Common Technical & HR Questions

Interviews are predictable. 80% of the questions are repeated. If you stumble on these, you didn't prepare.

Part 1: HR / Behavioral Questions

These test your Personality and Fit.

1. "Tell me about yourself."

• Formula: Past (Education) -> Present (Current Role/Skills) -> Future (Why this role?).
• Tip: Keep it under 2 minutes.

2. "Why do you want to work here?"

• Bad: "You pay well."
• Good: "I admire [Company]'s recent deal with [X]. I want to work in a culture that values [Y], which I saw in your annual report."

3. "What is your greatest strength/weakness?"

• Strength: Relevant to job (e.g., "Attention to detail" for Analyst).
• Weakness: Real but fixable (e.g., "I sometimes struggle to delegate, but I'm using Trello to manage tasks better").

4. "Tell me about a time you failed."

• Goal: Show resilience.
• Structure: Situation -> Mistake -> What you learned -> How you fixed it.

Part 2: Technical Questions (Finance)

These test your Knowledge.

1. "Walk me through the 3 Financial Statements."

• Answer:
  • P&L: Revenue - Expenses = Net Income.
  • Balance Sheet: Assets = Liabilities + Equity.
  • Cash Flow: Cash from Operations, Investing, Financing.
  • Link: Net Income flows into Retained Earnings (Balance Sheet) and starts the Cash Flow Statement.

2. "If Depreciation increases by $10, how does it affect the statements?"

• P&L: Pre-tax income drops by $10. Net Income drops by $6 (assuming 40% tax).
• Cash Flow: Net Income is down $6, but add back Depreciation ($10). Cash is UP by $4.
• Balance Sheet: PP&E down by $10. Cash up by $4. Retained Earnings down by $6. (Assets -6 = Liabilities 0 + Equity -6). Balanced.

3. "What is WACC?"

• Answer: Weighted Average Cost of Capital. It is the minimum return a company must earn to satisfy its debt and equity holders.
• Formula: (Cost of Equity * % Equity) + (Cost of Debt * % Debt * (1-Tax))

4. "Which is cheaper: Debt or Equity?"

• Answer: Debt. Because interest is tax-deductible and debt holders are paid first (lower risk).

5. "What is Enterprise Value (EV)?"

• Answer: The price to buy the entire company.
• Formula: Market Cap + Debt - Cash.

7-Day Action Plan

Day 1: Write down your "Tell me about yourself" script. Time it.
Day 2: Pick 3 stories for behavioral questions (Leadership, Failure, Teamwork).
Day 3: Memorize the "Depreciation impact" answer. It is the #1 IB question.
Day 4: Understand the difference between "Equity Value" and "Enterprise Value".
Day 5: Research the company you are applying to. Know their stock price and CEO name.
Day 6: Mock Interview with a friend. Ask them to be mean.
Day 7: Rest. Confidence comes from preparation.

Quiz

💡 Final Wisdom: An interview is a conversation, not an interrogation. Be prepared, be humble, be curious.