Having sat over 50 interviews during my time at an investment bank and several more during my career, I heard and asked a fair share of annoying interview questions. In this post I would like to share them with you.

At the later stages of the application process it is even more important that you show up well prepared to your interviews. Not only because you want to outperform the other candidates but also because you can have sort of a peace of mind going into interviews, knowing you are actually prepared.

Here goes my second article. Check out my first one. Rounds of rounds of rounds of interviews.. why? What does it take for someone to standout?

Investment banking stays the golden ticket in finance, where the bonus component of your paycheck can swell two or three times your base in blockbuster years. It's not about just the cash only either—getting on an internship or graduate role can serve as the stepping stone into any solid corporate or startup career.

Hi guys! I thought I would post a guide to Investment Banking 101 - what it is, and roughly how investment banks are organized. Feel free to comment and ask more questions, happy to discuss them here!

No doubt a rise in interest rates affects M&A volume. The general structure of a M&A buyout can be conducted in two broad categories, being a leverage buyout or all cash / equity funded transaction. Both are affected in different ways.

The two main methodologies used for the valuation of a company are DCF (Discounted Cash Flows) and EBITDA multiples.

A common mistake many analysts make in their initial years at an investment bank is being so focused on technical skills that they forget the importance of soft skills. This article runs through what I can consider some of the most vital soft skills to ensure you consistently find yourself in the top bucket (as faultless modelling alone definitely won’t do it).

Whether to stay in Investment Banking or attempt a move to potentially greener pastures in Private Equity is an important question that will cross the mind of most young bankers. Both career paths are very well paid and will offer fantastic experiences both personally and professionally.

Many students will think working in M&A is tiring, and that it means working from early in the morning until late in the evening (or early the next morning). Other students believe this entails only working on PowerPoint presentations – which is in fact often the case. However, this would only apply in your early years as a junior banker.

Working within the FIG team at an investment bank will be a unique experience compared to that of the other teams. This article will address some of the features unique to the sector and hopefully help in assessing whether FIG is for you.

First of all, we need to understand what a bond is. Companies generally have 2 main ways of getting financing, which are equity or debt.

M&A advisory is the business of buying and selling businesses. It connects ambitious buyers with willing sellers, whether advising entrepreneurs on the sale of their company or guiding private equity (‘PE’) firms through complex acquisitions and mergers. It is a game of high-stakes matchmaking powered by strategy, negotiation, analysis and deal execution.

An LBO analyses the implied financial returns of the acquisition of a company purchased with a significant amount of debt, by a financial sponsor / private equity firm. The implied returns are typically expressed as an internal rate of return (IRR) or multiple-on-money (MoM). The acquirer aims to use the minimum possible amount of equity capital to fund the acquisition in order to maximise returns.

In the ever-evolving world of investment banking, carving out a unique career path for yourself can seem daunting, but it comes with rewards. We sit down with an ex-Associate investment banker who has done just that.

People who work in investment banking are usually grouped based on their function (M&A, IPOs, etc) or industry focus. When you join a bank for an internship or a full-time position, you could start as a generalist or join a team that focuses on a specific industry.

The late 1980s saw the rise of the Leveraged Buyout (LBO) era, exemplified by KKR’s acquisition of RJR Nabisco. The core concept was to acquire a business with a high level of borrowed funds, improve operations, and use the company’s cash flows to repay the debt.

Industry Coverage Groups are specialized teams within investment banks that focus and have expertise in specific sectors/industries exclusively. Within a deal team, analysts to MD gain deep industry knowledge (as well as build valuable relationships in parallel) mostly through helping enterprises raise capital or merge with another enterprise.

Financial modeling in investment banking is a sophisticated analytical discipline that forms the backbone of virtually every major corporate transaction and strategic decision in the capital markets.

If you’re a student or junior banker looking at investment banking, it’s natural to focus almost entirely on technical skills. You’re told to master accounting, valuation, financial modelling, and Excel shortcuts. All of that matters, especially early on. But there’s a skill that quietly becomes just as important, and often much earlier than people expect: communication.

Technical proficiency has become a non-negotiable requirement for careers in investment banking, private equity, and corporate finance. While universities provide a theoretical foundation, most employers expect junior hires to arrive with a working knowledge of financial modeling, valuation, and transaction mechanics.

For most students and junior bankers, “investment banking” is taught as a linear, rational process. You analyse a company, build a model, prepare a polished deck, pitch to the client, and eventually execute a transaction. Actually, that description captures only half of the job, and in many cases not the half that determines whether a deal actually gets done.

In this episode Alex discusses the investment banking industry with a Bocconi alumni, who spent 15 years in the trenches as a Director at Morgan Stanley's Capital Markets division. They cover topics like breaking in, AI, exit opportunities and the future of the industry.

“Wait, you can buy a company? Not just buy something at a company?” The first time I learned companies were for sale, I was flummoxed.

Alex and David discuss breaking in from PwC in Dublin to Lazard in London, the grim realities of life on the desk, and his thoughts on AI's impact on the industry

You've probably heard the word "transaction" thrown around like confetti at a trading floor celebration. But what does it actually mean? Not in the dictionary sense — in the real, practical, "this is what bankers actually do" sense. Let's break it down.

Investment banking transactions can be broadly categorised into several key buckets, spanning both M&A advisory and capital markets activities. Each transaction type serves different strategic objectives and requires distinct skill sets, though all involve high-stakes financial decision-making and execution.

The allure of investment banking (IB) in London draws ambitious graduates from across the globe, promising high-stakes deals, prestige, and a gateway to the City's financial elite.