Getting Ready for an Oppenheimer Holdings Interview: Commonly Asked Questions and How to Prepare

Interviewing at Oppenheimer Holdings can be an exciting yet nerve-wracking experience. As one of the leading investment banks, asset managers, and financial advisors, Oppenheimer is highly selective in its hiring process. Doing your research and preparing for commonly asked questions can help you stand out from the competition.

In this article we’ll break down some of the most frequently asked Oppenheimer interview questions and provide tips on how to ace your Oppenheimer Holdings interviews.

About Oppenheimer Holdings

Before we dive into the interview questions, let’s get familiar with Oppenheimer Holdings This will help provide context for many of the questions you may encounter

• Founded in 1881, Oppenheimer is a leading global financial services firm providing wealth management, securities brokerage, and investment banking services

• Headquartered in New York City, Oppenheimer has over 100 offices globally and 3,400+ employees.

• Oppenheimer operates through several divisions: Private Client, Asset Management, and Capital Markets.

• The firm manages over $85 billion in client assets and generated $1.2 billion in revenue in 2021.

• Oppenheimer offers services in investment banking, equity research, equities, fixed income, wealth management, and more.

• Notable Oppenheimer services include IPO underwriting, mergers and acquisitions (M&A) advisory, and institutional investments.

Commonly Asked Oppenheimer Interview Questions

Let’s now get into some of the most frequently asked questions for Oppenheimer interviews across positions like investment banking, sales and trading, equity research, and more:

1. Walk me through your resume.

This is one of the most common questions you’ll encounter in any finance interview, including at Oppenheimer. Interviewers want to understand your background, experiences, and career trajectory.

Structure your resume walkthrough by highlighting your relevant experiences, skills gained, and how it leads toward your interest in the role/firm. Conclude by reiterating your interest in the position.

2. Why Oppenheimer?

Interviewers want to gauge your knowledge of the firm and why you’re specifically interested. Research Oppenheimer’s services, culture, recent deals, leadership team, and news/developments.

Highlight aspects that align with your background, interests, and goals. This displays fit. Avoid generic responses that could apply to any bank.

3. Why investment banking/this division?

Oppenheimer wants candidates truly passionate for the role/industry. For investment banking, discuss your interest in financial modeling, markets, deal execution, client interaction, etc.

Tailor your response to the specific group. A capital markets interest may differ from M&A. Discuss applicable skills, deals, or experiences that sparked your interest.

4. What does an investment banker do?

For investment banking interviews, interviewers want to ensure you understand the day-to-day responsibilities.

Discuss core tasks like financial modeling, preparing pitch decks, analyzing companies, developing investment theses, executing deals, building client relationships, etc. Demonstrate you grasp the workflow and duties.

5. What are your strengths and weaknesses?

This common question tests your self-awareness. Discuss 2-3 relevant strengths aligned to the role like work ethic, analytics, communication, leadership, etc. Provide specific examples.

For weaknesses, avoid cliches like “workaholic”. Instead, choose things you’ve actively worked to improve on. Follow up each weakness with the progress you’ve made.

6. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Interviewers want to gauge your long-term goals and fit with the firm. Convey your aspirations for growth and learning aligned to a realistic career progression at Oppenheimer.

For example, an investment banking analyst may aim for associate promotion pursuing corporate finance deals. Discuss desire for more responsibility, skills, and leadership.

7. What stocks/companies do you follow?

For research or investment roles, interviewers want to understand your investment philosophy and research process. Discuss a few companies you follow closely in specific industries.

Highlight your methodology for valuing companies, assessing management, and identifying investment opportunities. Use specifics like valuation multiples, DCF, qualitative factors, etc.

8. What financial news have you read lately?

This tests your general market awareness and curiosity. Discuss a few recent news events like IPOs, deals, earnings reports, economic developments, policy changes, etc. that interest you.

Reference specific companies, deals, or macro factors. Display you actively follow finance and business news. Tie it back to potential implications for markets.

9. Why shouldn’t we hire you?

This offbeat question assesses your poise under pressure. Resist the urge to ramble. Focus on strengths the role requires that you lack but are proactively developing, like public speaking, specific domain knowledge, leadership, etc.

Demonstrate self-awareness but conclude on a positive note regarding your motivation and fit despite weaknesses. The goal is showcasing maturity, not undermining yourself.

10. Do you have any questions for me/us?

Always prepare 2-3 thoughtful questions to demonstrate interest and learn more about the role, group, leadership, expectations, culture, etc.

Good examples include “How do senior bankers interact with analysts?”, “What types of deals/clients does your group focus on?”, and “How is performance evaluated?”.

Avoid questions easily found online. Take notes if you gain helpful insights.

Tips for Acing Your Oppenheimer Interview

Beyond preparing for likely questions, follow these tips to maximize your Oppenheimer interview performance:

Research the firm and interviewers – Thoroughly study Oppenheimer and your interviewers’ backgrounds. This enables tailored, insightful responses.

Practice and perfect your stories – Craft a story bank of professional experiences and anecdotes that exemplify your top strengths and achievements. Practice telling them concisely and confidently.

Brush up on technical skills – Review key technical concepts you may be asked like accounting, financial modeling, valuation methodologies, and financial markets/products.

Prepare 5-10 behavioral stories – Have stories illustrating top behavioral traits like leadership, teamwork, resilience, work ethic, problem solving, communication, and motivation.

Conduct mock interviews – Replicate actual interview conditions with timers and difficult questions. Critique yourself and focus on improving weak areas.

Review your resume – Refresh yourself on all details of your resume. You must be able to discuss and expand on every bullet point.

Plan your interview attire – Dress professionally. Stick to traditional business formal suits in darker colors like navy and charcoal.

Research salary expectations – Use sites like Glassdoor to gauge Oppenheimer’s compensation ranges for the role in your city. Weigh your leverage and be prepared to discuss salary requirements.

Get rest – Arrive well-rested. Oppenheimer interviews can be grueling. Aim for 8+ hours of sleep the preceding nights.

Common Oppenheimer Holdings Technical Interview Questions

In addition to the behavioral questions above, advanced preparation for the technical portion is critical. Below are some of the most frequently asked technical concepts and skills assessed for roles like investment banking, equity research, and sales & trading:

• Walk me through a DCF analysis.

• How would you calculate WACC? Walk through the components.

• What are the differences between DCF, Trading Comps, and Precedent Transactions? When are each used?

• How is accretion/dilution calculated in an M&A deal?

• Explain how you would build a 3-statement operating model.

• What Excel modeling best practices would you incorporate and why?

• How do you calculate beta in the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM)?

• How would you value a private company?

• What factors influence a company’s P/E multiple?

• Discuss the possible pros and cons of a share buyback.

• What are comparable public companies? How are they used in valuation?

Again, practice explaining such concepts clearly. Use examples and walk through calculations step-by-step. Strive for concision while ensuring thorough comprehension.

Ready to Tackle Your Oppenheimer Interview!

Preparing for interviews is no easy feat, but armed with the advice above, you’re ready to impress your Oppenheimer Holdings interviewers.

Remember to research the firm extensively, polish your storytelling, sharpen your technical skills, and practice behavioral and technical questions until your responses flow naturally.

Showcase the knowledge, passion, and qualifications that make you an outstanding fit to join Oppenheimer’s esteemed team. With your diligent preparation and confident, polished interview skills, you have what it takes to ace your Oppenheimer interviews!