VANDERBILT INVESTMENT BANKING Meeting 8: INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

1. VANDERBILT INVESTMENT BANKINGMeeting 8: INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

2. Preparation • “Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.” – Sun Tzu, Art of War

3. Types of Questions • SELF-AWAREMENT • CAPACITY • INTERPERSONAL • COMMITMENT • TECHNICAL

4. SELF-AWAREMENT • Describe motivations & decisions • Understand other’s perception of you • Be thoughtful and honest • Understand your limitations and vulnerabilities • How to prepare? • Predict, prepare, and practice • Be honest, but emphasize the positive • Not a Real World confession, don’t discuss politics, religion, relationships, etc. • Examples • Can you tell me about yourself? • Describe your last internship or job • Why did you choose Vanderbilt? • Why did you choose your major? • What do you enjoy outside of class? • How would your friends describe you? • What did you like about your internship? • Name me three weaknesses

5. CAPACITY • Ability to: learn quickly, work efficiently, to work long hours, have attention to detail, & multi-task • How to prepare? • Context, project, outcome • Imply through example, do not state directly • Examples • Tell me about a time when you had exhibit _______________? • Quantitative • Overcome a weakness • Analytical • Leadership • Motivation • Juggle many things at once • Etc. • What’s the greatest challenge you’ve faced to date? How did you overcome it? • Judging from your coursework, you don’t seem to have taken too many number-oriented classes. How can you convince me you’re comfortable with numbers?

6. INTERPERSONAL • Tests your “soft” skills • Leadership, teamwork, “people” person, handle criticism • How to prepare? • Highlight team-based components on your resume • Don’t brag • Examples • Describe a time when you received criticism? How did you react? • Tell me a situation where you were on a team, in which everyone else did not get along with your plan? How did you overcome these differences? • How do you characterize your leadership style? • Describe an occasion when you had persuaded someone to do something they didn’t want to do?

7. COMMITMENT • Motivation to do the work • Desire to work for ABC bank versus XYZ bank • Ability to show a credible and thoughtful answer • How to prepare? • Know why you want to be a banker…not money…not prestige • Examine your resume and transcript for inconsistencies • Research and networking help tremendously • Examples • Why do you want to be an investment banker? • What other banks are you interviewing with? • What other companies are you interviewing with? • If you’re given offers at multiple firms, how will you choose among them? • Where do you see yourself in five or so years? • In which group (product/industry or branch) do you see yourself? Why?

8. TECHNICAL • Shows familiarity with financial concepts • Valuation, Corporate Finance, Financial Markets, Economics, and Accounting • Understand your limitations and vulnerabilities • How to prepare? • Answers should be succinct • Concepts > Formulas • Examples • How do you calculate a company’s Free Cash Flow? • The “Hot Dog” Question • Describe what is Beta, and how do you unlever it? • What is Weighted Average Cost of Capital, and how is it calculated? • What is the Capital Asset Pricing Model? • What is the value of a basis point? • Name me a few ways to value a company? • What are the pitfalls in those valuation methods?

9. Q&A/DISCUSSION