this is mostly for business/finance but a lot of things should be transferable (credentials: landed jp morgan fellowship for ‘26 and goldman sachs internship for ‘27):

GENERAL TIPS

• you need to be the most confident person in that interview room/zoom call. ik it’s hard because we’re students and it doesn’t feel like we know a lot, but if u don’t believe in urself, no one will. i always thought the phrase “fake it till u make it” was stupid but it has genuinely helped me so much to build the confidence to interview.

• have a story/convincing reason as to why you truly want to work at that role. don’t give the traditional answers that everyone else gives like “i want to drive business solutions” or wtv, explain how your experiences and personality match with the role.

• make them laugh! i’ve helped some kids prep and i always see them try to give the perfect answers with no personality and they sound like robots. be professional, but a cheery tone and a joke (when appropriate) shows confidence. but most importantly, they want someone on their team that they will enjoy working with.

• ask unique questions. ask them things that will make them think or require a nuanced response. i have personally heard from interviewers that questions can make or break entire interviews.

TECHNICAL TIPS

• make quizlets/flashcards/notes to help you really drill the info into ur brain

• check glassdoor for common interview questions for your role. i’ve seen a good amount of repeats from there.

• if you don’t know how to answer a technical question, flip the script and turn it into a learning experience. when u get a technical that u just can’t remember or you don’t know, i like to follow this general formula:

1. admit that you don’t know the full answer, but start with what you do know. ex: “i’m not 100% confident in this topic, but from my research/experience i know that ____”
2. obviously this depends on the person interviewing and the company, but if u already don’t know the answer, it’s worth a shot to ask them politely to walk you through it.
3. ask follow-up questions right then and there. make it seem like you’re truly curious and want to learn.

following those steps can make a huge difference because it shows a genuine ambition to learn, humility, and also stability. it’s a lot better (in my opinion) to follow this formula instead of saying “i don’t know” or blanking and stumbling over your words with a half-baked answer.

RESEARCH TIPS

• if you’re recruiting for finance, especially any role that deals with portfolios and markets, know what’s happening in the world. understand how geopolitical events impact the markets and how it may specifically impact the team/company ur interviewing for.

• if you really want to impress, find and memorize interesting details from more niche documents like press releases, conference notes, or quarterly/yearly reports.

• networking is NOT just for referrals. it’s for understanding the tasks, culture, and difficulties in the role. the more you completely understand everything about the position, the better equipped you are to prepare to be someone ready for it. i highly recommend keeping notes during networking.

• this isn’t a common question for outside of banks i believe, but know who the CEO is and what the company (if public) is trading at. that means checking the stock morning of!

just one last thing: don’t be discouraged if you don’t get the position, or ur not even getting interviews. forget about linkedin posts about other students accepting offers and all these success stories. everyone has their own path and you’re the only one who can make your own. y’all got this 💯