Preparation Plan

Preparing for a finance interview can quickly feel overwhelming, especially if it’s your first in-person interview at an investment bank, private equity firm, or venture capital company. These interviews are often quite challenging, typically testing your technical knowledge, personal fit, and even mental math skills right on the spot. To make a confident impression, you’ll need more than just what you learned in class.

With a structured plan, you can build your preparation step by step and focus on the topics that truly matter in the interview.
 

Key Components of a Strong Finance Interview Preparation

To prepare effectively for a finance interview, you should understand the interview process, master the technical basics, practice typical interview questions, and polish your personal presentation. These components are interconnected and the better you align them, the more confident you'll be during the interview.

Here’s how to approach your preparation step by step, so you can impress both technically and personally.

1. Understand the Interview Process in the Finance Industry.

A typical finance application process involves multiple stages. After the CV screening, there are often online assessments and short phone or video interviews. These early steps primarily assess your motivation, communication skills, and basic numerical understanding.

However, the most critical step is the in-person interview. This is where it’s decided whether you can impress not only on paper but also in person. Most companies structure this interview in two parts:

The technical interview tests your knowledge of balance sheets, income statements, cash flows, key metrics, and valuation methods. The key isn’t just having the right answers, but being able to explain complex topics clearly and logically under time pressure.

The personal fit interview assesses whether you fit the team and company culture. Interviewers look for motivation, behavior, resilience, and relevant examples from your academic or professional background that highlight your soft skills.

Keep in mind: Every company may structure its process and interviews differently. Be sure to research the specific companies you’re applying to and gather insights from other candidates. You can use our Q&A section or browse our finance blog for company-specific interview guides that show what to expect in each selection process.

2. Build Up Your Financial Knowledge Strategically.

To stand out in a finance interview, it’s not enough to just memorize terms. You need a solid understanding of how everything fits together and the ability to explain it clearly. Make sure to cover the following key topics:

• Balance sheet: Understand the structure of assets and liabilities and how different transactions impact the balance sheet.
• Income statement (P&L): Know the flow from revenue to net income and understand items like depreciation and interest expenses.
• Cash flow statement: Learn the distinctions between operating, investing, and financing cash flows, and how it links with the balance sheet and P&L.
• Working capital: Understand how receivables, payables, and inventory affect capital tied up and why it matters for daily operations and valuations.
• Free cash flow: Be able to explain how it’s calculated and why it's a key metric for investors.
• DCF model for valuation: Grasp the basic structure of a DCF model (forecast, discounting, terminal value), including concepts like WACC (Weighted Average Cost of Capital) and FCFF (Free Cash Flow to the Firm).
• Valuation multiples: Be ready to explain how EV/EBITDA or P/E ratios are used and what to watch out for.

These examples offer a great starting point, but it’s important to dive deeper into other finance concepts and models to build a broad and solid understanding.

3. Practice Technical Interview Questions.

Once you’ve understood the key finance concepts, focus on applying them in interviews. Technical questions are a standard in nearly every finance interview – whether you’re applying for investment banking, corporate finance, or private equity.

These questions aren’t meant to trip you up with complex formulas. Instead, interviewers want to see if you think logically, understand the material, and can explain it clearly. Regular practice is essential.

Typical questions you may encounter include:

• Can you explain how the three financial statements are connected?
• What’s the effect of increased depreciation on the financial statements?
• How is a company valued using the DCF method?

👉 Check out these comprehensive question sets from our Case Library with typical technical questions to practice with:

4. Prepare for the Personal Fit Section.

Beyond technical knowledge, your personality plays a key role in the finance interview. Interviewers want to understand what drives you, how you handle stress, and whether you’d be a good fit for the team.

Here are some example questions:

• Why do you want to work in investment banking?
• Tell me about a time you had to make a decision under pressure.
• What’s your biggest failure, and what did you learn from it?
• Where do you see yourself in five years?
• Why should we hire you?

👉 Use our Stress Questions to optimally prepare for the personal fit section!

5. Conduct Mock Interviews.

Once you’ve mastered the technical content and practiced key fit questions, start simulating real interview scenarios. Mock interviews with other candidates are one of the best ways to boost your confidence, especially for in-person interviews.

These sessions help you practice not just your answers but also your reactions to unexpected follow-ups, your body language, and how you communicate under pressure. You'll get immediate feedback, better understand your own performance, and refine your interview timing and structure.

👉 Use our Meeting Board to connect with peers and schedule mock interviews.

6. Consider Practicing with a Coach.

If you've already completed some mock interviews and want to target specific weaknesses, a coach or mentor can help you level up. Especially in competitive areas like investment banking or private equity, an outside perspective can make a big difference in improving your performance.

A coach provides structured, honest feedback and helps you sharpen your technical explanations, strengthen your arguments, and refine your presentation. Often, outsiders can spot weaknesses you might not be aware of.

Find the right coach to help take your interview prep to the next level:

How Much Time Should You Plan for Your Finance Interview Preparation?

Ideally, start your finance interview prep six to eight weeks before your interview. The weekly time commitment depends on your background. If you're coming from a non-finance field, plan to invest around 10-12 hours per week. That allows you to build foundational knowledge at a steady pace.

If you have a business background or prior experience, 6-8 hours per week is often enough to consolidate your knowledge.

What matters most isn’t just understanding the content, but being able to explain it clearly, apply it logically, and connect the dots under time pressure. That’s why it’s essential to practice regularly, reflect on your performance, and simulate real interviews.
 

5 Tips to Make Your Practice Plan Actually Work

A good prep plan is only effective if you stick to it. In the middle of busy study or work schedules, it’s easy to get distracted or only practice superficially. These five tips will help you stay focused and efficient:

• Set clear goals: Define weekly targets (e.g., master five technical questions or complete two mock interviews). This helps you stay organized and motivated.
• Practice regularly, not all at once: It’s more effective to learn in shorter, frequent sessions rather than cramming on weekends. Schedule fixed time slots you can realistically keep.
• Focus on weak points: Spend extra time on topics that consistently challenge you. That’s the only way to make real progress.
• Use feedback constructively: Whether it’s from peers, mentors, or coaches – take time to reflect on and apply feedback so you avoid repeating mistakes.
• Stay flexible and honest with yourself: Adjust your plan if something isn’t working. You may need more repetition – or more breaks. What matters is staying consistent and focused on progress, not perfection.
   

Key Takeaways: Make the Most of Your Interview Prep

The in-person finance interview is a decisive step in the application process. It reveals whether you can apply your knowledge, communicate clearly, and impress in conversation. That’s why targeted preparation is so important.

Build a strong foundation early, practice common interview questions, improve your delivery, and simulate real interview situations. Use feedback purposefully, be honest with yourself, and adapt your plan as needed.

With a focused and consistent approach, you’ll walk into your interview more confident and improve your chances of making a strong impression – and ultimately receiving an offer.

Good luck with your preparation!