I see you’ve listed [Finance Coursework / Training Programs / Other Certifications]

on your resume – can you tell me about what you did for those?

This is where you get to show off everything you’ve done outside of school and work to prepare for the job.

And yes, you definitely want to list all coursework, training programs, and relevant certifications on your resume – otherwise, why did you even bother getting them?

The same 3-point structure applies for the answer. I’ll be overly self-promotional for this one:

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Sample “Good” Answer: “Sure. I recently completed the Breaking Into Wall Street Advanced Financial Modeling course, which focused on a case study of Microsoft’s attempted $44 billion acquisition of Yahoo, one of the biggest potential tech deals ever. I completed 3 main parts: an operating model for Yahoo, a valuation, and a merger model between Microsoft and Yahoo.

In the operating model, I learned how to build detailed revenue projections based on bottoms-up and tops-down methodologies, and create expense projections based on fixed and variable costs such as number of employees; I also created multiple scenarios for the model to correspond to the upside, base, and downside cases.

In the valuation segments, I valued Yahoo using the standard methodologies but focused on the more advanced nuances such as calendarization, adjusting for non-recurring charges, and stub periods and mid-year discounts in the DCF. I also used less common methodologies such as future share price analysis, liquidation valuation, and sum of the parts.

Finally, in the merger model, I built a full 3-statement model that combined Microsoft and Yahoo’s statements and accounted for different scenarios for the acquisition

structure – stock vs. asset vs. 338(h)(10) – and financing options. I also analyzed possible revenue and expense synergies and calculated what the accretion / dilution would be at different levels and what the breakeven synergies were.

Overall, the case study included many of the tasks that you do as an investment banker and I feel very well-prepared and confident that I’ll be able to hit the ground running since I understand operating model projections, valuation, and merger models in-depth.”

Why It’s a Good Answer: He states the name and purpose of the case study, and then goes into more detail on the 3 areas he knows best (or would be most impressive to the interviewer).

You have to be very careful with these questions because they can and will ask you for more detail on something if it’s very relevant. Here, for example, if you do not know the differences between stock vs. asset vs. 338(h)(10) deals that well, you should not bring up the topic.

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Case studies, competitions, and training programs like this will definitely help you in interviews, but only if you know the material well and can address the questions they’ll ask you.

6. I see you’ve listed [Hobby / Sport / Activity] on your resume. Can you tell me about it?

You can use the same structure here, but you may have more difficulty in linking the skills back to finance. Sports are always good to discuss for this one because they

require teamwork, focus over long periods of time, and constant hard work and practice.

Sample “Good” Answer: “Sure. I got my black belt in Judo after almost 9 years of training. It was very difficult to attain, and

receiving the black belt was a big personal accomplishment for me.

Attaining the black belt was very difficult to achieve for several reasons:

First, the amount of training required to reach that level was very extensive. I trained three days a week for 9 years and almost never took a week off. For three nights a week, I spent two hours at the dojo sparring with others and learning new techniques. It took a

lot of self-discipline and commitment to pass up fun events and relaxation time to go to the dojo 3 nights a week.

Also, the training itself tested my limits. At times, the physical pain and exhaustion of the training was so intense that I wanted to quit. One time, I tore my leg muscles when I performed a throw incorrectly and it took me a month to recover.

Training in Judo for 9 years did wonders for my time-management and multi-tasking skills – I had other hobbies and a social life in addition to going to school full-time and eventually working a full-time job, but I always continued training in Judo no matter how busy things got. Even though sometimes I would sleep less or have less time to relax, I learned to prioritize my activities and arrange my schedule so that I would do everything I had to in addition to my work and Judo training.”

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Why It’s a Good Answer: Instead of giving a whimsical answer touching on some of the things he did to attain his black belt, the interviewee provides 3 reasons for why achieving his belt was so difficult. In those 3 reasons, the interviewee describes what he learned and the amount of dedication it required from him.

Although he doesn’t explicitly state the connection to finance here, the link is obvious enough as is: long hours, intense training, focus, the ability to bounce back from everything, multi-tasking, and more. Sometimes you can “over-do it” if you try to explain too much, especially when the question is about your interests or activities.

7. I see you wrote here that you’re fluent in [Language]. Can you tell me about your most recent internship / job in [Language]?

You’re setting yourself up for disaster if you list a language on your resume but can’t back it up – there is no way to “fake” your way through not knowing a language. So take it off if you can’t discuss business vocabulary, or keep it in but make sure you can explain everything on your resume in that language.

You never know if an interviewer just happens to speak the language you put on your resume, so if you cannot speak it fluently enough to describe your resume in that language, leave it out.

There’s no sample answer for this one because it would be the same as what we’ve covered above – only in a language other than English.

The Results of Your Work Experience

8. I see you did a lot of good work at [Internship Name] – did you receive a return