IB Interviews: 14 Common Behavioral & Fit Questions

Investment banking is intense, and to qualify, you need to show that you can handle the demands of the job. If you’re targeting an analyst role at a top bank, behavioral & fit questions will be a core part of the interview process.

They’re designed to test your work ethic, cultural fit, and ability to handle high-pressure situations, which are just as important as technical skills. 

To help you prepare, below is a list of behavioral & fit questions that have been asked at top investment banking firms. We identified these by analyzing 200+ Glassdoor interview reports specifically for analyst roles at Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, and Morgan Stanley.

From that list, we selected the 14 most common behavioral & fit questions and included sample answers to help you structure strong responses, tips, and a prep plan so you can feel confident going into your interviews.

Here’s an overview:

• What to expect in IB behavioral & fit interviews
• 14 most common questions (with answers)
• How to answer IB behavioral & fit questions (STAR vs SPSIL)
• More examples (by company)
• Tips to impress your interviewers
• Prep plan

Click here to practice 1-on-1 with investment banking ex-interviewers

Let’s get started.

1. Overview: Investment banking behavioral interviews ↑

Before we go through the most common questions asked in investment banking behavioral & fit interviews, let’s first take a look at why these questions are asked in the first place.

1.1 What are behavioral & fit questions in investment banking interviews?

Working in investment banking is intense, especially at bulge-bracket firms like Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, and Morgan Stanley. You’ll be working long hours, addressing last-minute emergencies, and communicating with high-profile, demanding clients.

Interviewers ask behavioral & fit questions to understand whether you have the motivation to handle this environment and whether you would work well within their team and culture.

These questions are based on the idea that past behavior is one of the strongest predictors of future performance. They prompt you to share real stories about your experiences, so interviewers can evaluate soft skills, such as problem-solving, leadership, communication, and handling conflict. 

1.2 When to expect behavioral questions in the interview process

Behavioral & fit questions come up at every stage of the investment banking interview process, including casual coffee chats and networking with anyone from the company.

“You should treat every interaction as an interview; they are always assessing you, especially for communication skills,” says Jonathan (ex-Wells Fargo managing director, ex–Morgan Stanley).

You can also expect these questions in both the initial HireVue video interviews and during the final round of interviews (for entry-level roles, this is known as “Superday” or Assessment Centre rounds).

In the HireVue interviews, you’ll only have 30 seconds to think before recording a two-minute response, and the final-round interviewers will expect you to have clear and concise answers.

In general, Jonathan says that the more senior the interviewer, the more they will focus on behavioral and fit questions.

1.3 What core competencies are they testing for?

There are slight differences in the sets of traits and behaviors most companies look for, but you’ll notice that there are universal themes. 

According to investment banking experts Geert (ex-valuation specialist at Deutsche Bank), Raul (ex-investment banker at BNP Paribas), and Jonathan  (ex-Wells Fargo managing director, ex–Morgan Stanley), here are some skills you’ll be tested on:

• Ownership and accountability: showing you take responsibility for outcomes rather than waiting for direction
• Resilience under pressure: staying steady during long hours, tight deadlines, and high-stakes situations
• Structured thinking and clear communication: breaking down problems logically and explaining your reasoning clearly
• Client orientation: understanding client needs and acting with professionalism in challenging situations
• Leadership: guiding others, even without formal authority
• Teamwork: working effectively with peers, seniors, and cross-functional teams
• Initiative and problem-solving: stepping up without being asked and finding solutions independently
• Conflict management: handling disagreements constructively with teammates or clients
• Persuasion and influence: convincing stakeholders or teammates when priorities differ
• Reliability: demonstrating consistency, follow-through, and trustworthiness

2. 14 most common behavioral & fit questions in IB interviews (with sample answers) ↑

The questions below are pretty typical in investment banking interviews at top firms, such as Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, and Morgan Stanley. We analyzed hundreds of behavioral & fit interview questions from these companies and identified the ones that come up most frequently. 

We recommend reviewing this list ahead of your interview and using the linked explanations to deepen your understanding of each topic.

To answer scenario-based questions (“Tell me about a time…”), we used IGotAnOffer’s SPSIL (Situation, Problem, Solution, Impact, Lessons) framework, which we’ll explain further in Section 3.

Click on a question if you want to skip straight to it.

1. Walk me through your resume
2. Tell me about yourself
3. Why do you want to work in investment banking?
4. Why this firm? (Why Goldman / JP Morgan / Morgan Stanley?)
5. What are your strengths and weaknesses?
6. What are your career goals?
7. What would your co-workers or manager say about you?
8. Tell me about a time you handled team conflict. How did you solve it?
9. Tell me about a time you demonstrated leadership
10. Tell me about a time you failed and how you handled it
11. Tell me about a time you faced a challenge / complex problem and how you solved it
12. Tell me about a time you faced an ethical dilemma
13. Tell me about a time you used data / analysis to make a recommendation
14. Tell me about a time you had to work under pressure

Right, let’s get into it!

1. Walk me through your resume ↑

Many interviewers will use this question (along with “Tell me about yourself”) as an ice breaker. That makes this a particularly crucial question, as it establishes the interviewer’s first impression and sets the stage for the rest of the interview.

You’ll want to know your resume inside and out and be prepared to answer follow-up questions on each of the experiences you included. Anything you have put on your resume is fair game for the interviewer to ask about.

There are four ways you can answer this question: 

• Chronologically, where you show your career progressions and is the most straightforward to use
• Skills-based, where you highlight relevant competencies, focused on what you can bring to the role
• Project-based approach, where you showcase tangible achievements
• Narrative arc, which is an improved version of the chronological approach, but instead of just going from A to B to C, you make sure to tell your story in a way that is 1) more engaging and 2) best sells you for the role

For the sample answer below, we’ll be using a skills-based approach, where you highlight the competencies you bring to the role. 

Check out our guide on how to answer “Walk me through your resume” interview question for more information on the other three methods you can use to answer this question. 

2. Tell me about yourself ↑

As we mentioned above, ice-breaker questions like this one set the tone for the entire interview. The interviewer will likely follow up on one or more of the details you share in your answer to question no. 1, so be prepared to elaborate on certain aspects of your experience.

You don’t necessarily have to focus on your academic and professional credentials here. Instead, be more personal and tell a story about yourself beyond what’s on your resume. 

You can do this by highlighting your career progression and showing how the skills you’ve built so far connect to the role you’re applying for.

Here’s a sample answer to this question to give you an idea of what to aim for:

You can also check out the video below for answering the “Tell me about yourself” interview question. It’s primarily intended for product managers but works just as well for investment banking roles. 

3. Why do you want to work in investment banking? ↑

Your interviewers will want to know what made you choose this industry (beyond a high salary).

They also want to see whether you’ve taken time to understand the reality of the job and whether you’re mentally prepared for the pace, pressure, and expectations that come with it.

If you’ve had internships or are transitioning from other fields, you should be prepared to explain why you want to do investment banking rather than one of those.

Here’s one way to structure your answer: 

• Cite a specific moment or experience that sparked your interest in investment banking (e.g., a childhood memory, exposure to financial models, deal work, or working with a finance team)
• Lay out the steps you took to explore or transition into the field
• Explain how the role aligns with your long-term goals and how your strengths translate to the role

Below is a sample answer you can reference.

4. Why this firm? (Why Goldman / JP Morgan / Morgan Stanley?) ↑

This is one of the most common questions asked in investment banking interviews, and it is likely to come up at every firm you apply to. Interviewers want to know that you’re genuinely motivated to work specifically at their bank, not just chasing a paycheck.

They’re also testing how well you’ve researched the firm. As you’ll be doing quite a bit of research and analysis on the job, showing a nuanced understanding of the firm in your answer is a good sign to the interviewer that you have the right skills and motivation for the position.

Aim for two to three concise reasons why you want to work at the firm, as well as in the specific team and role. You can make your answer feel more personal by tying it to your own experiences with the company. 

If your response sounds generic or pulled from the company website, it can raise a red flag early in the process.

Let’s take a look at a strong example answer for an analyst role at Goldman Sachs. 

Check out our guide to answering the “Why this firm” interview question for tips and more sample answers for different companies.

5. What are your strengths and weaknesses? ↑

A classic in investment banking interviews, this question is used by interviewers to see if you have the self-awareness to give an honest view of your performance. 

The key to this question is to list the strengths relevant to the job description and back them up with real-life experience. 

Then, pick a weakness that is relevant to the role (but not critical) and follow it up with the steps you plan to take to improve it. You can also use this answer to show that you’re good at taking on feedback, an important skill and one that your interviewer will be looking for.

6. What are your career goals? ↑

This question helps interviewers see whether you’ve seriously thought about why investment banking is the right place to build your career and whether your long-term plans align with what the role offers.

You don’t need to map out the next decade. Focus on one or two main goals and explain how you plan to reach them and how they fit into your long-term growth. This shows you’ve thought things through and actually know what you want.

After that, connect your goals back to the employer. At the end of the day, it’s a business, and the company wants to know how your growth will benefit the team. Explain how building these skills will make you more effective in the role and support the work they’re hiring you to do.

7. What would your co-workers or manager say about you? ↑

This question is a variation of question no. 5, except that instead of focusing only on your self-awareness, the interviewer also wants to understand your team awareness. They want to know how others experience working with you and whether people trust you, rely on you, or consistently notice certain habits in how you work.

When answering, pick one or two things your co-workers or manager have actually said about you that show how you contribute to a group. This helps the interviewer picture how you would fit into their workflow.

8. Tell me about a time you handled team conflict. How did you solve it? ↑

This is a real favorite among interviewers because across all industries, strong differences of opinion are an everyday occurrence. Conflicts can create real problems if they’re not handled well, but they can also be productive when managed constructively.

The interviewer will want to see that you have the empathy to understand both sides of a disagreement and the communication skills to guide the situation toward a solution.

If you’re a manager, you’ll want to show that you put clear processes in place to address conflicts and can bring the team to a resolution quickly and effectively.

If you're still fairly junior, try to choose an example that involved a group rather than just a one-on-one issue. Showing how you helped a team work through a conflict demonstrates stronger leadership skills than resolving a simple misunderstanding with one person.

Check out our guide to answering the “Tell me about a time you had a conflict” interview question for tips and more sample answers to different scenarios. 

9. Tell me about a time you demonstrated leadership ↑

Regardless of whether you’re a manager or in a more junior position, leadership is one of the qualities that interviewers are likely to assess you on. This is because a good leader not only does their job well but also helps others do their job better, which multiplies their impact across the team.

Choose a recent example, ideally within the last two years, that shows how you influenced and impacted both people and projects. This can include influencing teams that don’t directly report to you, working toward company goals without explicit instruction, showing empathy, and leading by example.

If you’re more junior and haven’t held a formal leadership position, your answer can still come from a situation where you weren’t the official lead but demonstrated leadership through your actions.

Check out our guide to answering the “Tell me about a time you showed leadership” interview question for tips and more sample answers for different scenarios.

10. Tell me about a time you failed and how you handled it ↑

Everybody makes mistakes, but not everyone can own up to them. In investment banking, especially, you’ll be responsible for high-stakes deliverables. A single mistake can slow down a process, frustrate a client, or create unnecessary work for the team.

The key to acing this question is to demonstrate that you’re someone who takes responsibility, acts quickly, and views failure as a learning opportunity.

When sharing your answer, choose a failure that really stuck with you as a professional. Explain what went wrong, why it went wrong, and how the experience has helped you become better at your job.

Beyond the standard “Tell me about a time you failed” questions, interviewers may also give you scenario-based versions, such as this one commonly asked at Goldman Sachs:

Check out our guide to answering the “Tell me about a time you failed” interview question for more tips and sample answers for different scenarios.

11. Tell me about a time you faced a challenge / complex problem and how you solved it ↑

Employers at competitive firms want to know how you’ll react under difficult circumstances. Your investment banking resume may be full of impressive achievements, but that alone doesn’t show whether you can stay effective when the work becomes demanding.

Don’t make the mistake of spending too long explaining the problem. The interviewer is far more interested in HOW you approached the challenge than the challenge itself. Did you repeatedly perform the same unsuccessful motions until you finally got it right? Or did you try various approaches or just develop muscle memory?

If you can connect how you solved the challenge to how you would approach similar problems in your work, that’s even better.

Succinctly outline the situation and the problem/challenge, then spend the bulk of your answer talking about what you did, the impact your actions had, and what you learned.

12. Tell me about a time you faced an ethical dilemma ↑

In this line of work, you’ll sometimes be faced with situations where your options are limited and you have to make a judgment call to protect the firm, the client, and your own integrity. 

This question helps the interviewer understand how you think in those moments and whether you follow the right process even when the situation feels uncomfortable.

You might also get specific scenarios as part of this question. Goldman Sachs, for example, is known for using prompts like the one below:

13. Tell me about a time you used data / analysis to make a recommendation ↑

Investment banking relies heavily on data. Whether you are reviewing financial statements, building models, or comparing companies across a sector, the expectation is that you can interpret the information and convert it into a recommendation that the team can use. 

Choose an example where you used data to guide your decision, explain your reasoning clearly, and show how your analysis led to a recommendation the team could act on.

14. Tell me about a time you had to work under pressure ↑

As an investment banker, tight timelines and last-minute requests are a normal part of the job. This question helps employers assess your ability to handle time-sensitive projects and manage competing priorities. 

You might also hear another version of this, such as “Tell me about a time you had to meet a tight deadline.”

In either case, your answer should show how you prioritize, manage your workload, solve problems, and stay committed to delivering accurate work under pressure.

Use an example from a time when the odds were stacked against you. It will make your answer more compelling and give the interviewer a clearer picture of how you perform when things get difficult.

3. How to answer IB behavioral & fit questions (STAR vs SPSIL) ↑

You may have noticed that all of the questions above fall into two basic formats: 

1. General questions, such as “why investment banking?” or “why should we hire you?”, which require individualized responses
2. Scenario questions that typically begin with “Tell me about a time…”, which can be answered using a repeatable framework

For general questions, you’ll need to craft your own individualized responses in advance, since these focus on your motivation and fit rather than a specific scenario. They should sound genuine and not overly structured or rehearsed.

For scenario-based questions, you'll need to use a repeatable framework. This will help you relay your most relevant achievements and communicate them clearly.

In our example answers in Section 2, you’ll see that we follow the IGAO’s SPSIL framework rather than the traditional STAR framework. We do this because SPSIL offers a better flow for structuring answers and fixes the common issues candidates run into with STAR, which we explain in more detail below:

3.1 STAR method

The STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) is a popular approach for answering behavioral questions because it’s easy to remember. You’ll see it’s recommended by many articles you can find on Google (they tend to copy each other!).

However, the STAR method has two problems:

1. We’ve found that candidates often find it difficult to distinguish the difference between steps two and three, or task and action. 
2. It ignores the importance of talking about WHAT YOU LEARNED, which is often the most important part of your answer.

To correct those two faults, we actually developed our own (very slightly different) framework that many of our candidates have used successfully over the years: IGotAnOffer’s SPSIL method.

3.2 IGotAnOffer’s SPSIL method

IGotAnOffer’s SPSIL (Situation, Problem, Solution, Impact, Lessons) method has a less catchy name, but it corrects both of the STAR method’s faults. You’ll have seen it in action in the example answers in Section 2, but let’s go through the five-step approach:

1. Situation: Start by giving the necessary context of the situation you were in. Describe your role, the team, the organization, the market, etc. You should only give the minimum context needed to understand the problem and the solution in your story. Nothing more.
2. Problem: Outline the problem you and your team were facing.
3. Solution: Explain the solution you came up with to solve the problem. Step through how you went about implementing your solution, and focus on your contribution over what the team / larger organization did.
4. Impact: Summarize the positive results you achieved for your team, department, and organization. As much as possible, quantify the impact.
5. Lessons: Conclude with any lessons you might have learned in the process.

For a deeper dive into this topic, check out our article on why the STAR method isn’t always the best option for behavioral interviews and how IGotAnOffer’s SPSIL method can be a better alternative. It’s written for product managers but equally useful for answering behavioral & fit questions in IB interviews.

Which method should you use?

Of course, you should practice using whatever method you’re the most comfortable with. By all means, use the STAR method if you prefer, just don’t forget to mention what you learned.

4. More examples of IB behavioral & fit questions (by company) ↑

The questions in Section 2 cover the most commonly asked behavioral & fit interview questions, but investment banks often have their own variations. 

Goldman Sachs, for example, focuses on client service, teamwork, and integrity; J.P. Morgan values exceptional client service, operational excellence, and fairness; and Morgan Stanley emphasizes doing the right thing, putting clients first, and leading with extraordinary ideas.

The questions below are organized by company to help you find the most relevant ones for your interviews.  

Check out our Goldman Sachs behavioral interview guide for more company-specific insights and information. 

Check out our J.P. Morgan behavioral interview guide for more company-specific insights and information. 

Check out our Morgan Stanley behavioral interview guide for more company-specific insights and information. 

5. 10 Tips to ace your IB behavioral & fit interview ↑

As you can see from the complex questions above, there is a lot of ground to cover when it comes to investment banking interview preparation. So it’s best to take a systematic approach to make the most of your practice time. 

Below are ten helpful tips to keep in mind when preparing for IB behavioral & fit interviews.

5.1 Get used to setting up the situation in 30 seconds or less

Spending too much time on the Situation step is one of the most common mistakes candidates make. Use a timer while you practice to ensure you provide only necessary information. 

5.2 Have a solid ‘about me’ introduction ready 

Prepare a strong answer for your “about me” introduction, or the classic “Tell me about yourself” question. This is often the first question in an investment banking interview and sets the tone for the rest of the conversation.

Your introduction should briefly summarize your background and experience while highlighting what makes you unique as a candidate. 

5.3 Be concise and data-driven

Interviewers hear a lot of behavioral stories in a day, so avoid unnecessary details that could lose their attention and try to keep your answer to around two minutes.

Then, back up your claims with specific metrics or quantifiable data to make your answer more concrete. For example, instead of saying “I helped the team with a project,” say “I built a three-statement model that improved our pitch turnaround time by 25%.”

It also helps to share your stories with a few different people beforehand, as they can give feedback on which details to keep and which to cut.

5.4 Center on the company’s culture and values

According to Geert (ex-valuation specialist at Deutsche Bank), you should always align each story to a key competency. Familiarize yourself with the firm’s core values and weave them naturally into your answers. In investment banking, interviewers often look for qualities such as teamwork, client focus, attention to detail, and integrity.

Keep in mind that your cultural alignment will be assessed throughout the entire interview process, not just during behavioral rounds. 

For instance, at Goldman Sachs, you could demonstrate their focus on client service by sharing an example of how you supported a project under tight deadlines while ensuring that the quality of your work met client expectations.

5.5 Keep clients at the center

A good investment banker always connects their work back to the client. Show how your decisions improved the client experience, whether that be solving a problem they raised, simplifying a deliverable, or improving the clarity and quality of your analysis. 

Companies want to know that you can keep the user front and center when making tough decisions and trade-offs.

5.6 Be proud and talk about YOU

Not talking about YOU enough is another common mistake we see with a lot of candidates. This is not the time to be shy about your accomplishments. Concentrate on your impact, not what “the team” did. 

5.7 Be honest and authentic

Interviewers can tell if your answer sounds memorized, says Kent (managing partner at Moser Capital). Be genuine in the way you talk about your experiences. If you’ve faced challenges or setbacks, discuss how you improved and learned from them.

Kent also encourages candidates to think carefully about what they actually want in their next job and what drives their happiness (both at work and outside of work). When you’ve done that reflection, it comes through in your answers, and interviewers get a clearer sense of who you are and what motivates you.

5.8 Mix and match

A common mistake Raul (ex-investment banker at BNP Paribas) observes in candidates is that they come up with only one story for each question. However, you’ll probably have a lot of overlap with your stories. A story you use to answer a leadership question could easily work for a question on conflict, people management, or handling pressure.

If you practice adapting stories so they can answer various questions, 10-15 strong stories should be enough to get you through even the toughest interview.

5.9 Adapt to follow-up questions

Don’t be alarmed if your interviewer asks follow-up questions; this is perfectly normal. Listen carefully to the way your interviewer is asking these questions, as there will often be a subtle clue about the specific skills they’re looking to assess from the next part of your answer.

5.10 Be ready to go off script

You should know your stories extremely well by interview time. But don't feel that you have to stick rigidly to a script. The interview should feel like a conversation, so if the interviewer takes you down an unexpected direction, go with it.

6. How to prepare for IB behavioral & fit interviews ↑

Investment banking is a great career, but it’s also highly competitive. The good news is that “no interview is hard if you prepare in advance,” says Raul.

Jonathan suggests using everything at your disposal to prepare. “These include friends and family network, upper-class students for those in school, your school’s alumni network, school clubs, coaches, mentors, etc.”

For example, you can reach out to an alumnus at your target firm to learn what their interview was like, run peer interviews with classmates, or speak with a mentor to get feedback. 

In addition to that, we’d also like to offer some resources to help you prepare.

6.1 Learn about the company’s culture

Most candidates skip this step. But before investing tens of hours preparing for interviews at top firms, take a moment to make sure it’s actually the right fit for you. 

This is important for two reasons. 

First, most of these firms are prestigious, and it’s easy to assume you should apply without thinking it through. But prestige alone won’t guarantee satisfaction in your day-to-day work. What matters more is the kind of work you’ll be doing and the people you’ll be working with. 

Second, having a clear understanding of a specific company's culture will give you an edge in your interviews, because it will help you frame your skills and experiences to align with what the company values. 

If you know anyone currently at a firm or who has worked there before, reach out to learn about their experience and the team culture. In addition, we would recommend reading the following:

Goldman Sachs

• Goldman Sachs’ purpose and values (By Goldman Sachs)
• Goldman Sachs Briefings newsletter (By Goldman Sachs)
• Goldman Sachs strategy teardown (by CB Insights)

J.P. Morgan

• Who we are (By JP Morgan)
• JP Morgan weekly brief (By JP Morgan)
• JP Morgan strategy teardown (by CB Insights)

Morgan Stanley

• A culture-driven strategy (by Morgan Stanley)
• Insights (by Morgan Stanley)
• Comparison Morgan Stanley vs Go​​ldman Sachs (by Investopedia)

Bank of America 

• Bank of America core values (by Bank of America)
• BofA Insights (by Bank of America)
• BoFa strategy teardown (by Rancord Society)

Citigroup

• About Citi
• Insights (by Citi)
• Citi’s plan to transform its wealth business (by Euromoney)

Barclays Capital

• About Barclays
• Barclays’ three-year plan (by Barclays)
• Barclays’ official interview prep guide (by Barclays)

UBS Investment Bank

• About UBS
• UBS sustainability and impact strategy (by UBS)
• UBS checklist for interview prep (by UBS)

Deutsche Bank

• About Deutsche Bank
• Deutsche Bank strategy (by Deutsche Bank)
• Deutsche Bank interview prep guide (by Deutsche Bank)

6.2 Practice by yourself

Acing behavioral questions is harder than it looks. You’ll stand out if you put in the required work to craft concise and direct answers.

We recommend starting with our guides below to prepare for your behavioral & fit interviews. You’ll also find a few additional articles that can help you understand the full IB interview process:

General

• Investment banking interview prep guide 
• 15 investment banking interview tips 
• Investment banking interview cheat sheet 
• How to answer “Why X company” question
• Investment banking interview accounting questions guide

Goldman Sachs

• Goldman Sachs interview prep guide 
• Goldman Sachs behavioral interview guide 

J.P. Morgan

• JP Morgan interview prep guide
• JP Morgan behavioral interview guide 
• JP Morgan HireVue interview guide 

Morgan Stanley

• Morgan Stanley interview prep guide
• Morgan Stanley behavioral interview prep guide 

6.2.1 Write down your answers

First, work out which stories you’d like to tell. Make a list of key moments in your career (e.g., accomplishments, failures, team situations, leadership situations, etc.) that you can use to answer one or multiple questions. 

Take a look at your target company’s main attributes and their core values, then find at least one story from your past that exemplifies each one. 

After you’ve finished your list, write out a story for each key moment in your career using the structure we've laid out in Section 3. Be sure to emphasize your impact in each of these examples, quantify the results of your actions, and explain the lessons you learned from the experience. 

Once you have a bank of stories, go through the questions in Sections 2 and 4. Make sure you’d be able to answer all of them either by using one of the stories you’ve written directly or by adapting it on the fly. 

If you identify any gaps, add stories to your bank until you’re comfortable that you can cover all the questions listed in this article. For reference, we estimate this will require around 10-15 stories for most candidates. 

6.2.2 Practice your answers out loud

After you've written everything down, a great way to practice your answers is to interview yourself out loud. This may sound strange, but it will significantly improve the way you communicate during an interview. 

You should be able to tell each prepared answer and story from your bank naturally, neither missing key details nor memorizing them word-for-word. Geert also suggests using a timer while you practice to simulate the pace of a real interview and keep your answers concise.

Play the role of both the candidate and the interviewer, asking questions and answering them, just like two people would in an interview. Trust us, it works.

6.3 Practice with peers

If you have friends or peers who can do mock interviews with you, that's an option worth trying. It’s free, but be warned, you may come up against the following problems:

• It’s hard to know if the feedback you get is accurate
• They’re unlikely to have insider knowledge of interviews at your target company
• On peer platforms, people often waste your time by not showing up

For those reasons, many candidates skip peer mock interviews and go straight to mock interviews with an expert.

6.4 Practice with ex-investment banking interviewers

In our experience, practicing real interviews with experts who can give you company-specific feedback makes a huge difference.

If you know someone who runs interviews at an investment bank, then that’s amazing! They'll be a great person to practice interviews with.

But most of us don’t, and it can be REALLY tough to make a new connection with an investment banker. And even if you do have a good connection already, it might also be difficult to practice multiple hours with that person unless you know them extremely well.

That’s where mock interviews come in. 

Find an investment banking interview coach so you can:

• Test yourself under real interview conditions
• Get accurate feedback from a real expert
• Build your confidence
• Get company-specific insights
• Save time by focusing your preparation

Click here to book investment banking mock interviews with experienced finance interviewers.