“Walk Me Through a Deal” — IB Interview Answer

Free sample from the Deskcraft question bank

“Walk me through a deal” — one on your CV or a live one you'd invest in — tests whether you think like a banker, not just recite. Interviewers want a tight structure: what it is, why it happened, the numbers, your view and the risks. This guide shows how to build and defend it, sampled from the Deskcraft bank.

1. Tell me about yourself in 90 seconds.

Model answer

A tight arc: origin (degree/school, one line), 2-3 experiences each framed as what I did → what I learned → how it pointed here, and a landing on why this seat now. Selective, chronological, quantified at least once, and tailored to the firm type. It should sound like a thesis for hiring you, not a biography.

2. Walk me through the sell-side M&A process.

Model answer

Preparation of financials, the CIM and a data room; buyer outreach with a teaser and NDA; first-round indications of interest; management presentations and due diligence for selected buyers; final bids with a marked-up purchase agreement; negotiation and signing; then regulatory approval and closing. The banker runs a competitive auction to maximize price and certainty.

3. Walk me through your CV.

Model answer

A top answer is a 90-second narrative, not a list: a quick origin (degree, school), 2–3 experiences each framed as "what I did → what I learned → why it pushed me toward this seat", and a close that lands on why this role, now. It is chronological, selective, and ends pointing at the interviewer's firm type.

4. Describe a time you managed competing priorities or deadlines.

Model answer

Show a system: how you triaged, communicated with stakeholders and delivered, with the result. It maps directly to juggling multiple deals and staffers as an analyst.