this might not be the most original lines written about this, but I might my 2bps:

I don't have a lot of experience from interviews, and the few I've had I did not really prepare for in any special way (had no time). However, one thing that I think could be good to prepare are these small logic/puzzle/math questions you can get. I know I can solve most of these questions if I just sit down with pen and paper and try, but I'm not guaranted to come up with the best solution on my first try. In an interview it is very nice to have thought about some similar problems before, otherwise you can start off a little wrong, get stressed out about it and make a less than optimal impression. I picked up a copy of "Heard on the street" last week and actually found some of my previous interview puzzles in there, so it might be a handy source for test problems/puzzles.

Also, in my interviews (that were at a very junior level I might add) I felt that the way you delivered your answers was almost as important as the answers themselves. When I felt that I gave a very confident and calm impression the whole atmosphere of the interview were more positive, the interviewer seemed easier to handle as to speak - was not as tough on me in some ways.

I also found it well received to ask a bit daring questions, regarding bad press for the company, some bad decisions, people leaving etc. Probably is not that usual, many kiss ass questions regarding what they are really good at - being different can make people remember you. This could perhaps be a bit of a gamble also if you get the wrong person though. And it is also good to have a positive spin in store I guess, like "so now when I perceive you guys have cleaned up your X division I see it as a very good time to join in order to have a chance to bla bla".

been out shopping a lot this year... My feeling is that the first five minutes are make-or-break time. 

- Last year, I was scheduled to speak with some folks at LEH.  First, I spoke to the MD... I could appeal to a lot of qualitative stuff that he understood well - basically this guy is the manager and not the dirty-hands person.  Went well, but when I asked aggressive questions it wasn't appreciated (basically I told him I felt he was trying to sell me on their franchise, which looked like an easy way to avoid talking about details of any materiality - but of course I did this in a politically correct way).  Then, they made me wait for an hour for the next group to arrive.  Something was going on, and there was only 15 minutes before an important meeting started, so they were looking to make a go/no-go decision right there.  I am this HF's jack-of-all-trades person, and sellside doesn't understand that in this kind of position one is bouncing between a lot of short-term projects... that's the nature of HF life.  So when I tried to reason by analogy in order to concentrate my support (this was a struct credit repack position, and we'd done some, but for variety we'd restructured a lot of individual balance sheets, which I was going to argue was materially the same thing), they saw all the differences and none of the similarities.  The woman was also an annoying person, and maybe there was a subtle reaction on my part.  Anyhow, there wasn't enough time or interest in salvaging things, and I never called back even though their trader seemed to have a bit of interest and wanted to reschedule.  I decided I didn't want to work for them anyhow - if you're gonna go back to sellside from buyside, the personalities are a big part of the decision.

- This year I went to an interview with some interesting people at CSFB.  But, they didn't mention that I was a couple years more senior than they wanted.  Why they even scheduled, I don't know.  I tried to convince them that they could use somebody with my years, since experience is crucial.  We had some nice conversations and generally I liked their people, but overall it was a waste of time. 

- I met with a HF guy, running a very small capital structure trading operation.  The guy asked me why he would pay up for somebody like myself, when he could get green dudes right out of their PhDs for much less.  I told him that experience was at least 90% of success when it comes to P/L, and avoiding the mistakes that junior people make is worth real money.  I don't think he shared my pov.  Then we got talking about HF money, and I said I was a little suspicious these days because I thought that too much money was chasing too few opportunities, the impact of which was that HF returns may be more correlated with the market going forward.  He really didn't like that, at which point I thought:  this guy's a loser, can't take any criticism of his approach... = no go.

- I have something open right now, basically this is an HF where they are looking to new strategies now, before margins become too slim and volatility starts to dominate.  The guy asked me to draw up a business plan, and think good and hard whether I could drive this thing forward.  I think the guys are very good, and smart.  I am scared, because I think I'm still a bit young for this (4y experience).  Yes, I could get things started, yes these guys can make things happen, but I am very nervous about being at the helm right now.  Our firm has managed to fuck certain things up, and I don't want to be too naive about this - I think I'm good, but I am not really the industry expert here for what they want to do.

- In general, my background is highly nonstandard and that's how I like it... I have no interest in being a commodity player.  I wouldn't mind doing reasonably entrepreneurial work on sellside but the structure isn't really there most of the time (though I may have found something, we'll see if they rise to the occasion).  So, I spend a lot of time explaining what I do, and it's easy to get dismissed right away.  Maybe it's ok, maybe I would be better off telling a more conventional story and then trying to manipulate things upon arrival... don't know. 

- Met some guys at a very sophisticated operation.  Very intelligent people, and we seemed to hit it off from the beginning.  I was quite excited about it.  The setup was outside the city, and one of the women even drove me back and spared me the train ride.  There was a written exam that I e-mailed back, which I thought was a fair assessment as well.  But:  they did not follow up.  Headhunter called, they didn't answer, they didn't follow up.  I called.  I bloomberged them.  I emailed the guy who gave me the exam, and he said they were still working on some organizational changes, hadn't come to any conclusion.  HH called again.  I called again.  Etc.  They didn't ever let me know, didn't let the HH know, just dropped off the face of the earth.  I was so fucking disappointed - even if I would've had to take a pay cut I would've done that job.

- Met with people at a small structured credit shop.  Personalities were easygoing, definitely looked like a can-do opportunity with room to be a bit entrepreneurial.  But they were launching a new deal, said it was delaying the interviewing process.  So then I'm doing another interview at another shop on the sellside - this was Monday - and the guy says, "I hope you don't mind, I have to listen to this conf call for a moment".  Chat was going well, so this was fine.  Then I hear over the speakerphone "XXX is in the final documentation stages of their deal"!  What great inside information - didn't realize these guys were on the other side of the arrangement.  So looks like I need to call again about status - I'd been quiet for a while since I didn't want to bother them too much.

<deleted> Probably not to smart to post such stuff.

A friend of mine, about 20 years ago, was invited to an interview with a gold dealer. He was, dunno, 20 then or something. The two brothers that owned it wanted to make him president of the company. That's right. President. Needless to say, he smelled something very fishy, packed up and left. The company folded a couple of weeks later under some fraud scheme.

I need some good answers to the interview questions below, which i consider as rather vague and fuzzy.

1.What means success for you?

2.Describe the way you make decisions.

3.Describe the way you manage/cope with conflicts.

4.Describe the way you cope with failure.

To start the ball rolling, let me present you some answers i have given, in a recent interview, on the above.

1. "People's recognition and respect, for me and my team, are the ultimate signs and omensof success, especially in my professional life.  All the rest are considered either as preconditions, such as excellent results, or by-products, such as prestige or wealth".

2. After a short lecture regarding decision making methodologies, that is information quality, decision/problem specification and structuring, objectives/goals to be optimised, hard and soft constraints and feasible solutions, i tried to present the profile of person who cares not only for prosperous figures but also for prosperous people. (considering that  i was speaking with a HR person). I had a follow up question regarding my desicions so far regarding my education. I replied "all the decisions were made in a gradual and stepwise manner, while keeping a long term goal in the back of mind at the same time".

3. "I consider that increased foresight, and precautionary endeavours are invaluable skills in order to prevent things reach at the conflict stage, on the other hand, if a conflict seems inevitable, one has to be decisive and effective.  Moreover in the case i will have to resolve a conflict as a third party, i would try to analyse the causes and effects of the problem and be always fair right and punctual". (Obviously i was not in mood to give another short lecture on game theory, and expressing my belief that conflicts should resolved effectively only with an iron fist wouldnt be a good idea at all ).

4."Failures, minor or major, can happen to anyone, at anytime. The point is to be able to see and analyse the cause fo failure, and get a lesson, before you proceed to the next step. Only then one would be able to consider and convince oneself and one's partners if the option to keep on is worthy, or they had better quit or switch."

I am not sure if the above answers are right or wrong, or are the ones she expected to listen, or needed to listen, but i obviously failed.

Thus, advice, recommendations, suggestions, corrections on the above, are more than welcome, especially from phorum's senior officers (at a major's rank or higher )

1.What means success for you?

2.Describe the way you make decisions.

3.Describe the way you manage/cope with conflicts.

4.Describe the way you cope with failure.

Ok, warm and fuzzy time. Some thoughts about your answers:

1. Are you only successful if someone else says you are?

2. Lots of people think they make decisions this way. Almost nobody does.

3. Iron fists lead a.s. to revolution. Thoughtful (long-winded) interjection leads to continued conflict (see European attempts at peace in the Middle East). The word here is always compromise.

4. Everyone fails. The key is to get over it.

HTH.

Anthis, you misunderstood me.

When I said: "Failure is death" I meant: "If you fail, you will die." If you have any honor, you will commit sepuku. If you are without honor, you will be hunted down and slain like the flawed animal you are.