But the interview process could be anywhere between six interviews all the way up to 20. And it's really about understanding the character of an individual and showing the truthfulness and honesty throughout the process.Six to 20. That's quite a range. But I do want to go back to something you just said, Oliver, which is this: the importance of passion and drive. And I know that David Solomon is one example. He is a DJ on the side.
And then the third piece is once you get the list of the people with whom you're going to meet, look them up, look at their LinkedIn profiles, see where you can connect with them on a human level, and just prepare for that. So maybe you're looking at a LinkedIn profile and somebody lists their favorite author or where they like to travel. Just very personal things. Have that in your back pocket because you never know when something like that will come in handy in an interview.
At the end of the day, what Goldman wants [to know] is why you have applied to the job. They want you to know exactly what the division does, they want to test your teamwork approach, how you fit. We talked about the culture, which is very important as well. Why are you so interested in applying? I tell my students all the time: Stop saying, "Well, because Goldman is Goldman." They already know that they are a top-tier firm.
You never know what you're going to get. And at places like Goldman Sachs, they often do find something that could seem relatively obscure on a résumé. So make sure that you have anecdotes and stories to back up whatever is on your résumé because you never know what someone is going to be interested in.What I tell my students is that everything on your CV is going to be used. It's fair game.
There is one question which I know has been asked a few times, and it's slightly different. The question is: "How many windows are there in this building?" At that moment you'll see a huge amount of people's faces go very, very blank and they'll think, "How am I supposed to know that?" And that's the exact moment the interviewer will find out how you're feeling and how you can react under pressure.These are the types of puzzle questions that they ask.
One thing we haven't discussed, and may not have time to, is mentors. That's a really strong element to utilize to get into Goldman Sachs or a lot of other businesses elsewhere. Having a mentor who's either worked in the industry, or who's more senior than yourself, or in the firm that you're looking to work for, can help implicitly either to have that softer feel into it and have an easier route and a more dedicated route.
LindaKreitzman The most important thing in the course of interviews is to understand: what they are looking for, who is going to make the decision, am I connecting with them? Many interviewers are just there, they are not critical. Most of time HRs are not critical.