Have an interview for a contract position in M&A - wanted to get into real estate but this position has coma along...What questions will they ask, best to prepare? Any other useful advice?

Slicks, check the other thread. Don't forget M&A experience is a widely transferable skill set, unlike trading...

I've made it to the final round - group interview with panel of 4 VP's from M&A group. Any advice?

Know your valuation techniques- Comps, Pre-Acqs, DCF, LBO, General M&AOne important thing to remember about M&A is that is more about personality and team fit (in my opinion), than almost any other role that you will find at an Investment Bank. You need to have a good combination of technical skills (though in the end they don't really matter-people pay what they are gonna pay, a lot of modeling is backing into the senior bankers idea for a value), work ethic and people skills - eventually if you are going to be a senior banker in M&A you have to be able to bring deals together, and sell.oh, and to quote my MD on ym first day "Fear and Greed drive all deals" - think about that when you are interviewingLet me know if you have any specific questions before your interview, I've spent a bit of time at an M&A group

EBIT: I've spent a bit of time at an M&A group.Seems to have affected you.

You'll need to convince the interviewers that you can do the hours. A lot of people think they can, but 80+ hours/week soon wear them down and that's why 30-50% of M&A class quit within 2 years. Also you'll need to realise that 80% of what you'll do will be grunt work - updating spreadsheets, doing comps, baby-sitting the print room staff, proof-reading, and tidying up Powerpoint.There's some kind of circle of trust within a M&A team and you should never rely on those outside it (i.e. IT, print room and Powerpoint designers) - if they screw up you take all the shit.

Thanks EBITDA.Any other pointers that you could add? I need to do speed up on some valuation techniques but get the basics - since I've worked in a completely different field - this will be more a learning experience and give me the options to either stick with M&A or move elsewhere..ImaDummy, I made it clear that the hours are not a problem - I'm completely aware that it is going to affect my social time and any other commitments that I have. I do feel that you have to make sacrifices if you want the experience. Besides the way you word things they sound straight out of "Monkey Business"..

Well I spent some time working as a junior in M&A some time ago. Yes there will be time when you'll love your job because what you do are in the news headlines, because you're in a meeting with the CEOs/CFOs, because you're bringing in the bucks. But in M&A the quality of work deterioates the further you're down the ladder. The guy above you will always pick the stuff that's 1. less time consuming and 2. interesting (i.e. something you can put down as deal experience in future). So yes babysitting and proof-reading and grunt work like that will form a large % of your workload, like it or not. Besides your seniors would have gone through the same so they'll expect you to do the same. If you're determine to get into M&A, and you know what you're getting into, then that's perfectly fine and I wish you good luck. It's just that I have seen so many people (e.g. myself) who beleived the sales pitch, jumped into it and realised M&A is not what they really want. I'd also say if you really want to get into real estate side of things then try to work in the financial sponsors group, as sales n leasebacks of properties play a crucial role in many LBOs.Also make sure the firm you're going for is doing live deals - there's nothing worse than doing pitches and have no deal experience to show for after a year.

Imadummy is right on - M&A can be great, but its also a lot of work.I've been an Analyst for a little over a year, learned more in my first 2 months than a whole year spent at school. I have also given up the idea of planning anything on weekends (work 4 outta 5 weekends), have gotten fairly jaded, my girl friend doesn't know whether to feel sorry for me because I work so much or be pissed that I never see her, I think I am starting to get grey hair, but on the flipside when I get my Sept bonus I'm gonna go buy a 67' Porsche 911The valuation stuff is pretty simple, check out Moodys article on EBITDA and the M&A valuation handbook by joseph marren and you should be fine.

Hi EBITDAI am planning to apply for M&A jobs. I would be grateful if you could tell me what sort of questions they ask in M&A interviews. Plus, can you recommend any intoductory book(s) on M&A that will explain the main theories in M&A and give a brief overview of the techniqes (eg valuations) used in M&A.ThanksHas

Monkeys Business, despite being over the top in many occasions, is probably the best book for someone with zero idea of what M&A is all about. Vault's guide to investment banking has loads of tips on interview so is pretty handy too. Valuation techniques are not that hard... there're loads of books on such topics. But if you really want to do well as an analyst, you should know the following stuff very well:Accounting - you don't need to be an accountant, but you should be able to understand the fact that there're usually lots of stuff hidden behind the bold figures (e.g. debt obligations and EBITDA) and know where to look if you need to dig deeper.Powerpoint - it's always quicker for you to do the tidying up presentation yourself.Excel - pretty obvious.Also, never rely on spell checker to do the proof-reading for you.

I'm still waiting to hear back from my final interview- went quite well, they did ask quite a few valuation questions!"Also, never rely on spell checker to do the proof-reading for you. "Made me laugth, thinking about Monkey business after X number of redrafts and the printer room guys!

Hi everyone, I know this is an old thread, but I've got a few questions for those who have M&A experience. I'm going to graduating soon (in a yearish) and I am really into M&A side of finance. I'm going to be getting a BCom major accounting (can't change options now as it's too late) and I was wondering what I should do, or need to do to stand out from others so I can atleast get an interview. I understand that showing genuine interest in Finance is critical and I thought about taking the CFA exam, but I heard that CFA is more related to trading more than M&A. I have considered going to get my CA before I go for the analyst position for M&A and then do corporate finance in one of the big 4 firms, but I was thinking that I might as well try to go for it right away (ie. applying for investment banking directly, instead of getting CA first) and see if I can a job first since I rather not spend 2+ years to get CA then be an analyst.I do have good grades (84% avg) but I heard its not all about the grades that get you the position (like you guys said they want people that are hard working).So, if anyone could give me some advice that would be awesome. Thanks!

symui, i am coming up to completing my CA at a big 4 having worked in across the business inclusing Transaction Support and Valuations in CF. I work with some CFAs but many CAs/ACAs. If you goto one of the big 4, you spend 3 years getting CF experience, rotating between M&A, valuations, Business Modelling, Corporate Restructuring etc...Fine, you won't work on the big deals in M&A at a Big 4, but you will be getting a good blend of experience, you won't have as much of the grunt as you wont work as many hrs as at an IB, and you get the CA. I've peers who are walking into ML and Rothschilds... IB in September i.e. after 3 years, as Associates.The Big 4 and the IBs are all recruiting across IB, so you are well placed to get in, just be sure you are ready to do IB as I can't get wait to get the hell out of doing monkey work when I can spend a year back at Uni and use my brain again in quant.You'll still need a min 2:1 for a Big 4, but if you can't get that then i'd apply to Sainsburys like the other 40% of BSc's.I've mates in IB as well as the Big 4, so PM me if you want more info.