Project Finance Interview

[AyBee]

Hi all,

I've got myself a project finance interview (well, through a recruitment consultant) for an internship at a Japanese Bank in London. I'm coming from an engineering background so am spending the next few days before the interview swatting up on everything project finance. So my question is, what sort of questions am I likely to face at interview and do any of you have any other hints or tips for me please?

Thanks, AyBee

[chrisdk]

A couple of pointers:

It's going to be analytical so brush up on the steps you would go through to calculate the number of oranges consumed in the USA, the number of swimming pools in California, the number of cups of tea consumed per year in the UK and (my particular favourite) the time it takes to a bowling ball to hit the bottom of the sea...

Financial modelling i.e. Excel could also be a focus but is difficult to discuss in an interview, you can either do it or you can't (and if you can't they'll send you on a course before you start and then you can).

Pretty basic stuff but brush up on the news mention transactions you've seen in the newspaper i.e. why BHP & Rio Tinto didn't happen or what you think the future for UK PFI / PPP transactions are in light of the governments spending cuts.

Good luck, it's a tough but interesting game...

[AyBee]

Thanks for your reply Chris, I managed to find out thought process tricks they use from a friend (well, specifically how many cups of coffee are drunk every morning in London) but was prepared for that. Didn't actually get asked anything about it though and the interview went well so fingers crossed. Are you in project finance?

[Mattt]

If this is who I think it is (N...) then I had an interview several years back and read up all about their work and the markets, only to be confronted with an interview with the normal bullst questions - give an example of where you worked in a team etc etc.

[Dupont666]

Mattt said:

If this is who I think it is (N...) then I had an interview several years back and read up all about their work and the markets, only to be confronted with an interview with the normal bullst questions - give an example of where you worked in a team etc etc.

could it not be M.... instead?

I have a mate working in that particular bank, wonder if he is still there.

[Mattt]

Could be - I saw N... as more active on the Grad recruitment side.

[AyBee]

Mattt said:

Could be - I saw N... as more active on the Grad recruitment side.

N...? PM if required

[Dupont666]

well you have:

Nomura
Mizuho Securities
Daiwa Securities
Mitsubishi UFJ Securities

Im assuming its one of these.

No need to really say if you dont want though... it was to clarify your query with N.

[Mattt]

Is Timmy still about? He was at Nomura IIRC.

[Dupont666]

Mattt said:

Is Timmy still about? He was at Nomura IIRC.

Half the people I know seem to have been at Nomura at some time or another... Its like a rite of passage in Investment banking for my my area, were Im just a 2 horse place with HSBC and Citi.

[chrisdk]

AyBee said:

Are you in project finance?

I work in industry (utilities) so I'm not on the IB side of things but I'm involved in transactions on the client side. Engineers seem to have a good "fit" within PF (us finance grads are ten a penny) so hope it goes well for you.

[AyBee]

Just because I hate reading threads where the OP doesn't finish the story

I got it

[Gargamel]

Nice work, well done.

Hope it goes well for you

[Dupont666]

AyBee said:

Just because I hate reading threads where the OP doesn't finish the story

I got it

Which one was it and doing what?

PM if you dont want to reply here.

[johnfm]

AyBee said:

Thanks for your reply Chris, I managed to find out thought process tricks they use from a friend (well, specifically how many cups of coffee are drunk every morning in London) but was prepared for that. Didn't actually get asked anything about it though and the interview went well so fingers crossed. Are you in project finance?

So, how many ups of coffee are drunk every morning in London?

[AyBee]

johnfm said:

AyBee said:

Thanks for your reply Chris, I managed to find out thought process tricks they use from a friend (well, specifically how many cups of coffee are drunk every morning in London) but was prepared for that. Didn't actually get asked anything about it though and the interview went well so fingers crossed. Are you in project finance?

So, how many ups of coffee are drunk every morning in London?

I don't know, I wasn't asked to work it out

[Sebo]

Dupont666 said:

AyBee said:

Just because I hate reading threads where the OP doesn't finish the story

I got it

Which one was it and doing what?

PM if you dont want to reply here.

Was in Nomura's new office in Angel Lane at the start of the week. Looks pretty smart. They are still decorating some floors so a fair few people are still at Nomura house but it looks like a decent place to be. Probably preferred it to Bank Street actually.

[AyBee]

Sebo said:

Dupont666 said:

AyBee said:

Just because I hate reading threads where the OP doesn't finish the story

I got it

Which one was it and doing what?

PM if you dont want to reply here.

Was in Nomura's new office in Angel Lane at the start of the week. Looks pretty smart. They are still decorating some floors so a fair few people are still at Nomura house but it looks like a decent place to be. Probably preferred it to Bank Street actually.

Not that one