Wall Street Oasis

@WallStreetOasis

7 EXCLUSIVE BANK-SPECIFIC
BEHAVIOURAL/FIT
QUESTIONS
From Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, Morgan
Stanley, Citigroup, Bank of America...

WITH ANSWERS
 Wall Street Oasis
@WallStreetOasis

1. What do you like to do

outside of school and work?
(Goldman Sachs Behavioral
Questions)

Ideally, the interviewer is looking for anything

you can speak genuinely and passionately about,
and support it with examples of your dedication
towards it from your past experiences.
 Wall Street Oasis
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2. What makes you stand out /

What should we remember you
by? (JP Morgan Fit Questions)

This is similar to the ‘What are your strengths?’

question. Have a concise 30-second pitch prepared.
Concentrate on the three main bullets highlighted in
the introduction, and identify three of your traits
that manifest those qualities.

Examples include things like being extremely driven,

never giving up, wanting to learn, looking for
challenges, etc. Make sure you take only 20-30
seconds and speak with confidence, but make sure
to avoid arrogance.
 Wall Street Oasis
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3. What are your leadership

involvements outside of finance?
(Morgan Stanley Fit Interview)

It is important to show that you are comfortable

taking up a leadership role or working under the
leadership of someone else. It is important to be
able to do both.

Talk about past projects that show you being

successful in both types of roles. Talk about your
teamwork skills (communication, collaboration, etc.)
and how those skills are effective when you are the
leader as well as when you are supporting someone
else’s leadership.
 Wall Street Oasis
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4. Why Citi? (Citigroup Soft

Skills Evaluation)

This question can generally be asked by any bank, and

the preparation routine is consistent across all such
banks. Ideally, you want to tie in and present an
alignment between your interests and values, with the
firm’s culture, and support this with examples.

An exceptionally strong way of demonstrating this

would be networking with current investment bankers
at the bank, and talking about the appreciation you felt
towards the characteristics of those you networked
with (refer to specific people wherever possible) and
concluding with how that makes you feel the bank
would be a great place to work.
 Wall Street Oasis
@WallStreetOasis

5. What do you consider the

biggest negative about this job?
(Bank of America Behavioral
Questions)

Your interviewer is giving you a chance to give a

“negative” about the job and explain why you don’t see
it as a negative. The overwhelmingly popular response
to this question is the lack of work-life balance, long
hours, very unpredictable schedules, etc. Quickly
mention the negative and then move on to why it
doesn’t bother you.

Sample answer:
I have been fortunate enough to have a lot of contacts
who work in finance, and their usual response to this
question is the long hours. However, every single
person I have spoken with has said that they enjoy their
job and they think the hours are worth it. This job will
give me 4 - 5 years of work experience in only two
years. It’s an opportunity I crave and a learning
experience I don’t want to miss. I am ready for the
challenges and I want to show that I can handle them.
 Wall Street Oasis
@WallStreetOasis

6. How important do you think it is

to be maintaining connections in this
industry? (Credit Suisse Fit
Assessment Question)

While networking is generally seen as important for

advancing one’s professional career irrespective of
industry, there is significantly more weight placed on its
value within the investment banking industry relative to
other industries.

Ideally, your answer should acknowledge this fact, and

you should support this with examples of you
maintaining connections with a variety of professionals
and the insights you have learned through their shared
experiences.
 Wall Street Oasis
@WallStreetOasis

7. What are your hobbies?

(UBS Behavioural Interviews)

This question is quite a personal one, so feel free to

expand upon this as per your choice. One key point
we’d like to iterate is that it is disadvantageous to “fake”
an interest or hobby with the intent of faking a “click”
with your interviewer. Interviewers can often see
through this, and it could potentially harm your chances
of getting an offer.

It is much more beneficial to highlight a hobby that

requires a set of transferable skills or values to IB, such
as competitive sports (which involve having a strong
work ethic), and passionately speaking about them.