How to Answer “Tell me about yourself.” in Investment Banking Interviews
“Tell me about yourself.” is one of the most common investment banking interview questions—and one of the easiest to under-prepare for. In Investment Banking analyst interviews, this prompt is not an invitation to give your life story; it’s a test of whether you can deliver a tight, relevant narrative that makes the interviewer want to keep digging.
Use this as part of your investment banking interview prep to craft a 60–120 second pitch that connects your background to banking, proves you understand the role, and sets up the rest of the interview (including the transition into ib technical questions).
What Interviewers Look For in This Opening Pitch
Interviewers use this opener to assess structure and judgement. Can you summarise a multi-year path into a clear storyline, prioritising what matters for an analyst role (rigour, attention to detail, stamina, teamwork) rather than what is merely interesting?
They are also testing motivation and bank “fit”. Your answer should make it obvious why investment banking—why now—and why this platform makes sense for you. A strong response signals you understand the day-to-day (execution, process management, client materials) and you’re choosing it deliberately.
Finally, it’s a gateway to the rest of the interview. A good “tell me about yourself” sets hooks the interviewer can follow: a deal-relevant internship, a leadership example, or a valuation project. If you frame these well, you can steer naturally into valuation interview prep topics (for example, a DCF build, WACC assumptions, or how terminal value drives outcomes) without sounding rehearsed.
Investment Banking Interview Prep: A 4-Step “About Me” Framework
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Step 1: Open with your current “headline” (10–15 seconds)
Start with a one-sentence snapshot of who you are professionally today: school + focus + what you’ve been doing that’s relevant. Keep it banking-adjacent—finance, analysis, transactions, markets, or highly quantitative work.
Then add one supporting line that signals credibility for the analyst role: strong academics, a finance internship, heavy modelling exposure, or a high-ownership project. The goal is to make the interviewer comfortable that you have a solid baseline for the role before you go into details.
Avoid personal trivia, long backstory, or a list of every club you joined. Think of this as the “top line” of your CV, spoken out loud, with a banking lens.
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Step 2: Connect 2–3 experiences into a single banking narrative (45–75 seconds)
Pick two to three experiences that build logically toward investment banking (e.g., finance internship → modelling project → leadership/pressure environment). For each, give: (1) the setting, (2) what you actually did, and (3) the outcome/learning that maps to banking.
Make the mapping explicit. Examples: managing tight timelines and stakeholders, building materials for decision-makers, analysing drivers behind performance, or being detail-perfect under review cycles. If you have technical exposure, name it naturally: building a DCF, thinking about WACC inputs, or seeing how terminal value assumptions affect valuation.
This is where you quietly show you’re ready for ib technical questions—without turning the answer into a technical monologue.
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Step 3: State your “why investment banking” in one clear line (15–25 seconds)
Deliver a direct motivation statement that is specific but concise: why the work, why the learning curve, and why you’ll be resilient through the less glamorous parts.
Strong motivations usually combine skill fit (analytical work, process execution, client deliverables) with personal pull (enjoying high-pace environments, liking team-based problem solving, wanting exposure to deals/industries). Avoid vague statements like “I like finance” or “I’m hardworking.”
If relevant, reference what you enjoyed most in your prior experience: translating analysis into a recommendation, working in small teams with high standards, or seeing a transaction move from analysis to materials to decisions.
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Step 4: Land the plane with a forward-looking close (10–15 seconds)
Close by bringing it back to the role and inviting the next question. One line is enough: you’re excited to bring your skills to this analyst seat, and you’re ready to contribute.
Optionally add a “hook” that helps the interviewer choose a direction: a sector interest, a recent project, or a deal process you’ve seen. This sets up a smooth transition into common follow-ups like “Why our bank?”, “Walk me through your CV,” or technical prompts like “Talk me through a DCF interview answer.”
Aim for a total length of 60–120 seconds. If the interviewer wants more detail, they’ll ask—your job is to be structured and memorable, not exhaustive.
Sample Answer for Investment Banking Analyst Interviews
I’m a final-year student studying Economics and Finance, and most recently I’ve been focused on roles and projects that sit close to transaction work and financial analysis.
Last summer I interned in a corporate finance team where I supported a sell-side preparation: I helped pull and clean operating data, built simple forecast scenarios, and updated the teaser and management presentation under tight timelines. I liked the combination of analytical work and execution—getting the numbers right, but also packaging them clearly for decision-makers.
Before that, I led a student finance project where we valued a listed company using a DCF. I owned the model build and sensitivity work, and it taught me how outcomes can move based on core assumptions—especially WACC inputs and terminal value. More importantly, I learned to explain the story behind the numbers rather than just the spreadsheet.
Those experiences are why I’m pursuing investment banking: I’m motivated by steep learning curves, high standards, and team-based work where you’re producing real deliverables for clients and senior bankers. I’m now looking to start as an analyst where I can bring strong attention to detail and modelling fundamentals, and develop quickly through live deal exposure.
- Keeps the answer to two experiences plus a clear “why IB,” which is usually enough for analyst interviews.
- Mentions DCF, WACC, and terminal value naturally to signal readiness for valuation interview prep without derailing into technical detail.
- Uses outcomes and learnings (not just responsibilities) to create hooks for follow-up questions.
Common Mistakes Candidates Make (and How to Avoid Them)
- Turning it into a full biography instead of a role-relevant narrative; keep it to what supports an Investment Banking analyst hire.
- Listing experiences without connecting them to banking skills (deadlines, stakeholder management, accuracy, communication).
- Sounding overly scripted or using buzzwords without evidence; one concrete example beats five adjectives.
- Over-indexing on technical jargon to impress; name-check only what you can explain if pushed into ib technical questions.
- Failing to clearly answer “why investment banking”; if the motivation is vague, the interviewer assumes you haven’t committed.
- Going too long; if you’re at 3–4 minutes, you’re likely crowding out the interviewer’s agenda.
Likely Follow-Ups, Including IB Technical Questions
Why investment banking over other finance paths?
Anchor on (1) the type of work you want (execution + analysis), (2) the learning curve and training, and (3) deals/industry exposure—then tie it to one experience you’ve already had.
Why our bank specifically?
Pick 2–3 specific reasons (team/sector strength, deal types, culture/training) and connect them to what you’re optimising for as an analyst.
What was your exact role on the deal/project you mentioned?
Give scope, your deliverables, who reviewed your work, and how you handled iterations—focus on accuracy, pace, and communication.
Can you walk me through the DCF you referenced?
Stay high level: forecast free cash flows, choose discount rate (WACC), calculate terminal value, discount back, and sanity-check with sensitivities.
What’s one weakness or gap in your profile you’re working on?
Choose something non-fatal, show steps you’re taking, and tie it back to performance under analyst conditions (process, detail, communication).
Practice Tips for Valuation Interview Prep and Fit Delivery
- Write a 4-sentence version first (headline → 2 experiences → why IB → close). Then expand to a 90-second version without changing the structure.
- Record two takes: one at 60 seconds and one at 120 seconds. Banking interviews vary; you should be able to tighten on demand.
- Build three “hooks” you’re happy to be questioned on (a finance internship task, a leadership/pressure example, and one valuation topic like DCF/WACC/terminal value).
- Stress-test with follow-ups: after your pitch, practise answering “Why banking?”, “Why this bank?”, and a light technical pivot. AceTheRound is useful here because it will push realistic follow-ups and feedback on clarity and pacing.
- Keep it consistent with your CV: every claim should be easy to substantiate with detail, numbers, and what you personally did.
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