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Crafting Your Story for Investment Banking Interviews

Your story is an important part of the interview process. It sells why investment banking is a wise career at this stage of your life, and why you'd be great at it. You should see it as your one-minute sales pitch. During an informational or evaluative interview, it is often the first item addressed.

• Why you want to be an investment banker
• Why you want to work for _____ Investment Bank
• Why you are a good fit for this particular bank

Your story should be concise and should emphasize transferable skills and experiences you bring to the job from the following sources:

• Prior work experience (most relevant source)
• Extracurricular activities
• School coursework and assignments

When communicating your story, it is usually best to relate what you know about investment banking to what you've DONE in the past. This is much more compelling than simply reciting what you think an investment banker does and stating that you think you'd be good at it.

Is there such a thing as a bad story? Yes. A bad story amplifies how little you know about the job and the firm. So, take the time to craft your story.

Tips to a crafting a compelling story:
• Learn as much as you possibly can about the industry, the players and the job itself. Sources will be friends, classmates, firm presentations, the internet and possibly prior exposure.
• Research the people you’ll be meeting with. That will help you tailor your story to your “audience.” If the interviewer was also a career switcher, you will have a better shot at selling your transferable skills. It will also help you ask better questions that the interviewer can answer. For example, if you want to be a healthcare banker, do not ask questions about the healthcare industry to an energy banker.
• Memorize your resume. You should not have to look at it during the interview. (After all, you wrote it). In fact, it is bad etiquette to refer to it directly during the interview by pointing, etc.
• Memorize your story
• Practice telling your story. Practice with your friends and sign up for mock interviews.