Okay to mention uni projects as deal experience?

Question

Hi,
I’m practicing for a superday soon and wanted to ask how much “deal experience” candidates are expected to talk about if they’ve never worked in banking before. Is it okay to reference school projects or should I avoid that in front of VPs/MDs?

Answer 1

Yes, you can mention university projects if you do not have real deal experience, but it is important to keep it honest and precise. If you choose to include a project, focus on what you actually worked on, for example modeling, valuation, market analysis or building a business case. This allows you to show relevant skills even if the setting was academic.

It is better not to present it as deal experience. Instead, describe it as academic or project work that involved deal-related tasks. That way you avoid any misunderstanding and still highlight the abilities you developed.

A well explained university project can still show initiative, analytical thinking and motivation, which are qualities interviewers care about in early finance roles.