Book Description
This unique guide is loaded with sample questions, charts, formulas, and frameworks covering everything from accounting concepts to bond pricing, interest and exchange rate. Job seekers can prep for their tough finance interviews with investment banks and investment management firms.
Customer Reviews:
Everything you need to know, but not enough!.......2007-01-25
The Vault Guide to Finance Interviews is an essential read for any college student trying to start off his or her career with a high powered job in the world of banking or investing. This is particularly useful for those seeking a job in the investment banking field, trading, equities research, or anything closely related to Wall Street.
The guide helps by telling what sort of unpleasant surprises to expect from the interview process. If you haven't had any interviews or hadn't attended an interviewing class or workshop, you will be surprised after reading this book how intense some of these interviews can get. The Vault Guide tries be a good coach with some good behavioral tips to navigate those stressful moments.
The bulk of this book is a review of general finance skills - everything from DCF's, CAPM, financial statements, to derivatives, PE ratios, and bond pricing. The material is extremely comprehensive and should only be a review of what to know. Don't read this expecting to learn finance because there is too much information in too little space. The final part of the Guide has a few common brainteaser questions and suggested solutions to properly answer them.
The Vault Guide is not an answer to getting a Wall Street job, but it's a good starting point and a necessary tool in your arsenal of interview preparation. I suggest using this as a guide to find your weaknesses and obtain other books such as "How Would You Move Mount Fuji?"
A very good start.......2006-10-23
I'll be working for Morgan next year and I really credit this book. I had only taken a couple finance classes two years ago so this was a nice refresher. It provides a great summary of all the equations and relationships that you need to memorize for i-banking interviews. Read it carefully but also stay up on your WSJ. You'll need to talk current events and not just formulas.
Don't waste your time and money on this one.......2006-04-10
If you absolutely have no idea what "finance" is, you might want to check out this book at your local friendly public library. Otherwise, check out other finance career guides. This book is a waste of time and much of the stuff is either inaccurate or not useful at all. I know because I sit on the other side of the table at finance interviews: I'm a seasoned interviewer. (In fact I'm better at recruiting at doing my real job... Sigh.) Let me tell you this: yes, I (and my fellow Wall Street interviewers) will ask some of the basic questions you'll see in this book, but we are lookign for honest, personal answers, not canned ones. Also, we look for *common sense*. Trust me, all successful candidates demonstrate common sense, and also each person's uniqueness ("what makes you sparkle"). Then, for the difficult questions you'll likely encounter, you won't find in this poorly written, poorly edited book. It'll likely confuse you. Instead, read the Wall Street Journal, read up on finance topics that interest you, and beef up your basic math skills if they are lacking at the moment. Again, we want smart people who can think, not someone who just fits into a formula. Of course, many people who do get finance jobs are formula kind of people, but do they get paid a lot? I bet not.
Disappointing, Insufficient.......2002-08-13
While many of the examples presented often arise in interviews, a majority of those given are among the most basic and simplistic questions you might be asked. You need to be prepared to be hit with far more in-depth and probing questions during the interview process. If you have no idea what to expect, this book will get you started. But for most people considering a career in finance, it will provide little benefit.
And a skimpy 150-page paperback, list-priced at $, (or for that matter, ANY book) really shouldn't have full page ads interspersed throughout; What is going on with that?
This book feels like the author churned it out in a weekend. It is more akin to a supplement that a magazine or newspaper might issue, than an actual book.
An investment with a fast pay off.......2002-01-22
I am studying an MBA at IESE's Business School in Barcelona, and this book has been key to help me succeding in getting a Summer Internship in Investment Banking. It is clear, concise, and covers most of the issues asked in Finance interviews. It is a must read for anyone with real interest in Investment Banking and without previous experience in this industry
Book Description
Professional career guide from the Vault Career Library covering bond fundamentals, statistics, derivatives (with detailed Black-Scholes calculations, fixed income securities, equity markets, currency and commodity markets, risk management.
Customer Reviews:
Embarrassing.......2006-01-22
I am not quite sure who is supposed to read this book. I am about to finish my M.Sc (Industrial management and engineering) and almost everything (98%) in this book was known to me.
Regarding all the errors, I stopped marking them at about the 20th page. It is really terrible how there can be so many factual errors in one book (by far the worst book I have seen at least). E.g. the part on CAPM where it says that beta must be a nonnegative number.
Please do not buy this book, at least not until the second edition has come out!
Errata.......2005-12-09
Hi, thanks for all of the comments. I was not aware that there were many typographical errors and I will go through the book very carefully over the next month so that hopefully soon (Jan 15, 2006 is my target) there will be an errata sheet posted on my website, treasuryfinance.com. Plus, I hope to add some spreadsheets used in the book and even a few new questions. Thanks again. (Sorry, I was forced to add a rating or I would not have been allowed to submit this).
Potentially Good But Spoiled by Errors.......2004-08-31
Considering the academic qualifications of the author, I expected more from this book. I have a finance degree from the top undergrad business program and bought this book to review some topics for an interview. There are some places where the author's explanation takes a leap that is simply hard to follow. In some example problems she works out, there are major errors as the math gets worked out, which ruin the lesson. Because this book is an overview of important finance topics, each example problem is that much more important to the learning value. The errors make it hard to put faith in this book. Hopefully these errors get corrected in future versions, as I feel this book has the potential to be a very good tool.
maybe good for MBA.......2003-11-28
The book might be good for someone with MBA as a general review but definitelly not for someone preparing for quant job/interview.
For that purpose "Heard on the Street: Quantitative Questions from Wall Street Job Interviews" is at least 100 times better.
Everything you learned in your MBA but forgot!.......2003-07-18
This book is a great review for anyone who has taken finance courses yet may not have retained as much as they would like. I picked up this book after graduating from an MBA program, and found myself saying, "oh yeah, I forgot about that" on many occasions. Overall, it's a keeper that has earned a spot on my professional bookshelf.
Book Description
Professional career guide from the Vault Career Library - from background on the industry and an insider look at jobs and the career path in consulting to a look at the core skills for consultants and information on consulting interviews.
Customer Reviews:
Fantastic book.......2007-05-19
A real sightseeing about consulting. Definately, this book will help you to decide joining consulting.
Book Description
Professional career guide from the Vault Career Library - 18 actual case interview questions used in consulting interviews, from market entry cases to guesstimates to M&A cases, with detailed step-by-step analysis of each.
Customer Reviews:
Complete waste of money.......2007-03-04
If you follow this book then forget about your chances of getting anywhere. Consulting will be out of business with this level of analysis. The cases are really shallow and anything but logical. Don't waste monney on this, I have ordered "Case In Point", hope that turns out to be better.
Book Description
For their great upside and the opportunity to be truly innovative in invewtment strategy, hedge funds represent the pinnacle of employment for many finance professionals. For many job-seekers, however, the idustry is a mysterious one, as employers are relatively small, and do not have structured hiring programs like investment banks or mutual funds.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent for College Grads.......2006-07-28
This book is very introductory, hence I don't recommend it to individuals already in the financial industry. Although, for a collge grad like myself this is the best and most resourceful book on hedge funds. Everything is explained in simple terms and very easy to understand. 5 STARS!!!
Lazy and Lame Work.......2006-04-04
People interested in getting valuable information on "How to get a Job at a Hedge Fund" will be disappointed. The author's lack of research and effort is so obvious.
The book wastes space by describing Hedge Fund Strategies and Mickey Mouse Interview Questions. The research mostly consists of a couple of profiles and interviews of young kids who have just started work at a hedge fund. Also contains obvious valuable nuggets like you need a degree from a Top 20 school.
I can't believe authors like this get paid for this kind of work.
Perfect book for me.......2005-12-23
I bought this book in the hopes that it would help me in my career path. I have been interested in getting into the hedge fund industry and this has helped me tremendously. thanks.
Useful Introductory Book.......2005-11-18
This book is a good introduction for someone that has just graduated from college. I found this book useful to help me land a job at a hedgefund and I would recommend to other college grads...maybe not recruiters like above!!
Massive Failure.......2005-06-08
I read this book expecting to come away with some golden nuggets, especially since I am a recruiter for hedge funds. Instead, I found that the disparity is enormous between what really is required to land a hedge fund job and what Vault recommneds as the suggested approach. In my experience, following Vault's advice is contrary to what even commons ense would dictate is the correct approach to pursue. Separately, most of the topic covered in the book are superficial at best. A real disappointment.
Book Description
This guide includes step-by-step examples of how a trade is made on the trading floor, and Q & As with industry professionals of all levels.
Customer Reviews:
A must-read for anyone serious about Wall Street.......2004-09-14
This career guide demystifies what is going on in that chaotic trading floor and is fun to read. Valuable interview tips and sample interview questions that are useful for undergraduates, MBAs and career switchers. Recommended by fellow students and faculty, and obviously written from an insiders' perspective, this book was worth every penny I paid!
The Best Career Guide in the Field.......2003-09-26
This guide is the best I've seen in the field of sales & trading. The advice is extremely helpful to gain an insider's perspective. Plus, the clear and witty writing style make it actually interesting to read. I have not seen many career guides as practical and enjoyable to read as this one. I highly recommend it with two thumbs up!
Book Description
From the Vault Career Library - from a breakdown of the buy-side of the finance industry - firms that purchase securities as investments - to equity, fixed income, and currency markets, a look at the career path in investment management.
Customer Reviews:
Honest and Detailed Assessment.......2003-05-07
First off, I must say that this book provides a valuable overview for those who are interested in investment management. It quickly gets to the point and is straightforward. The explanations of the difference between sell-side and buy-side are helpful as is the characterization of the industry's general structure.
But it is very appropriate to categorize the book as an overpriced appetizer (especially if you were to pay the full list price). I was highly disappointed in its size when it arrived. It's more like a big brochure with a nice cover than an actual book. To add insult to injury, the book has 109 numbered pages, but of those, there are 14 pages of pure advertisements (for additional Vault products or services), title page only, or blank pages. Furthermore, 12 of these numbered pages are glossary and/or valuation technique shortcuts, and there is one additional page of "About the Author". All of this reduces the number of truly substantive pages to roughly 82!
The book focuses mostly on the largest firms by assets and provides only one or two pages on specialist firms, which is really where many of the investment management jobs are. I enjoyed the book, but I scarcely felt like I knew any more about the topic than when I started. Most people will probably say it is worth owning but was rather disappointing.
Honest and Detailed Assessment.......2003-05-07
First off, I must say that this book provides a valuable overview for those who are interested in investment management. It quickly gets to the point and is straightforward. The explanations of the difference between sell-side and buy-side are helpful as is the characterization of the industry's general structure.
But it is very appropriate to categorize the book as an overpriced appetizer (especially if you were to pay the full list price). I was highly disappointed in its size when it arrived. It's more like a big brochure with a nice cover than an actual book. To add insult to injury, the book has 109 numbered pages, but of those, there are 14 pages of pure advertisements (for additional Vault products or services), title page only, or blank pages. Furthermore, 12 of these numbered pages are glossary and/or valuation technique shortcuts, and there is one additional page of "About the Author". All of this reduces the number of truly substantive pages to roughly 82!
The book focuses mostly on the largest firms by assets and provides only one or two pages on specialist firms, which is really where many of the investment management jobs are. I enjoyed the book, but I scarcely felt like I knew any more about the topic than when I started. Most people will probably say it is worth owning but was rather disappointing.
Not bad, but less a carerr guide than expected..........2003-04-15
This book lists itself as a carrer guide, which it is to a point. Some of the best portions of this rather thin book are the portions where a "day in the life of x" is explained and listed on a timeline type of thing. These sections give good insite into what it is to be an associate (post MBA) at several firms. However, there are only a couple pages of this. A majority of the book is very basic what is investment management. There is a subtle difference between what is IM and what does someone working in IM do? There is too much explanation of "in a bull market stocks go up" and "mutual funds invest in a bunch of stocks". Vault should focus on the career aspect more. They do have some interview questions that are good, but this could easily have been 1/2 the length and 1/4 the price and still had the same impact.
Good, Pithy, Overview of the Industry.......2003-04-02
This is a good, pithy overview of the investment management industry. I found this to be one of the better Vault guides that I've bought recently. In just over 100 pages, it covers the structure and history of the industry, companies in the industry, the typical jobs, and day-to-day tasks in those jobs. The guide doesn't cover interview prep or the specific knowledge required to do the job, but there are various other guides that cover that material. The only negative point that I can think of is that the book is slightly expensive for a ~100 page paperback; however, I found it well worth the price.
Must Read.......2003-03-26
This book is a must-read for anyone who wants to learn about the Investment Management business as a career. It gives wonderful pointers about not only the various job options but also provides input on interviweing techniques.
I especially liked the section that described a day-in-the-life of various jobs. It gives a very realistic outline of what to expect and of the job issues with each position.
This is a great book for anyone looking at getting into the business or for anyone in the business to learn about other companies. I highly recommend it!!
Book Description
Careers at private equity firms (which raise funds to invest in private companies) are considered plum jobs in the finance world because of the intellectual challenge and potentially huge financial payoffs. Although private equity is a relatively young business, now there are more than 2,700 such companies worldwide. In this new Guide, Vault guide brings the scoop on the major players. Based on interviews and surveys of actual employees.
Book Description
The only annually updated insider's guide to consulting firms, The Vault Guide to the Top 50 Consulting Firms, now in its 9th edition, is an unbiased, investigative look at the top management and strategy consulting firms.
Book Description
This bestselling guide, now in its 3rd edition, takes the reader from critical marketing frameworks needed for acing brand management interviews to what brand managers and other marketing professionals really do on the job and how to evaluate advertisements and marketing campaigns.
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- Your First Year as a Nurse: Making the Transition from Total Novice to Successful Professional
- Your First Year as a Nurse: Making the Transition from Total Novice to Successful Professional
- Your First Year as a Nurse: Making the Transition from Total Novice to Successful Professional
- Your First Year in Network Marketing: Overcome Your Fears, Experience Success, and Achieve Your Dreams!
- Your MBA Game Plan: Proven Strategies for Getting into the Top Business Schools
- 101 Best Cover Letters
- 2007/8 Guide to Association Web Sites: For Recruiters and Job Seekers (Weddle's Guide to Association Web Sites)
Books Index
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Interviewing
| Job Hunting & Careers
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
Vault Career Guide to Investment Banking, 5th Edition (Vault Career Guide to Investment Banking)
Vault Finance Interviews Practice Guide
Vault Career Guide to Sales & Trading (Vault Career Library)
Vault Guide to the Case Interview
Vault Guide to Advanced Finance & Quantitative Interviews
