“In investment banking, bake-offs decide who gets the deal, and who goes home with a deck no one reads.” That one line sums it up. A bake-off is the make-or-break competition in which banks fight to win a client’s mandate. So why do bake-offs matter so much? In this article we will spell out what … Read more
Key Highlights Brain Teasers in Banking: Necessary Evil or Just Evil? If you’ve ever been blindsided by an interviewer asking how many ping-pong balls fit in a 747, you’re not alone. Brain teasers in banking interviews are a necessary evil we all love to hate. One minute you’re nailing your DCF, and the next you’re … Read more
80,100 hour weeks aren’t exaggerated, this is the job. If you’ve heard horror stories of analysts grinding past midnight and clocking triple-digit hours, believe them. It’s not urban legend or Wall Street hyperbole. This article breaks down just how many hours bankers really work, at each level and in each type of role. We’ll also … Read more
Key Highlights Haircut? No, Not the Salon Kind No, this isn’t about trimming your fade before a client meeting. In banking, a “haircut” isn’t about grooming, it’s about risk. Specifically, it’s the markdown investors and lenders apply to asset values when reality doesn’t match the rosy assumptions. Haircuts show up everywhere: in M&A deals, distressed … Read more