Breaking into Investment Banking in HK Pt . 3—Superdays
This guide contains content from Dragonfly’s first webinar — Breaking into Investment Banking in Hong Kong. Written by Dragonfly with the help of return offer holders from Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, HSBC, and Citi.
Superdays
Overview
The superday is the last stage of application process.
- Ranges from 3–5 hours depending on bank.
- Usually consists of case studies, series of 1-on-1 interviews with senior management, and/or group discussions.
Requires all-rounded preparation
Firms will evaluate you in many different ways, ranging from personality fit, technicals, logical thinking, presentation skills, ability to handle pressure etc.
Accounting preparation
- Not particularly difficult questions as interviewers do not expect an accounting background. But make sure you understand the basics.
Case study preparation
- Requires strong local thinking, advocacy and accounting skills.
- Deal-related: key is to think like a banker and provide insights on deal dynamics (elaborated in Pt. 2); excelling requires strong technicals.
- Non deal-related: key is to articulate thought process clearly; note that topics can be highly unpredictable (e.g. how to evaluate a company that offers rocket rides to space)
Go the extra-mile
Supplementary preparation can be the difference-maker.
- Network strategically and develop firm and industry knowledge — cold message firm staff on LinkedIn to offer interesting insights during interviews (e.g. what deals the firm has done, current deal trends, which sectors the firm focuses on)
- Prepare supplementary materials — e.g. know the markets, prepare stock pitches, deal ideas, be able to talk about deals outside of your CV, prepare industry-specific knowledge, know the key strategic initiatives the firm is focusing on and key figures in their annual report
Miscellaneous tips
- Make sure you are in the zone
- Ensure attire is top-notch
- Arrive 15 minutes early
- Greet the receptionist
- Bring a small book to jot notes/names
- Treat other candidates well
This guide concludes a 3 part guide on how to break into investment banking in Hong Kong. If you found this helpful, do check out Part 1— CV/Candidate Profile, and Part 2— Interview Preparation.
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