IBD
M&A
6 sessions · 90 min each
Inside M&A Interviews: from screening call to superday.
What the recruiter actually asks. What the MD actually wants to hear. How candidates get scored behind closed doors. A six-session program that walks you through the full interview funnel at a top European investment bank.
N.D.
Nicolas D.
M&A Associate at a top European bulge bracket. 4 years in IBD.
By the end of the Series
- Map and rank the 8 archetypes of M&A questions
- Walk through a DCF in 90 seconds without sounding mechanical
- Handle accretion and dilution under pressure
- Tell a deal story that ranks you above the average analyst pool
Session breakdown
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01
Map the 8 archetypes of M&A interview questions
The hidden grid recruiters use to evaluate candidates. Why the same question is asked differently to a first-year and an associate candidate. How to recognize the archetype in the first 5 seconds and pick your structure accordingly.
02
Walk me through a DCF in 90 seconds
The number one screening question. Why most candidates fail it not on math but on storytelling. The compressed structure that signals you have actually built a model, not memorized one. Live drill with feedback.
03
The LBO accelerator: 5 layers from analyst to associate
From paper LBO to fully-built model under time pressure. Capital structure choices, return drivers, how PE underwriters actually think about IRR vs cash-on-cash. The five layers of complexity that map to the candidate level you target.
04
Accretion and dilution under stress
The trap questions that knock out 70 percent of candidates at superday. EPS math under different financing scenarios, synergy assumptions that hold up to scrutiny, and what the interviewer is actually testing when they push back.
05
Tell a deal: the story arc recruiters score
Why every M&A interview ends with "tell me about a deal you find interesting" and why most candidates butcher it. The 5-part story arc: context, drivers, structure, defense, what you would have done differently. Live practice with three precedent transactions.
06
Live superday simulation
Full superday simulation across three back-to-back rounds. Technicals, fit, and a deal walkthrough with curveballs. Written feedback within 48 hours, with specific ranking against the interview pool you are competing in.
IBD
PE
6 sessions · 90 min each
The LBO Mastery: from paper model to PE-grade underwriting.
LBO modeling is the most overstudied and least understood interview skill. Most candidates can mechanically build a model. Almost none can defend its assumptions to a PE associate. This Series fixes that.
H.B.
Henri B.
Associate at a European mid-market PE fund. Previously M&A at an elite boutique.
By the end of the Series
- Build a paper LBO from scratch in under 8 minutes
- Defend operational assumptions to a PE associate
- Master capital structure trade-offs and IRR math
- Walk through a fully-built model under interview stress
Session breakdown
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01
Build a paper LBO from scratch in 8 minutes
The 6 numbers you actually need. The shortcuts that PE interviewers use to test if you have the fundamentals. Live build on a real precedent transaction, with running commentary on the decisions a senior would make.
02
Capital structure: what really moves IRR
Senior debt, mezz, PIK, sponsor equity. The interaction of leverage, cost of debt, and equity returns. Why the same deal can be a great or terrible investment depending on the cap stack. Live sensitivity analysis on three structures.
03
Operational levers PE actually pulls
Pricing, mix, opex, working capital. The four operational levers that drive value creation and what evidence PE associates look for in a CIM to underwrite them. How to talk about value creation without sounding like a consultant.
04
Exit multiples: how PE firms actually underwrite
The gap between transaction multiples and exit assumptions. How to justify a multiple expansion without faith-based logic. What investment committees push back on. Live debate on a recent secondary buyout.
05
The full case: live LBO build on a real precedent
Three-hour live build of a complete LBO model from a real CIM. From inputs to returns to a one-page investment memo. Open Q&A throughout.
06
Stress test: 30-minute LBO under interview pressure
Live timed simulation. Three rounds, three different LBO prompts, with realistic curveballs and feedback at the end of each. Written debrief with ranking against the PE associate pool you are competing in.
STRATEGY
MBB
6 sessions · 90 min each
MBB Case Mastery: the score grid behind every interview.
Every MBB interviewer has a scoring grid in their head. Most candidates never see it. Every framework you have learned is on the wrong side of it. This Series shows you the grid, the criteria, and how to land in the top decile of the candidate pool.
T.
Tiphaine
Strategy Consultant at one of the MBB firms. Edhec graduate, third year on the job.
By the end of the Series
- Structure a case in under 90 seconds, MBB-grade
- Handle market sizing, profitability, M&A cases
- Know how interviewers score creativity vs rigor
- Pass mock cases with structured live feedback
Session breakdown
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01
The 90-second structure: how MBB actually scores you
The internal scoring grid used by McKinsey, BCG, and Bain interviewers. The four criteria they tick during your first 90 seconds. Why memorized frameworks score below median and how to build a custom structure that does not.
02
Market sizing: from common sense to triangulation
The three levels of market sizing answers and what each signals to the interviewer. How to triangulate top-down and bottom-up to land on a defensible number. Live drills on three real prompts used at MBB last cycle.
03
Profitability cases: the framework that beats frameworks
Why profitability cases are 60 percent of MBB first-round cases and why candidates still butcher them. The custom approach that scores higher than the textbook profit tree. How to handle the curveball "what would you do" close.
04
M&A cases: synergies, due diligence, integration risk
Why M&A cases test commercial judgment, not modeling skill. The three lenses MBB interviewers use to evaluate your read on a deal. Live case with progressive complexity from screening to recommendation.
05
Operations and strategy cases: when it gets messy
The cases that have no clean framework. Public sector, social impact, ambiguous prompts. How to score in the top quartile when the case is designed to break structure. Live drill on three of the messiest prompts from last cycle.
06
Live case simulation and post-mortem
Full mock case session: 45-minute case, full scoring against the MBB grid, then a 30-minute post-mortem on the seven moments that decided your score. Written feedback in 48 hours.
STRATEGY
FIT
5 sessions · 75 min each
The Personal Fit: the half of the interview nobody trains for.
Half of every MBB interview is the personal fit round. Almost no one trains for it. The candidates who do score in the top decile and get the offer. This Series turns the most underrated half of the process into your competitive edge.
J.
Justine
Ex-Manager at McKinsey, now Strategy Director at a tech scale-up. 7 years post-MBB.
By the end of the Series
- Answer "Tell me about yourself" in a way that ranks top decile
- Build the 4 stories every MBB interviewer wants to hear
- Handle leadership, conflict, failure without sounding fake
- Turn the Q&A back on the interviewer with elegance
Session breakdown
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01
Tell me about yourself: the most underrated question
Why the opening question of every interview decides 30 percent of your final score. The three-part structure that takes the candidate from generic to memorable. Live rewrites on three candidate intros.
02
The 4 stories every MBB interviewer wants to hear
Leadership, conflict, failure, impact. The four story archetypes. How to find your real stories without manufacturing experience. The STAR-PLUS structure that scores higher than basic STAR.
03
Why us, why now: signaling seriousness without flattery
The "why this firm" question and why generic answers signal the candidate did not do their homework. How to anchor your answer in something specific that the interviewer cannot dismiss. Live drill on McKinsey, BCG, Bain.
04
The Q&A you ask: turning the table elegantly
The five questions that signal seniority and the five that signal junior thinking. How to use the closing Q&A to recover from a weak case round. The reverse-pitch technique used by candidates who get offers from all three MBB.
05
Live fit mock and structured feedback
Full 30-minute fit mock with curveballs. Real-time scoring against the MBB grid. Written feedback within 48 hours with specific phrasing recommendations.
IBD
TS
5 sessions · 75 min each
TS, Audit & Big 4: the path that nobody tells you about.
Transaction Services is the underrated entry point into M&A and PE. The pay is solid, the exit options are real, and the competition is half as fierce as IBD. This Series breaks the path open: the work, the firms, the interviews, and the move out.
A.R.
Alexandre R.
Senior Manager in Transaction Services at a Big 4. 7 years between TS and corporate finance.
By the end of the Series
- Understand the real TS career path and exit options
- Master Quality of Earnings analysis
- Handle working capital and net debt mechanics
- Decide if TS is your move or a stepping stone
Session breakdown
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01
Why TS is not a consolation prize
The real economics of TS at the Big 4. Salary trajectories, exit options into M&A, PE, and corporate development. The signaling difference between Big 4 TS and accounting audit, and why most career advisors get it wrong.
02
Quality of Earnings: walking through a real QoE report
Live walkthrough of a real anonymized QoE report. The 12 adjustments that always come up. How TS teams build credibility with PE buyers. What you will spend your first six months doing.
03
Working capital normalizations
The line items that recruiters test in interviews and that you will live with at the desk. Deferred revenue, accrued expenses, inventory, the seasonality adjustments. Live drill on three real engagements.
04
Net debt: the 12 adjustments that surprise candidates
The TS-specific net debt items that get added or subtracted in a deal. Why the IFRS 16 treatment of operating leases is now a standard interview question. Live walk-through on a recent UK mid-market deal.
05
Interview prep and decision time
TS-specific technicals and fit questions. The decision framework: is TS your destination or your stepping stone to M&A and PE? Live mock and post-mortem.
CROSS
APPLICATIONS
5 sessions · 75 min each
The Application Playbook: from CV to interview pile.
90 percent of candidates get screened out before the first interview. This Series rebuilds your application from the ground up using the screening logic recruiters actually use. CV, cover letter, online tests, networking emails.
N.D.
Nicolas D.
Hosted with rotating co-hosts from MBB and IBD recruiting committees.
By the end of the Series
- Rebuild your CV using the bullet ranking system
- Write a cover letter that actually gets read
- Pass online numerical and verbal tests
- Send networking emails that get a reply
Session breakdown
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01
The recruiter screen: 8 seconds, 4 criteria
How recruiters actually screen 600 CVs a week. The four criteria that decide if your CV moves to the next pile. Why most academic-style CVs lose the first 8 seconds.
02
Rebuild your CV using the bullet ranking system
Live CV teardown on three real candidate CVs. The bullet ranking system that lifts a CV from average to top decile. The 12 quantifiers that signal impact without lying.
03
Cover letters that actually get read
The seven sins of cover letters. The three-paragraph structure that survives the recruiter screen. Live rewrites on three candidate letters for MBB and IBD.
04
Online numerical and verbal tests
The five test providers used by MBB and IBD: SHL, Cubiks, McKinsey Solve, BCG Casey, Bain SOVA. The patterns and shortcuts for each. Live timed practice with feedback.
05
Networking emails that get a reply
Why 95 percent of LinkedIn cold outreach is ignored. The four-line email that gets a reply from an MBB or IBD associate. The follow-up rhythm that converts to a coffee chat.
IBD
SPRING WEEK
Coming summer 2026
Spring Week and Off-Cycle London.
The London market is its own beast: spring weeks, off-cycle conversions, the unwritten rules of the City. This Series is being built with three London-based bankers and will launch ahead of the autumn application cycle.
STRATEGY
TIER 2
Coming summer 2026
Tier 2 Consulting: Roland Berger, Oliver Wyman, LEK, Strategy&.
Tier 2 consulting offers a faster path to project ownership, equivalent pay in many markets, and a real alternative to MBB. This Series covers the firms, the interview specificities, and the career math of going Tier 2 over MBB.
CROSS
EXIT
Coming summer 2026
From Consultant to Industry: planning your exit before you sign.
The best consulting exits are planned in year one, not year three. This Series breaks down the real exit options: PE, corporate strategy, start-up COO roles, principal investing, the founder path. With ex-MBB now in industry.
CROSS
YEAR ONE
Coming summer 2026
From Master's to Six-Figure Bonus: surviving year one.
The hardest year is not the application year, it is year one on the desk or on the project team. This Series covers performing in year one: managing up, surviving the first review, building your internal brand, and converting your bonus into a real career.