D. E. Shaw & Co. - Investment Firm Generalist Interview Questions
& Process
Real candidates share what happened, how many rounds they had,
and how the experience turned out.
Based on 39 interview experiences · FREE TO READ
Candidate interview experiences
First-hand accounts from people who interviewed at D. E. Shaw & Co. - Investment Firm.
D. E. Shaw & Co. - Investment Firm
Generalist
Intern Average Negative experience No offer 2 rounds
Interview process
Phone screen Onsite
Interview formats
Technical Behavioral
The interview process started with a phone interview. If that went well, the next step was a superday. The first round was with someone from their IT department, which is one of the departments you could end up in. The interviewer seemed really uninterested from the beginning and it felt like they were just reading off a list of questions, probably wishing they were doing their actual job instead of interviewing interns. So, I wasn't surprised by the outcome.
Confirmed questions1 question
- Can you estimate the total weight of all animals on Earth?
D. E. Shaw & Co. - Investment Firm
Generalist
Mid Average Positive experience No offer 1 round
Interview process
Recruiter call Phone screen Presentation
Interview formats
Behavioral Technical Case
I sent in my resume and cover letter and then had a phone interview that lasted about 40 minutes. It was mostly questions about my resume, and they asked a lot about my personal experience and passion. We talked a lot about my research. They left time at the end for me to ask questions, so I'd recommend having some ready. There was also a brief case study at the end.
Confirmed questions3 questions
- Can you give me an overview of your resume, detailing your research contributions?
- Tell me about your research.
- What were your specific contributions to your research?
D. E. Shaw & Co. - Investment Firm
Generalist
Entry Difficult Negative experience No offer 2 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Technical screen
Interview formats
Technical Behavioral
My interview experience was pretty disappointing. The interviewers seemed really uninterested, and the recruiter couldn't answer my questions. I had a 30-minute interview, and then a 2-hour one a week later. About 45 minutes into the second interview, the interviewer left. The recruiter then told me they weren't continuing with my interview, and I got rejected two days later. It felt like they didn't treat you like a person, which I think says a lot about their culture.
Confirmed questions2 questions
- What impact would fluctuations in oil prices have on the S&P500 index?
- Describe your plan for distributing the COVID-19 vaccine.
D. E. Shaw & Co. - Investment Firm Generalist Interview Questions
Quoted word for word from D. E. Shaw & Co. - Investment Firm interview reports.
“What is the total value of all homes in America?”
Read reports →“Can you estimate the total weight of all animals on Earth?”
Read reports →“What is the impact of fluctuating oil prices on the S&P 500 Index?”
Read reports →“What impact would fluctuations in oil prices have on the S&P500 index?”
Read reports →“Can you estimate the number of mattresses sold annually in the US?”
Read report →“Can you estimate the daily ridership of the Metro-North subway system? (Whiteboard provided)”
Read report →“Could you tell me more about life insurance policies?”
Read report →“Given 50 million dollars to invest in your current school, how and where would you allocate it?”
Read report →“What's another incentive, besides standard benefits, that could keep employees competitive?”
Read report →Formats, difficulty and experience
Across all 39 D. E. Shaw & Co. - Investment Firm interview reports.