trend you’re following in private equity.

You should try to speak to a trend that is related to the group you’re interviewing for or the subsectors that the PE firm focuses on. For example, if the group is focused on infrastructure, you can speak to how solar power projects have been significantly boosted from the US infrastructure spending bill, and many […]

Why this firm (private equity)? (1 min)

For this answer, you should combine some subjective reasons about the team and people as well as more objective reasons about the track record and focus of the private equity firm. For example, you should mention any subjective reasons about the team, and it helps tremendously if you’ve had a chance to talk to somebody […]

Why private equity? (1 min)

There are two or three ways you can answer this question. You can tell a story about how you became interested in private equity, or you can list a number of reasons you’re interested in private equity, and back them up with examples from work or even school. You can also combine these two methods […]

Walk me through a deal you’ve worked on. (1-2 min)

First, you should provide the context of the deal and company. Explain the target business in an easy-to-understand way, and describe its key segments. Provide a quick overview of the acquirer and its strategic rationale. It’s important to explain upfront why the deal is happening and what the industry backdrop is. For example, is this […]

What are your three greatest strengths?

You should just be relatively honest about your three greatest strengths, while avoiding overconfident answers like intelligence. Passion, attitude, leadership, intellectual curiosity, work ethic, and resilience are some examples. First, list your 3 strengths. Then use this opportunity to tell a quick story about each strength and provide an example from work, school, or extracurricular […]

What is your greatest strength?

This is a personal question and you should generally just be honest about your greatest strength, but make sure the wording is right. Passion, attitude, leadership, intellectual curiosity, work ethic, resilient; the list goes on. Don’t say something that makes you seem cocky, like intelligence (everybody in IB is intelligent to some degree). Ideally, you […]