With the growth of alternative investments like private equity, venture capital, and hedge funds, landing a job in this competitive industry has become harder than ever. Many candidates struggle with the behavioral and technical interview questions designed to assess their investment knowledge, analytical skills, and client management abilities. By learning from the experiences of others, we can get valuable insights on how to best prepare for these interviews and stand out from the applicant pool. With the proliferation of alternative investments information and materials online, leveraging resources like PDF guidebooks, sample interview questions repositories on GitHub, and advice from investment professionals can level the playing field for aspiring alternative investment professionals aiming to break into the industry.
Learn from others’ mistakes and study real interview answers
Many alternative investment firms publish sample interview questions or make available practice case studies online. While each firm has its own unique hiring process, gaining exposure to the types of questions asked and analyzing sample responses, right or wrong, provides critical preparation. For example, resources like the 200-page Alternative Investments Interview Answers PDF on sites like WSO and Geektrench compiling questions from top investment banks and hedge funds afford a window into the interview experience. Reviewing answers, both strong and suboptimal, helps candidates learn how to structure responses and avoid common pitfalls under the pressure of interviews. Sites like Glassdoor also provide user-generated interview questions and reports for major alternative asset managers like Apollo, Blackstone and KKR.
Leverage online Q&A like GitHub to refine technical skills
The technical side of alternative investment interviews, whether building valuation models from scratch or analyzing complex securities like options, can trip up even the most seasoned finance professionals. Many alternative investment analyst roles require coding abilities in languages like Python or R. GitHub provides a wealth of resources to develop and test these hands-on skills with practice exercises and sample code repositories focused on financial and investment analyses. Whether working through a hedge fund modeling test or fine-tuning an algorithmic trading strategy, the immersive learning style of GitHub complements textbook learning. Some key repositories cover LBO modeling, merger models, portfolio optimization, and machine learning applications in finance. The transparency of solutions allows self-evaluation and mastery of technical skills vital for passing alternative investment interviews.
Learn from professionals sharing experience publicly
Beyond anonymous internet forums, many professionals openly share their experiences with alternative investment interviews and tips for acing them through blogs, podcasts, and social media. Industry insiders highlight what skills and qualities firms look for and provide advice tailored to different specializations like hedge fund trading roles versus private equity associate positions. Hearing direct from the source how accomplished alternative investment professionals navigated the interview process earlier in their careers humanizes the experience and builds confidence. High profile finance figures like Howard Marks of Oaktree Capital writing about overcoming imposter syndrome or TikTok videos of investment bankers reacting to interview questions resonate with applicants facing the stressful experience for the first time. The range of authentic perspectives from professionals at all levels helps transform interview preparation from an abstract academic exercise into an actionable process.
Practice mock case interviews extensively before the real thing
All the knowledge in the world means little without the ability to apply it confidently under pressure, a skill that only develops through extensive practice. Resources like the many sample case interviews walkthroughs on YouTube and interview prep sites allow candidates to simulate the experience of working through an investment case study or technical questions with an interviewer in real-time. Through repeated practice handling the on-the-spot calculations, analyzing information on the fly, and presenting findings in a structured manner expected in alternative investment interviews, candidates can calibrate their skills and style to match the high bar needed to pass. For example, sites like CaseCoach provide video lessons and sample cases geared towards alternative investing ranging from early-stage venture capital pitches to late-stage private equity buyouts to test a candidate’s verbal and quantitative skills needed to succeed in the real interviews.
From published sample technical and case interview questions to professionals generously sharing their experiences to hands-on practice exercises, leveraging the wealth of alternative investment interview preparation materials available online through channels like PDF guides, GitHub repositories and forums, and insider tips helps aspiring alternative investment professionals understand what to expect and perform their best under pressure.