VANDERBILT INVESTMENT BANKING VANDERBILT INVESTMENT BANKING Meeting 7: INTERVIEW PREPARATION

Why prepare?  “Know thy enemy and know thyself; in a hundred battles you will never be in peril. When you are ignorant of the enemy but know thyself; your chances of winning or losing are equal. If ignorant of both your enemy and thyself; you are certain in every battle to be in peril.” – Sun Tzu, Art of War

What you need to know?  You - 90% of the Interview is about you  The Company – Answers have to shaped in order to fit the needs and culture of the company

Things that you need to do  Convey past achievements clearly and succinctly  Emphasize reasoning to why you want to be an investment banker and most importantly why you would be a good banker  Not truly a test of your financial knowledge or your resume:  Motivations  Strengths  Weaknesses  Maturity  Thoughtfulness  Study Resume  Demonstrate Skills through example  What distinguishes you from other candidates?  Why you fit well in the company and the job?  How can you add value?

Skills  What you have to show that you have to display in the interview:  Confidence  Enthusiasm  Analytical Ability  Quantitative Ability  Communication Skills  Attention to Detail  Multitasking/Ability to juggle priorities  Success under pressure  Humility  Learn/Work Efficiently

Three Most Important Questions  Why do you want to be in Investment Banking?  Not money  Use your background (i.e. past internships, classes, skills)  Sincerity is key  Why do you want to work for this bank?  Research (Past deals, Bloomberg, Wall Street Journal)  Network & cite people  Why did you choose Vanderbilt?  Not because it was the best school that accepted you  Though humorous, don’t cite the amount of hot girls on campus  They want to understand your decision process and your values  Thoughtfulness

Miscellaneous Do’s & Don’ts  DO’S  Sit up straight  Sit down only after your interviewer does  Smile often  Keep decent eye contact  Talk clearly, coherently, and intelligently  DON’TS  Cologne/Perfume  Bad Eye contact  Use casual language  Sloppy appearance  Stuttering, saying ‘uhhhhhhs’ or ‘ummmmmms’  Don’t use stereotypical, long, or arrogant answers

Dress  Men  Navy/Grey Suit (pinstripes are fine on those colors)  If you only have a black suit, then wear that  Conservative – No tacky colors or designs  Make sure your suit fits (Fitment is the most important part of a suit)  Shine shoes before interview  Brands  Brooks Brothers suits/shirts/ties are a no-risk choice  Zegna, Ferragamo, Hermes items might convey arrogance  Women  Skirt or Dress  High Heels  NO SUIT PANTS  EVERYONE: Bring a leather notebook, pen, notepad

Questions to ask?  People like talking about themselves  What sort of person does well in banking?  What are a few hurdles that analysts must overcome?  What has made you stay with your company and this industry for this long?  People like talking about their opinions  Where do you believe the investment banking industry will go in ten years?  Could you describe the best and most difficult parts of the last deal you’ve worked on?  What industries do you think will see a lot of attention from Investment Bankers?

3 Takeaways  Will this person be capable of doing the job?  Can I trust this person with important work?  Will I be able to work with this person 110 hours a week?

Q&A/DISCUSSION