FE International Investment Banker / M&A Analyst Interview Questions
& Process

The company's reviews raise concerns about management's actions and attitude. Negative reviews are blunt, while positive ones are generic and may indicate something hidden. Be aware of negative review points. First round was an HR screening explaining the company's business, structure, and other basics. It was informative. Then, a reasoning assessment/personality test was taken. This type of test is a waste of time for experienced graduates. The second round had two interviewers who described the CEO as "hands-on," supporting "micromanaging CEO" reviews. Analyst responses about why they chose FE were generic, not insightful, and unconvincing given other reviews. After the second round, there were no updates for two weeks until I followed up with HR. Despite promises to respond "soon," no response came until I withdrew my application a week later. It felt like being strung along, and I wouldn't have gotten updates without chasing, which is disrespectful and shows a lack of value for candidate time. Waiting for all first-round candidates to finish before moving to the second round is inefficient. Second/third/fourth rounds should happen concurrently. The company will lose talent this way; candidates will finish other processes during the long wait. If not good enough, I hope they'll be decisive and reject me. Waitlists don't work for job applications like they do for colleges with agreed timelines.

The whole interview thing took like 6 weeks from start to finish. I sent in my resume through LinkedIn. After that, they had me do an online assessment which had verbal, math, and personality parts. Then, I had to do this video interview where I recorded myself answering nine questions. After the video, I got invited to an in-person day with two tests and a presentation. The last step was a 30-minute chat with three different people on the team. Super quick, I got a call from HR with an offer less than 24 hours later, and I said yes!

Be careful with this group... I bailed because of the following... They have about 8-10 rounds, including several case studies, fit questions, technical questions, a group presentation, and one-on-one interviews. The firm deliberately misled candidates by calling it an M&A analyst role (which we all know means IBD). In the 6th interview round (which is the first time you'll talk to anyone), the hiring manager admitted it was actually an 'audit role' and they changed the title because they 'couldn't attract the right candidates' with the correct name. Additionally, the firm is closing its London office and you'll be working from home as a satellite office doing due diligence for the New York office for a low salary of £45k per year. They expect candidates with ACA or CFA qualifications from Big 4 firms, who earn more than this even during their graduate contracts. The firm hopes to entice you with a potential transfer to the NY office, but remember that work visas for non-nationals have been practically banned for about a year in the US.