The hours are long. Why are you sure you want this?

Skip the bravado. Show you know the hard part is hours you don't control, back it with a demanding schedule you've kept up and what analysts told you, and tie the hours to what you'll learn as an analyst.

What the interviewer listens for

• Do you know the unpredictability is harder than the total hours?
• Do you have evidence of a demanding schedule kept up over time?
• Do you show a routine or method, not bravado?
• Have you talked to analysts about it?

Common mistakes

• Bravado like saying you don't need sleep or love working 100 hours.It sounds naive and makes the interviewer worry about burnout.
• Saying you're fine with it without any evidence you've kept up a hard schedule.
• Quoting a number of hours from the internet as fact instead of what analysts told you.
• Asking about work-life balance in a way that sounds like you're hoping the hours aren't real.

Likely follow-ups

• You have plans Saturday and get staffed Friday night. What do you do?I'd tell the associate I'm on it, find out the real deadline, and move the plans if the work needs it. If something truly couldn't move, I'd say so early and offer when I could deliver.
• How do you stay sharp when you're tired at 2 AM?I slow down on the checks. I keep a short list I always run before sending, like totals that tie, dates and units, and I run it every time.

More behavioral and fit

• Your background isn't in finance. Why the switch?
• Why do you want to go into consulting?
• Why do you want to work at this firm?
• Why do you want to go into investment banking?
• Why should we hire you?

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