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Reply 5800
Original post by Aenigma
As technical as the interviewer likes?
Lots if friends with GS sec spring week interviews got fairly tough technicals:
DCFs
Greeks
Derivs
ETFs
Bond maths
Explaining/coming up with option strategies
In depth option problems
Whether is stated as being competency based makes very litter difference but I suppose your naïveté is endearing. I wouldn't spread opinion as fact to other people in that way, though


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I'm just going by what was said at a GS event; that students of unrelated degrees will not be expected to know all of that. Thanks for correcting me though - I guess I've more prepping to do.
Original post by Aenigma
As technical as the interviewer likes?
Lots if friends with GS sec spring week interviews got fairly tough technicals:
DCFs
Greeks
Derivs
ETFs
Bond maths
Explaining/coming up with option strategies
In depth option problems
Whether is stated as being competency based makes very litter difference but I suppose your naïveté is endearing. I wouldn't spread opinion as fact to other people in that way, though


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That's not true. As someone earlier said, it will be commercial awareness and really really basic economics/finance.
Its SW, not a graduate program.

Don't worry guys, he's trying to scare you. best of luck
Original post by Aenigma
As technical as the interviewer likes?
Lots if friends with GS sec spring week interviews got fairly tough technicals:
DCFs
Greeks
Derivs
ETFs
Bond maths
Explaining/coming up with option strategies
In depth option problems
Whether is stated as being competency based makes very litter difference but I suppose your naïveté is endearing. I wouldn't spread opinion as fact to other people in that way, though

Posted from TSR Mobile


Does this differ if you applied for sec or IBD?
Original post by Aenigma
As technical as the interviewer likes?
Lots if friends with GS sec spring week interviews got fairly tough technicals:
DCFs
Greeks
Derivs
ETFs
Bond maths
Explaining/coming up with option strategies
In depth option problems
Whether is stated as being competency based makes very litter difference but I suppose your naïveté is endearing. I wouldn't spread opinion as fact to other people in that way, though

Posted from TSR Mobile

do all your friends do economics by any chance?
Btw, guess GS has two rounds for securities division too.
Original post by CD315
I'm just going by what was said at a GS event; that students of unrelated degrees will not be expected to know all of that. Thanks for correcting me though - I guess I've more prepping to do.


Fair, but I suppose it's what is considered an unrelated degree
I would only consider finance a related degree but some people would include econ(including PPE and related) and maths

I think the important thing is to remember the interview isn't conducted by hr (or at least it wasn't last year when it was 1 round). So Hr may specify certain things for interviews to ask and they may ignore it

For example, I'm applying for IBD and had an interview (not for spring) that included most of the things mentioned above because my interviewer thought I'd know the IBD stuff and it would be more interesting to see me work out things I had no clue about from first principles

Best o' luck :smile:

Pm for qs because I think I wrote down the securities questions I was asked


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Original post by REAMIL73
That's not true. As someone earlier said, it will be commercial awareness and really really basic economics/finance.
Its SW, not a graduate program.

Don't worry guys, he's trying to scare you. best of luck


Cool story brah


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Original post by Mralpha
Does this differ if you applied for sec or IBD?


Yeah, you'd probably get different types of technicals but maybe not a huge variance in difficulty (I think IBD interviews tend to stretch more, though like LBOs are kind of ridiculous to ask but it happens)


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Original post by welcometoib
do all your friends do economics by any chance?


Nope

Languages
Geography
Politics
Maths
Physics
Engineering
Law
Some econ and finance, though, undoubtedly

Think my spring weeks were roughly 50;50 econ/finance background:unrelated


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I had an interview with JP on the 2nd Jan, do any of you know when results should be expected? I was too distracted to ask during the interview.. :confused:
As technical as the interviewer likes?
Lots if friends with GS sec spring week interviews got fairly tough technicals:
DCFs
Greeks
Derivs
ETFs
Bond maths
Explaining/coming up with option strategies
In depth option problems
Whether is stated as being competency based makes very litter difference but I suppose your naïveté is endearing. I wouldn't spread opinion as fact to other people in that way, though


I think that GS would only quizz you on these if you have put on your CV that you have previously interned in finance or have knowledge of such instruments/valuation methodologies. I find it hard to believe that you will be asked to walk through a DCF if you have no previous experience; reading up on this online is hard enough. In order to walk through it properly, you really need to have good understanding of accounting and should actually have build a DCF step by step. Even if you look at Ac*****ng & Finance @ LSE/Warwick, they don't teach you how to put a DCF together (first year), instead the focus is on basic financial & managerial accounting/economics and stats related modules. Even then it would be difficult.

I have 2 friends at UCL Econ who have interviewed for GS IBD and they got asked commercial awareness & competency questions. But, they have no previous experience in finance.
(edited 9 years ago)
Original post by $$$stackemup$$$
I think that GS would only quizz you on these if you have put on your CV that you have previously interned in finance or have knowledge of such instruments/valuation methodologies. I find it hard to believe that you will be asked to walk through a DCF if you have no previous experience; reading up on this online is hard enough. In order to walk through it properly, you really need to have good understanding of accounting and should actually have build a DCF step by step. Even if you look at Ac*****ng & Finance @ LSE/Warwick, they don't teach you how to put a DCF together (first year), instead the focus is on basic financial & managerial accounting/economics and stats related modules. Even then it would be difficult.

I have 2 friends at UCL Econ who have interviewed for GS IBD and they got asked commercial awareness & competency questions. But, they have no previous experience in finance.


Perhaps, although I think a DCF walls through is far simpler than you're suggesting and at spring level a general conceptual explanation is usually fine (forecast future cash flow, find terminal value discount back to present, find NPV et voila - you may be asked to go into more detail but that's generally fine)
I have a good detailed DCF answer, though, if you need help but i do think you're overcomplicating - I will actually just post that here when I get on my computer and anyone interested can shoot me qs

Yeah, mine was all competency at spring week (although I had experience) and not very IBD technical at summer (I had a heavily technical interview but it wasn't related to IBD)


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Perhaps, although I think a DCF walls through is far simpler than you're suggesting and at spring level a general conceptual explanation is usually fine (forecast future cash flow, find terminal value discount back to present, find NPV et voila - you may be asked to go into more detail but that's generally fine)


Point taken. Cheers.
Thanks mate
Anyone who has an offer from JPM and plans to accept the interview with GS? Is it common to accept an offer and then reject it when you get another offer?
Actually pm if you want the DCF thing. I'll probably be recogniseable if I post it here (sent it to some amigos)


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Original post by Aenigma
Nope

Languages
Geography
Politics
Maths
Physics
Engineering
Law
Some econ and finance, though, undoubtedly

Think my spring weeks were roughly 50;50 econ/finance background:unrelated


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your language and geography friends were asked about DCF and option strats? :eek:
Original post by CD315
If it's first round CitiQuest then it's just competency, mine was basic

was ok, bit weird some qs. when did you/ how long to hear back?
Original post by Laplace
Anyone who has an offer from JPM and plans to accept the interview with GS? Is it common to accept an offer and then reject it when you get another offer?


its common enough to do it yeah. Any other sws? if you have jpm+ somewhere else already then gs is not worth over the two current offers, if not then go for gs and gl! :smile:
Reply 5819
Anyone here with an int for GS investment managment?