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I’ve done the Spring Weeks and summer internships. But what I’ve also experienced now is interviews and recruitment processes from a different perspective, working alongside senior team members at a large global bank in London.

So, the obvious question is: “what would I do differently if I applied for investment banking internships and analyst roles all over again?”

Common mistakes students make when applying for investment banking roles

I’ll tell you right now, like most students, I spent hours studying investment banking technical questions and concepts (valuation, accounting, market sizing): I studied HARD for those interviews. I remember being sat on my dorm room floor with (genuinely) hundreds of pages of handwritten notes to every possible interview question I could think of.

I found all of the resources there were online and took the best of each.

All of that got me 80% of the way there. But what truly got me over the finish line? One specific conversation with one of my many interviewers...

What often makes the difference in investment banking interviews

I was on the phone with a senior, and we were chatting about something I can’t even remember now. But somehow, we ended up discussing a deal I told him I read about and had piqued my interest. Turns out, he was very familiar with that situation, and we ended up having a lively discussion.

Looking back, I realized it was more than a stroke of luck. That conversation wasn’t really about the deal. It was about turning an interview into a genuine, passionate discussion between two people (regardless of seniority). One where I could show my personality and he could show his. I came away with the sense that the conversation built real rapport and trust.

That moment made me realize how important delivery and connections are. EVERYONE has an answer to “walk me through an LBO”. Being prepared for those technical conversations isn’t an advantage, it’s simply an expectation.

If I were to go back in time, once I nailed those answers, I would be working on the energy I was bringing forward: the skills that defined my first impression within the first 7 seconds of meeting the interviewer.

Because, honestly, that conversation felt like a turning point in how the interview unfolded. Now, what if I had taken the time to connect with all of my interviewers in the same way? I certainly wouldn’t be second guessing whether I performed well after each round. The answer would have been obvious, and the application process would have been a breeze.

I need to re-iterate this again. This is a lesson I learned through my own interviews, and later seeing how interview conversations unfold in practice from a different perspective. Interpersonal skills matter far more than most candidates realize and improving them can meaningfully change how investment banking interviews feel and flow.

And that’s exactly why SelfCapital Network exists! We’ve got you covered with your fundamental, base case interview skills for investment banking (y’know, your technical questions, behavioral scenarios, etc.), but we also have made it our mission to give you the best opportunities to hone your interpersonal skills (go check them out for free).

Start here and build the toolkit we’ve carefully designed to help you approach your interviews with confidence and real clarity.

This blog walks through the hours, responsibilities, and daily workflow of an investment banking associate at a bulge-bracket bank in London, based on my own experience at the time.

Hey guys! Ever wondered what a typical day in investment banking looks like? Follow an associate from a bulge-bracket bank in London through a 17-hour Tuesday: come see what a day in my life can look like as an investment banker.

Quick disclaimer: This post reflects my own experience and is shared for educational purposes.

What a typical day in investment banking looks like

It’s December as I’m writing this, and we’re in the middle of a BUSY period. Around Xmas time, you tend to end up in one of two camps: either work is ramping down, or you're one of the few with a busy workload just before the end of the year.

Don't get me wrong, 17-hour days aren't always the norm. Investment banking hours, at least in my case, tend to go up and down quite frequently, meaning my work-life balance also looks different day-to-day.

A day in the life of an investment banking associate: hour by hour breakdown

8am: I logged off at midnight last night, so I set my alarm for 8am today. Like many investment banking associates, the first thing I did when I woke up today was check my work phone for anything urgent.

When I was an analyst, a lot of it was to check if there were any urgent to-do’s from my associate. Now I’m the associate, I’m checking for:

1. Urgent overnight work from clients / seniors

2. Any questions from my analyst that I can answer, so I’m not the bottleneck for any work they’re doing on our project

Replied to a couple emails - nothing urgent that can’t wait til I’m at the office.

8.45am: Opened up my Spotify playlist and hopped on the tube to Bank station. Checked my emails again during my commute.

9.15am: Arrived at the office and replied to some more emails. A few rolled in from the accountants on our deal – one of the external parties on the deal called to check for a quick morning update on to-do’s for the day. I pulled up my tracker, gave the update and passed this conversation onto my VP and analyst to keep them in the loop.

10am: Emails. Emails. Emails (+ a couple calls). Since I got promoted from an analyst to an associate, I’ve found myself spending most of the day (my 9-5) answering emails from 5-6 different parties (accountants, other external advisers, buyers, our client). On deals like this, the team typically acts as the main point of contact.

11am: Caught up with my analyst to check in on their progress and come up with a game plan for the afternoon while I’m stuck in my inbox. We popped out for a quick coffee break – an excuse for some fresh air and a break away from our screens.

11.25am: Back to work! My VP stopped by my desk and wanted to discuss the model I sent him last night. We called over the analyst as well. This is one of my favourite parts of the job in all honesty. We spent some time debating my assumptions and figuring out the best way forward.

During my analyst years, for a long time, I didn’t get much opportunity to own the modeling workstream. I found myself staffed on lots of urgent executions, and so my associate would usually have to take on the model - was just a matter of circumstance.

The last 6 months before my promotion, I got to spend a lot more time working on my modeling skillset - the key to it was working with seniors who I got on well with, and who were invested in my learning.

12.30pm: Lunchtime! A bunch of us went to a sushi place down the street - one of the local spots for our team.

I’ve started building up a habit of eating away from my desk - something I didn’t do a lot of in my analyst years (even though I could have, looking back).

Kept an eye on my phone for anything urgent - thankfully nothing :)

1.30pm: Back at my desk - I took another look at our signed-off weekly call agenda for a Zoom meeting at 2pm with the client.

2pm: Led the call – it’s mainly a quick update from our end each time and then passing it to the other parties on the call – nothing technical but super important that these weekly project calls happen so we’re all aware of the latest status for each workstream.

3pm: Cleaned up the model for our discussion points from earlier and sat down with my analyst to go over the “what” and “why” of the latest model.

My analyst then took it over to output while I wrote out some of the key messaging slides on my plate + responded to moreeee emails :)))

6pm: I reviewed the latest slides from both our ends, and combined them into the latest draft of our deck – shipped off to the VP for any comments.

6.30pm: DINNER. I feel like I mentally plan around my meals – writing out this blog right now has made me hyper aware of that fact!!

By now, the MDs are packing up and leaving the office (will still be online later in the day though).

This is my team’s dinner routine: we all have our go-to at this point from Deliveroo and order at the same time. Then it’s dinner in the big meeting room as a group – I don’t know how that comes across through the screen but honestly, it’s a nice part of the day. We just chat about anything and relax while seniors are heading off / reviewing our work.

8pm: Ok, now it’s time to focus and try to get out at a decent time. My analyst and I sat down on our evening game plan – split the slides and comments from my VP and got to work.

11pm: Slides done. My analyst cleaned up our daily tracker while I reviewed our slides once more.

11.30pm: Shared back with the VP and headed home while we waited for comments / sign off.

00.30am: Email from the VP signing off on the version.

I popped a message to my analyst, asking them to share it with the seniors in PDF format - it’s important to create opportunities for your analyst to get their name out there in senior emails. My mentor did it for me, and I’m doing my best to be conscious to create that space for my colleagues now as well.

1am: Email from the MD noting he will review in the morning.

Set my alarm for 8am and I’m off to bed!

What this teaches you about investment banking interviews

Every day in investment banking looks different. Some are more fast-paced, others are less so. In my experience at least, I never know what my day will fully look like when I walk in at 9am. It forms over the day and really depends on our client’s needs.

A lot of what fills my day – reviewing slides, managing inboxes, prioritizing under pressure – also shows up indirectly in interviews, assessment centers, and case studies. Candidates are often assessed on more than just technical knowledge. They’re assessed on how clearly they think, how carefully they work, and how they handle ambiguity, often with limited time and incomplete information.

SelfCapital Network was built to help students practice these skills in interview and assessment center settings, before they ever step into a role. From time-pressured inbox simulations to slide checks and structured mock interviews, the goal is to reduce uncertainty and interview anxiety, so the real thing doesn’t feel unfamiliar.

That's why platforms like SelfCapital Network are here. Whether you’re preparing for Spring Weeks, internships, or assessment centers, go try out our mock interview questions, inbox simulator, and slide checks for free now! Get a feel for how interviews quietly test more than just memorized answers.

What investment banking case studies and assessment centers commonly reward

Precision under pressure.

It’s not about being the “smartest”. It’s about showing you’re the one who can create a deck that’s clean, well thought out, and error-free, so you don’t lose out from avoidable mistakes.

Let’s get this out of the way first: we’re not saying you can’t make mistakes. Everyone does. But the key goal is to catch them quickly and not repeat.

What’s important here is:

• Can you stand behind your calcs?

• Do you make repeated errors?

• Can reviewers trust your work?

Focus on demonstrating strong role fit in your investment banking interviews. Think about it like this: if you come across as the type to consistently send miscalcs, or messaging that doesn't fit the data shown (or vice versa), your assessors may start to question whether you understand the concepts or if you've just memorized certain steps without getting the "why" of it all.

QA – quality assurance – is one clear way to demonstrate the standard often expected in interviews: your credibility is on the line.

Investment banking slide checks: building execution and QA habits

Our slide checks show you realistic slides packed with subtle, common errors that are seen frequently in investment banking case studies:

• Calcs that don’t tie

• Formatting inconsistencies

• Messaging that breaks flow

• Incorrect valuations or assumptions

• Branding or footnotes that slip past unnoticed

You’re forced to think with analyst-level attention to detail.

Slide review feedback: tagging, scoring, and tracking

Every slide check:

• Is tagged by skill

• Gets scored and tracked in your dashboard

• Helps you benchmark how sharp you are

This isn’t busywork. This reflects the level of attention to detail expected in early-career roles. This is how you show you can meet a professional standard and demonstrate the reliability and attention to detail expected in investment banking interviews and case studies.

Final word

QA is the difference between “good enough” and “ready to submit”.

Try practicing with our investment banking slides and pitchbooks for free at SelfCapital Network - start catching what others miss.

This investment banking Inbox Simulator is designed to mirror how communication, prioritization, and judgment are often exercised in real banking teams – skills that candidates are commonly expected to demonstrate when discussing fit, experience, and approach in interviews and assessment centers. All Inbox Simulator emails are fictional and for educational purposes only.

You might think writing emails is no big deal. We did too when we first started preparing for investment banking. But anyone who’s spent time in a banking team knows your inbox can quietly make or break your reputation.

Our Inbox Simulator is designed to help you practice that skill early in a way that reflects the realities candidates are tested on. You won’t be “writing emails for the sake of it”. You’ll be practicing how to communicate clearly, prioritize efficiently, and navigate office dynamics under pressure – all skills we recommend you highlight in the interview room.

Why inbox skills matter in investment banking interviews and assessment centers

In interviews and case studies, banks often aren’t just testing technical knowledge. They’re testing whether you can:

• Communicate clearly and concisely

• Read tone and seniority in an investment banking context

• Prioritize requests by determining real vs fake urgency

• Handle subtle office politics professionally

These skills often show up during interviews and case-style assessments – it’s important to read between the lines and deliver beyond surface-level interview expectations.

What our investment banking Inbox Simulator helps you practice

Our Inbox Simulator is designed to reflect the types of communication scenarios you could face in case study interviews or assessment centers. You’ll practice how to respond when:

• A senior asks for something ambiguous or last-minute

• A client provides an urgent request or applies pressure

• Priorities conflict under time pressure

We’re not just showing you what to say. We’re showing you how to deliver calm, professional judgment – the kind that passes the test “would I want to work with you at 2am?”

Office politics without the guesswork

Office politics isn’t about “playing games”. It’s about understanding the people around you and acting appropriately.

The Inbox Simulator helps you practice:

• When, and how, to push back

• How to protect relationships while delivering under pressure

• How to avoid common communication errors that create friction

These are the kinds of decisions that often differentiate strong candidates, especially when interviews inevitably go “off-script”.

Feedback, tags, and progress tracking

Each email:

• Is tagged by skill

• Gets dynamic feedback on your tone, structure, decision-making process, and clarity

• Is tracked in your dashboard so you can see which skills you’re nailing – and where you need to focus next

This isn’t about perfection. It’s about building control, trust, and consistency.

The Inbox Simulator focuses on behaviors that can really matter once you’re in a banking team – clarity, prioritization, and professional judgment – and helps candidates exhibit those behaviors when demonstrating fit and approach in interviews.

Final word

This isn’t just about writing “nice” emails, it’s about navigating real working relationships and dynamics – skills that are increasingly tested in the next generation of bankers.

If interview prep feels overwhelming, our Inbox Simulator has been designed to give you a practical way to practice these skills in one focused place. Try out our SelfCapital Network inbox simulator for free now.

These investment banking interview questions are designed for Spring Weeks, summer internships, and analyst assessment centers, covering technical, behavioral, and situational interviews and case studies.

Investment banking interview questions designed to help you practice interview-style questions before the real thing!

Practicing for interviews is tough when it’s all theory – we get it. There were countless days and nights, where going over a DCF is all our brains turned to mush for.

You rehearse your story, you memorize how to walk someone through an LBO – but no one’s really putting you under pressure, except yourself or your friend who’s also applying.

Throughout school, we're conditioned to believe more content = more value. That works up to a point. Our mock interview feature is designed to help you think clearly in interview settings, not just to memorize and regurgitate. Our concise feedback exists to help you walk into the interview room with confidence that you can hold your own during an intelligent conversation.

Our interview questions aren’t just warmups – they help familiarize you with the feeling of being in the room or a video interview: take on the time pressure and get structured, realistic feedback.

Investment banking interview questions across 6 core areas

You’ll get open-ended interview questions across:

• Behavioral

• Market Sizing

• Technicals (valuation – DCFs, LBOs for instance, accounting, and more!)

• Communication & Judgment

• Execution

• Work Habits

Each one is tagged by skill, grouped by chapter, and structured to reflect the kinds of judgment calls and communication challenges you’ll face.

We've taken the time to ensure each question reflects the types commonly encountered in interviews, whether for a Spring Week, internship, or assessment center. SelfCapital Network is here to prepare you for questions about DCFs, LBOs, market awareness, judgment calls, and more - with confidence.

We’ve been on your side – and we’ve seen how these interviews tend to unfold in practice. What commonly gets noticed during interviews?

• Can this person communicate clearly and naturally, even under pressure?

• Do they actually understand the concepts they’re explaining, or have they just memorized them all?

• Would I trust them to take ownership, even at the smallest level?

• Do they seem humble enough to take on constructive criticism?

• Would I want to work with this person at 2am?

Notice how none of these questions are about the intricate specifics behind “Walk me through a DCF?” or whatever else.

We’re not saying don’t prepare for your technicals. You definitely should take the time to do so. But tell us this – how does that make you stand out from every other applicant who has nailed the classic answers?

In our experience, interviews commonly reward clarity and judgment, not rehearsed scripts.

And that’s why you’ll see more than just technical mock interviews on our site. Go check out our key mock interview chapters for free – we’ve provided the tools and content: you just need to click and learn.

How our investment banking interview practice works

Here’s the process:

1. You’re given a realistic interview-style question

2. You write your full answer (or say it to your camera – your choice) – ideally using our time pressure mode

3. Our system provides practice-oriented scores your answer, giving structured AI-driven feedback per question, and overall feedback at the end of your interview

4. You see which skills you nailed - and which need work

Interviews don’t give you a cheat sheet. They give you a question, a stare, and 90 seconds of silence. You have to speak.

Everything is tracked

So you can make the most out of your time, all of your interview questions are:

• Tagged by skill type

• Scored using AI-driven feedback

• Tracked in your dashboard – so you can see exactly how you’re doing and what to work on next

Final word

You don’t rise to the occasion in an interview – being able to connect with them on a human level doesn’t just happen magically on the day. You fall back on your preparation. These questions are designed to simulate that moment – so when it’s real, it’s not your first time.

Try out our (ex)banker-written/vetted interview questions with AI-driven feedback for free at SelfCapital Network – and practice so the real interview feels more familiar.

Let’s be real: you’re busy. Lectures, societies, socials, exams, interview prep ... you’ve got A LOT going on. That’s exactly why we wrote SelfCapital Network's investment banking interview flashcards to work around your life.

It’s not “lazy”, it’s time-efficient. Open our flashcards written or reviewed by ex-investment bankers:

• 10 minutes between lectures

• 5 minutes before a night out

• For a quick refresh on the morning of your interview

They’re fast, structured, and built by ex-investment bankers who’ve been through Spring Weeks, internships, and analyst interviews.

Customize each deck so you can fit it around your life and needs. Whether you want to refresh your technicals ahead of your interview or revise key concepts before your assessment center.

What our investment banking flashcards help you prepare for

Throughout school, we're conditioned to believe more content = more value. That works up to a point. Each of our cards is designed to help you think clearly in interview settings, not just to memorize and regurgitate, so you walk into the interview room with confidence that you can hold your own in a two-way intelligent conversation.

Each flashcard is a key cog within a complete investment banking prep system. What are you looking for? Behavioral skills, accounting, valuation, handling common interview scenarios? We’ve covered everything we've seen from our own experience. Examples of what our investment banking interview flashcards cover include:

• Explaining DCFs and comparables clearly

• Running through specific accounting scenarios

• Answering behavioral questions without rambling

• Showing strong role fit early in interviews through a range of realistic investment banking scenarios

Investment banking interviews, internships, and early-career expectations – one learning system

What you learn here helps at every stage:

• Interviews: You sound smart, not rehearsed

• Internship: You understand what’s expected and how to avoid common early mistakes

• Full-time: You’ve built habits commonly associated with strong early-career candidates

It’s not fluff. It’s the foundation.

Final word

If you’ve ever said “I’ll prep when I have more time” – these are designed for you.

Spread it out in whatever way you like, even 5-10 minutes at a time. On the train, between classes, whenever.

Start with our (ex)banker-written/vetted interview flashcards for free at SelfCapital Network – and build habits that meaningfully improve how you show up in interviews, Spring Weeks, and internships, while everyone else plays “catch up”. Here's to preparing smarter!

SelfCapital Network is an investment banking interview preparation platform designed to help students prepare for investment banking interviews, Spring Weeks, internships, and assessment centers.

The most successful people in investment banking that we've seen didn’t wait to "level up" – they had already built the behaviors and signals commonly associated with strong performance in the investment banking interview process.

The truth is: the way you show up in Spring Weeks, internships, interviews and case-study settings – it’s all part of the same journey. The candidates who stand out in interviews? They already show early signals of reliability and clarity in the interview room.

Look, we get it. We were in your position just a few years ago. You want the smartest, most time-efficient way to break into investment banking.

We created SelfCapital Network to help you do exactly that – to work smarter, not harder.

We did the Spring Weeks, internships, landed the full-time offers, and spent the next years of our careers progressing through analyst and associate roles.

Where most interview prep goes wrong

We spend our school lives thinking studying more content = more value. While this is helpful for familiarity in interviews, and we strongly encourage you to grasp core technical concepts, this often leaves candidates unsure of why they've received rejections. In practice, it isn't about predicting as many questions as possible. It's about (i) understanding concepts deeply to be able to have an intelligent conversation, no matter how it evolves, and (ii) demonstrating strong role-fit in the way you structure your thoughts and judgments.

Everything we’re offering you on this platform (including our future updates) – from our mock interviews and flashcards, to our simulations, AI feedback, and human support – was all born out of our experiences, pre- and post-job offer. We’ve gone through the extreme highs and lows, so you don’t have to.

Nailing the behavioral scenarios and technical case studies is one thing (and don’t worry, we’ve got you covered there – go check out our mock interviews and banker-written/vetted flashcards!). But if you want to break into investment banking – or even figure out if this is the right industry for you – you’ll want to be exposed to more and start showing the level of readiness interviewers associate with strong investment banking candidates the second you step foot in the interview room.

What investment banking interviewers often look for in interviews

It doesn’t matter whether it’s a video interview, a final-round coffee chat, or assessment center.

We’ve often observed how interview conversations unfold in practice. Here’s what interview environments commonly test:

• Can this person communicate clearly AND naturally, even under pressure?

• Do they actually understand the concepts they’re explaining, or have they just memorized them all?

• Would I trust them to take ownership, even at the smallest level?

• Do they seem humble enough to take on constructive criticism?

• Would I want to work with this person at 2am?

Notice how none of these questions are about the intricate specifics behind “Walk me through a DCF?” or whatever else.

We’re not saying don’t prepare for your technicals. You definitely should take the time to do so: our technical and market sizing chapters exist to help you do exactly that. But tell us this – how does that make you stand out from every other applicant who has nailed the classic answers?

Interviewers aren’t looking for rehearsed scripts. They often want someone who shows they can add value early: a proactive team player – someone they feel confident backing.

And that’s why you’ll see more than just technical mock interviews on our platform. We’ve built a comprehensive set of investment banking features:

• Our Mock Interview topics (extending beyond technicals) to practice how you can differentiate yourself in interview settings

• Our Inbox Simulator for key communication and judgment practice, including realistic office-style scenarios

• The Simulation to simulate the types of pressure and ambiguity seen in investment banking interviews and case studies

Go check them out here – we’ve provided the tools and content. You just need to click and learn.

Each application stage builds on the last

Here’s how it goes:

1. Interview phase: Show that you’ve already started thinking like an intern.

2. Spring Week/Summer internship: Prove you can do the small things with speed and care.

3. Final internship reviews: Demonstrate the reliability and care commonly expected of you at the next stage.

Each step builds on the one before it.

Final word

This isn’t about cramming valuation methods the night before your interview (I mean … you technically could if you wanted to: we’ve vetted all the content; you just need to log in and get started). It’s about showing – consistently – that you understand what it means to be a strong candidate in investment banking interviews.

If you want to prep for interviews and assessment centers, SelfCapital Network is built to get you there by ex-investment bankers who were in your exact position. Join the network and start your journey now.