Overwork is a very common theme. Investment bankers often have to sacrifice their personal lives for the job. Another theme is the high - pressure environment. There's always the risk of making a costly mistake in deals.
There was a case where a deal went horribly wrong. The investment bank had misjudged the market conditions for a big IPO. They priced it too high. As a result, the shares tanked on the first day of trading. The bank faced huge losses and a damaged reputation. Their clients were furious, and the bankers involved were under intense scrutiny and pressure.
There was this story of an investment banker who was presenting to a very important client. He accidentally spilled coffee all over his presentation papers right in front of the client. But instead of panicking, he just laughed it off and improvised the rest of the presentation without the papers, and still managed to close the deal.
To tell your story well in such interviews, be authentic. Share real experiences and show your passion and determination. Also, use examples that demonstrate your problem-solving abilities and teamwork skills. Tailor the story to the specific role and bank's culture.
I heard about an investment banker who went to a meeting in a different city. He got lost on his way to the meeting venue and ended up arriving an hour late. To make it worse, he had his tie on backwards. But the client was so amused by his disheveled state that they actually listened more intently to his pitch.
One horror story is when a candidate was asked extremely complex financial math questions on the spot without any warning. They froze and couldn't answer, feeling completely embarrassed. It was a high - pressure situation and they hadn't prepared for such in - depth math during the interview.
Sure. There was a candidate who showed up to the interview in what they thought was appropriate business attire, but the interviewers clearly had different expectations. They were judged from the start based on their appearance, and it set a negative tone for the whole interview. They didn't get the job, and they felt it was unfair as they were qualified but the first impression was ruined.