Say you are interviewing for a position with an analyst working in a specific sector and you get the inevitable question: “Tell me about a stock that you like and why it’s a good pick?” Do you pick a stock in that sector and risk being crushed by an interviewer that probably knows everything possible about the company or do you puss out and pick something as far from that sector as possible so any holes in your pitch may go unnoticed?
Well, I think if you pick a stock in the sector that they are in, mutually, there are two things known. 1) You will not know as much about the market in that area as the specialist and 2) You have to have brass ones or be plain stupid to try and challenge him. That being said he/she would most likely percieve your courage as a posititive thing. I would choose path C and pick a stock that is depandant on that sector so you can show knowledge of the sector, yet mitigate risk of being demolished by the specialist.
“puss out”? Since when does avoiding getting completely roasted in an interview in a +10% unemployed labor market = puss out stay as far away from the sector as possible
Definitely pick a stock that the interviewer and preferably the firm don’t cover. As already stated, picking one of their stocks is a recipe to get crushed in an interview. Even if you technically do a much better job pitching one of their stocks vs. an unknown, you still could come out looking like an idiot. I pitched a stock in an interview once that was not covered by the analyst and I think this was the better choice.
Unless the interviewer gives you guidance otherwise, I’d encourage you to pick the stock you know the absolute best. Show them your best work, and mention that you would bring the same level of focus and insight to any new sector they want you to cover. If you try to pitch a stock you don;t know well because you think the guy might like the sector it’s in, you’ll feel like a real idiot if the guy ends up not hiring you because your knowledge seemed thin. So go with your strength.
I think covering a stock in the sector but no actively covered is the way to go as mentioned by Nuppal. Frankly, I don’t think anyone would try to crush anyone on an interview but would rather see how you respond to counterpoints in your argument. I would also try to get a hold of their view of the market place and see where you agree and disagree. I just had a similar but different process take place and explained where I thought some weaknesses were based on macro assumptions. What if econcomic cycle does x is less than expected or this portion of the business outperforms street estimates and why. Run senstivities based on some of your opinions or just simple scenario analysis. I think demosntrating that you understand drivers and how ongoing events may change those drivers is the key to impressing a sell side analyst. When I was doing it, people questioning assumptions was what made for the most interesting calls/conversations, and demonstrating you could quickly think and/or have contemplated these types of issues will make you a better candidate. I think discussing a random sector might make for less of a conversation (it’s not a pass/fail test you want to be remembered) and picking a name they cover has a better chance of showing a hole in your analysis. Applying their macro view (with some sensitivities) with some company specific analsys should go well.
I think it depends on how confident you are in your own analyses. If you know what sector the job covers, and you think you can do some research and put together a credible presentation, then go for it. If not, they might favor another candidate who does choose that sector and interviews well for being a better fit. Of course, if you are absolutely sure that you will make a fool of yourself don’t do it. However, if I were your interviewer, I would definitely appreciate that you prepared to interview for that specific job, even if you don’t get all the questions right.
Hello Mister Walrus Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I think it depends on how confident you are in > your own analyses. If you know what sector the job > covers, and you think you can do some research and > put together a credible presentation, then go for > it. If not, they might favor another candidate who > does choose that sector and interviews well for > being a better fit. > > Of course, if you are absolutely sure that you > will make a fool of yourself don’t do it. However, > if I were your interviewer, I would definitely > appreciate that you prepared to interview for that > specific job, even if you don’t get all the > questions right. That is what I am thinking. Especially when told ahead of time to have ideas, I think picking away from the position you are interviewing for would not show confidence or your grasp of the sector. If you are moving from another area I am sure they would not expect expert knowledge at this point.
Is this about showing that you know it all or about showing you are willing to learn from others who have a lot more experience? If I were someone hiring, I’d want someone who can show they understand the fundamentals of valuation, but don’t exude arrogance. So I think it doesn’t really matter. In fact, I’d be compelled by someone who came in with an idea on a sector I covered, but with some humility. Maybe there is something to be gained – and that conveys a sense of being a team player. This is after all about learning from each other, not outdoing each other.
Pick circuit city and look puzzled at the end when he stares blankly at you. But seriously, avoid areas that could make you look stupid or force you to contradict the analyst at all costs. Don’t put yourself in a position where you are forced to depend on his good graces and risk that he might be pissy from a long day. Plus, everyone enjoys learning something once in a while, so pick an interesting security.
Alternatively you could get a copy of their latest report on a stock and unfold it in front of him and just brazenly read from the top like nothing’s up.
Also, they just want to see that you follow markets, are inquisitive and are capable of learning something well, and that you can think critically regarding your own assumptions. Do NOT try to show off your knowledge be as humble as possible. Every manager’s nightmare is an associate that walks in thinking he knows his stuff. Stress your interest in the learning process first and show confidence in your ability to apply yourself and master the skills second. Those are your top two. Think of it this way. Instead of using past accomplishments to show what you know, use them to show how well you can apply yourself and your desire to learn the field. That’s a crucial difference.
Jscott24 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > “puss out”? > > Since when does avoiding getting completely > roasted in an interview in a +10% unemployed labor > market = puss out > > stay as far away from the sector as possible I COMPLETELY disagree, why do you think you’ll get ‘roasted’???. First off, if youre interviewing for an ER role, you should know what sector you will be covering. Second, the interviewer is looking for sound logic, and youre ability to think through and articulate an opinion. Hes not trying to pick you apart nor is he trying to “Roast” the interviewee, nor is he trying to see if you have the same rating as him/her. Some of you seem to forgot why the interviewer is doing this in the first place. Its not b/c he’s looking for a self esteem booster by ragging on a newbie, it’s to find a competent partner to help him achieve his goals. Pretty sure if somebody pitched a tech stock to me and I was interviewing for financials, my first response after his pitch would be “Hmm, not too familiar with that stock, what do you think about financials?” Damn.
put your idea on a one page tear sheet - make it concise. recommendation capital structure full year forward financial projections (revenues, ebitda, free cash flow) valuation: sum of the parts looks nice: segment ebitda, assign ev mult., add cash, subtract debt, divide by share count = share price: if levered company, recreate ev using market value of debt, as opposed to face compare w/ peer comps - explain key drivers behind valuation differences across sector walk through the recommendation: a 3 year old can do it.
Canadianloco Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Jscott24 Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > “puss out”? > > > > Since when does avoiding getting completely > > roasted in an interview in a +10% unemployed > labor > > market = puss out > > > > stay as far away from the sector as possible > > I COMPLETELY disagree, why do you think you’ll get > ‘roasted’???. > > First off, if youre interviewing for an ER role, > you should know what sector you will be covering. > Second, the interviewer is looking for sound > logic, and youre ability to think through and > articulate an opinion. Hes not trying to pick you > apart nor is he trying to “Roast” the interviewee, > nor is he trying to see if you have the same > rating as him/her. > > Some of you seem to forgot why the interviewer is > doing this in the first place. Its not b/c he’s > looking for a self esteem booster by ragging on a > newbie, it’s to find a competent partner to help > him achieve his goals. > > Pretty sure if somebody pitched a tech stock to me > and I was interviewing for financials, my first > response after his pitch would be “Hmm, not too > familiar with that stock, what do you think about > financials?” > > Damn. you’re confusing this section of the interview with the “tell me what you know about the sector” section. Fact: sell side - at least at the larger banks - is as much about selling as it is stock picking and analytical modeling In blackjack, you hit a 16 against a 10 showing because you assume they have a 10 underneath. Why try to sell a stock in a sector that the analyst knows cold. They will only pick holes in your thesis, rattling your confidence. If the interviewer says “hmm im not too familiar with that stock…” then you’ve failed at selling
Yeah, I just landed a sellside ER gig last week. All I can say is that while noone’s looking to roast you, I’m always shocked at the depth of an analyst’s knowledge. I mean, it’s good to be interested and at least fairly knowledgeable in the industry, that’s a different portion of the interview. The sell me a stock test is about what JScott said, selling a stock and seeing your thought process. By picking a stock outside the sector, you allow the analyst to focus on that rather than getting distracted by the nitty gritty and the techinical quality of your analysis (which as an associate is far short of industry standard, I don’t care who you are). These guys may not be trying to rip you apart, but they are superior critical thinkers with a strong technical background in the field, their professional mindset is going to immediately go to work on your analysis if you let it simply because that’s the way they think. As I said, don’t give them the opportunity to be sidetracked with the nitty gritty of your analysis, focus on emphasizing your selling and analysis skills by staying outside their expertise. I mean, I worked for J&J performing credit and industry analysis on our wholesale trading partners and had a pretty strong working knowledge of the healthcare industry. But the analyst with PE background running healthcare firms and a biology / chemical undergrad was light years beyond me. I’m pumped at the opportunity to learn from this guy. We got talking, but the best thing I did was to avoid acting savvy which would have drawn the conversation further into areas where I would incidentally look stupid. Part of emphasizing your strenghts is sheilding your weakness. He knows you aren’t a pro, but lets avoid making it painfully obvious. I mean no matter how you cut it, you’re simply not going to impress an expert with your technical knowledge, so lets focus on your presentation and reasoning by neutralizing the knowledge field and staying outside his sector. Another way to look at interviews and presentations is this. Assume that your audience has an attention span of 100, that can be divided any number of ways. Do you really want to waste a portion of that focus on your inferior analysis and risk him calling you out on an ill formed assumption when you could simply focus all 100 on what the test is really about.
Where did you guys learn how to structure a pitch for a stock? Undergrad? MBS? On the job? Wall St Prep? Sure as hell ain’t on the CFA curriculum.
Jscott24 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Canadianloco Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > Jscott24 Wrote: > > > -------------------------------------------------- > > > ----- > > > “puss out”? > > > > > > Since when does avoiding getting completely > > > roasted in an interview in a +10% unemployed > > labor > > > market = puss out > > > > > > stay as far away from the sector as possible > > > > I COMPLETELY disagree, why do you think you’ll > get > > ‘roasted’???. > > > > First off, if youre interviewing for an ER > role, > > you should know what sector you will be > covering. > > Second, the interviewer is looking for sound > > logic, and youre ability to think through and > > articulate an opinion. Hes not trying to pick > you > > apart nor is he trying to “Roast” the > interviewee, > > nor is he trying to see if you have the same > > rating as him/her. > > > > Some of you seem to forgot why the interviewer > is > > doing this in the first place. Its not b/c > he’s > > looking for a self esteem booster by ragging on > a > > newbie, it’s to find a competent partner to > help > > him achieve his goals. > > > > Pretty sure if somebody pitched a tech stock to > me > > and I was interviewing for financials, my first > > response after his pitch would be “Hmm, not too > > familiar with that stock, what do you think > about > > financials?” > > > > Damn. > > you’re confusing this section of the interview > with the “tell me what you know about the sector” > section. > > Fact: sell side - at least at the larger banks - > is as much about selling as it is stock picking > and analytical modeling > > In blackjack, you hit a 16 against a 10 showing > because you assume they have a 10 underneath. Why > try to sell a stock in a sector that the analyst > knows cold. They will only pick holes in your > thesis, rattling your confidence. > > If the interviewer says “hmm im not too familiar > with that stock…” then you’ve failed at selling Fact: I know that it’'s PARTLY about selling already - thanks. Fact: You hit 16 against a 10 b/c the odds are in your favor, (wow) Fact: I still disagree, and I’m an analyst, so just saying it as I see it
Fact: Canadianloco misses blackjack analogy: odds of impressing analyst are in your favor by picking a stock outside a sector. Idea being, staying on a 16 = attempting a david vs. goliath scenario (i.e. what Black Swan said) Nevermind…
its good having you back around here, Black Swan.