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The IB recruiting playbook
Practical, no-fluff answers to the questions every candidate Googles — from the team behind the 2,300+ question bank.
Interview process
IB First-Round Interviews: Exactly What to Expect
What an investment banking first-round interview actually looks like: format, the behavioral-technical split, phone versus video versus HireVue nuances, a 48-hour prep plan, and what interviewers decide in round one.
8 min read · updated 2026-07-16
How to Answer 'Why UBS?' (Framework and Examples)
A three-part framework for answering 'why UBS' in IB interviews, with worked example answers, UBS-specific hooks including the wealth-led model and the Credit Suisse acquisition, and the mistakes that sink candidates.
8 min read · updated 2026-07-16
How to Answer 'Why PJT Partners?' (Framework, Examples, and Firm-Specific Hooks)
A framework for answering 'why PJT Partners' in investment banking interviews, with two worked example answers, firm-specific hooks from the spin-off story and RSSG franchise, and the mistakes that sink candidates.
8 min read · updated 2026-07-16
How to Answer "Why Morgan Stanley?"
A three-part framework for answering 'why Morgan Stanley' in IB interviews: the strategy story that differentiates the firm, two worked example answers, and the mistakes that sink candidates.
8 min read · updated 2026-07-16
How to Answer 'Why Moelis?' (Framework, Examples, and Firm-Specific Hooks)
A framework for answering 'why Moelis & Company' in investment banking interviews, with two worked example answers, firm-specific hooks around the founding story and generalist model, and the mistakes that sink candidates.
8 min read · updated 2026-07-16
How to Answer 'Why Lazard?' (Framework, Examples, and Firm-Specific Hooks)
A framework for answering 'why Lazard' in investment banking interviews, with two worked example answers, firm-specific hooks drawn from Lazard's history and model, and the mistakes that sink candidates.
8 min read · updated 2026-07-16
How to Answer "Why JPMorgan?"
A three-part framework for answering 'why JPMorgan' in IB interviews: the universal-bank and fortress-balance-sheet hooks that differentiate, two worked example answers, and the mistakes to avoid.
8 min read · updated 2026-07-16
How to Answer "Why Goldman Sachs?"
A three-part framework for answering 'why Goldman Sachs' in IB interviews: the firm-specific hooks that actually differentiate, two worked example answers, and the mistakes that get candidates dinged.
8 min read · updated 2026-07-16
How to Answer "Why Evercore?"
A three-part framework for answering 'why Evercore' in IB interviews: the independent-advisory hooks that differentiate, two worked example answers, and the overclaims that get candidates probed.
8 min read · updated 2026-07-16
How to Answer 'Why Citi?' (Framework and Examples)
A three-part framework for answering 'why Citi' in IB interviews, with worked example answers, Citi-specific hooks from the firm's history and global network, and the mistakes that sink candidates.
8 min read · updated 2026-07-16
How to Answer 'Why Centerview?' (Framework, Examples, and Firm-Specific Hooks)
A framework for answering 'why Centerview Partners' in investment banking interviews, with two worked example answers, firm-specific hooks around the private partnership and long-tenure model, and the mistakes that sink candidates.
8 min read · updated 2026-07-16
How to Answer 'Why Barclays?' (Framework and Examples)
A three-part framework for answering 'why Barclays' in IB interviews, with worked example answers, Barclays-specific hooks including the debt franchise and the Lehman foundation, and the mistakes that sink candidates.
8 min read · updated 2026-07-16
How to Answer 'Why Bank of America?' (Framework and Examples)
A three-part framework for answering 'why Bank of America' in IB interviews, with worked example answers, BofA-specific hooks from the firm's history and platform, and the mistakes that sink candidates.
8 min read · updated 2026-07-16
How to Answer 'Why Investment Banking?' (Frameworks and Examples)
A framework for answering 'why investment banking' in interviews, with good and bad example answers and how to tailor it for bulge brackets, boutiques, and middle-market banks.
7 min read · updated 2026-07-05
What to Wear to an Investment Banking Interview (Every Format)
Dress code for IB interviews by format: virtual, in-office, and superday. Conservative defaults that always work, and the details interviewers actually notice.
6 min read · updated 2026-07-05
Walk Me Through Your Resume: The IB Answer That Works
How to answer 'walk me through your resume' in investment banking interviews: the 90-second structure, how to pivot to strengths, and a worked example outline.
7 min read · updated 2026-07-05
Questions to Ask Your IB Interviewer (15+ That Actually Land)
Strong questions to ask at the end of an investment banking interview, grouped by type, with why each one works and the questions you should never ask.
7 min read · updated 2026-07-05
The Investment Banking Thank-You Email: Timing, Templates, Mistakes
When to send post-interview thank-you emails in IB recruiting, who should get one, three templates for different situations, and the mistakes that undo them.
6 min read · updated 2026-07-05
IB Superday: What to Expect and How to Perform on the Day
What an investment banking superday actually looks like: structure, interview formats, day-of tactics, and how to follow up while decisions are being made.
8 min read · updated 2026-07-05
The IB Coffee Chat Guide: Getting Them, Running Them, Converting Them
How to land investment banking coffee chats, run the 20 minutes well, follow up properly, and convert conversations into referrals and interview looks.
8 min read · updated 2026-07-05
The 25 Most Common IB Behavioral Questions (Grouped, With Prep Method)
The behavioral questions investment banking interviews actually ask, grouped by theme, with the STAR structure and a story-bank method that covers all of them.
8 min read · updated 2026-07-05
HireVue for Investment Banking: Format, Prep, and Common Questions
How HireVue and one-way video interviews work at investment banks, what questions to expect, how to prepare, and the mistakes that quietly sink candidates.
7 min read · updated 2026-07-05
Recruiting
When Does Investment Banking Recruiting Start? The Calendar by Class Year
A class-year-by-class-year guide to the investment banking recruiting calendar: typical timing patterns for summer analyst recruiting, and how to verify dates with each bank.
7 min read · updated 2026-07-05
Investment Banking Exit Opportunities: Where Analysts Actually Go
A realistic map of investment banking exit opportunities — private equity, hedge funds, corporate development, startups, and staying in banking — with what each path values and typical timelines.
8 min read · updated 2026-07-05
IB Recruiting in Sophomore Year: What You Should Actually Be Doing
A practical sophomore-year plan for investment banking recruiting: GPA, clubs, first internships, early-identification programs, networking, and technical prep.
7 min read · updated 2026-07-05
Breaking Into Investment Banking From a Non-Target School: The Realistic Playbook
An honest, step-by-step playbook for non-target students recruiting for investment banking: networking volume, the boutiques-first strategy, and building proof of skill.
8 min read · updated 2026-07-05
IB Networking Email Templates That Actually Get Replies
Four investment banking networking email templates — alumni, cold outreach, follow-up, and thank-you — with the psychology behind each and realistic expectations on reply rates.
8 min read · updated 2026-07-05
How to Choose Your Investment Banking Group: Deal Flow, Culture, and Exits
A practical framework for picking an investment banking group: how to weigh deal flow against culture and exits, the questions to ask, and how group placement actually works.
7 min read · updated 2026-07-05
What GPA Do You Need for Investment Banking? Screens, Workarounds, and When It Matters Less
An honest look at GPA in IB recruiting: the commonly cited screening thresholds, how to compensate if you are below them, and the situations where GPA matters less.
7 min read · updated 2026-07-05
Boutique vs Bulge Bracket Internship: How to Choose Between Offers
A balanced comparison of boutique and bulge bracket investment banking internships: what each teaches, how each reads on a resume, and a framework for deciding.
7 min read · updated 2026-07-05
Technical prep
Paper LBO Walkthrough: Step-by-Step With a Fully Worked Example
How to do a paper LBO in an interview: the standard steps, the simplifying assumptions, and a complete worked example with every number computed by hand.
9 min read · updated 2026-07-05
The 20 Most Common IB Technical Questions (With Answer Sketches)
The 20 investment banking technical questions asked most often, grouped by topic, with one-line answer sketches and the mistakes that trip candidates up.
9 min read · updated 2026-07-05
Mental Math for Investment Banking Interviews: Drills and Tricks
What mental math IB interviews actually test — percentages, multiples, growth rates, paper-LBO arithmetic — plus the rule of 72 and drills to get fast under pressure.
8 min read · updated 2026-07-05
Is the 400 Questions Guide Enough to Pass IB Interviews?
An honest look at prepping with the classic static PDF guides versus active recall and spaced repetition — what the guides do well, where rereading falls short, and how to combine both.
7 min read · updated 2026-07-05
The Right Study Order for IB Technical Questions (Accounting First)
IB technicals build on each other. Here is the dependency chain — accounting, EV, valuation, DCF, M&A, LBO — and why sequencing your prep this way saves weeks.
7 min read · updated 2026-07-05
12 Technical-Round Mistakes IB Interviewers Report Most (and the Fixes)
The twelve technical interview mistakes bankers commonly report seeing from candidates — from memorized scripts to sign errors on working capital — each with a concrete fix.
8 min read · updated 2026-07-05
How to Prep IB Technicals in 2 Weeks: A 14-Day Crash Plan
A day-by-day 14-day plan to get investment banking technicals interview-ready: study order, daily reps, and when to schedule mocks.
8 min read · updated 2026-07-05
Accounting Questions in IB Interviews: The Complete Deep-Dive
The accounting material IB interviews actually test: the three statements, how they link, the depreciation walkthrough with exact math, and the red flags interviewers probe.
9 min read · updated 2026-07-05