Lazard Interview Questions & Reviews
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Updated May 18, 2012 – Interview questions and reviews posted anonymously by interview candidates.
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Difficulty Rating [?] Based on 12 ratings 
“Difficult” Interview
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Interview Experience [?] Based on 12 ratings
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Intern at Lazard
Posted May 18, 2012
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3.0
Average Interview
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Overall Positive Experience
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Received and Accepted Offer
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Interviewed Sep 2011 (took 2 weeks)
Invitation for interviews came the same day I sent my application. In total 4 Interviews (all levels of hierarchy), very pleasant people. Fit and technical quesitons (valuation, corporate finance) in all interviews.
Interview Questions
Other Details
I Applied Online.
Helpful Interview?
Yes |
No
Inappropriate?
Analyst at Lazard
Posted May 10, 2012
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4.0
Difficult Interview
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Overall Negative Experience
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Interviewed and No Offer
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Interviewed Feb 2011 in Chicago, IL (took a day)
Went in without much of a corporate finance background, and got peppered with quantitative financial questions despite saying up front that my classes were mainly just economics. So kind of a struggle to keep going through all these concepts I hadn't heard of before.
Interview Questions
Other Details
I got the interview through a College or University and the interview consisted of a 1:1 Interview.
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Intern at Lazard
Posted Apr 11, 2012
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4.0
Difficult Interview
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Overall Positive Experience
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Received and Accepted Offer
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Interviewed Dec 2011 (took 3 weeks)
No CV is required by Lazard in the UK. 4 competency questions (including one on valuation were submitted), and was invited very quickly to sit numerical and verbal tests.
The same day as the tests were completed, I was invited for a first round interview to take place a week later. This was a 1:1 interview with HR. It covered standard competency questions but with a bias towards Lazard's defining principles - I was asked numerous questions about times I had acted honestly and with integrity. There was also some very, very basic technical questions (difference between a merger and an acquisition, signs of a successful acquisition/merger, etc).
Upon being successful in this round, I was invited to an AC. Unlike other banks ACs, Lazard's do not involve interviews, and there is a final stage after this. The AC consisted of a resit of the numerical test, a group exercise where we were each given a different company to consider as an acquisition target, and a solo presentation. The group exercise did not require any valuation methodologies, was was more about operational synergies. The solo presentation was a roleplay where I was the IB, and involved somewhat more of a technical element, but still nothing at all detailed.
Final round involved 2 interviews with VPs. These were 30 minutes each and were probably the 'deepest' interviews I had in a bank. Standard competency questions were used for the first few minutes but then each went with its own flow. In one they pushed my technical knowledge as far as they could take it but without trying to shake me.
My overall impression was that Lazard's primary concern with candidates is commercial awareness. This was the defining principle of the extended interviews, and I was asked to go in depth on M&A deals I was interested in and how they affected the businesses involved/the rationale behind them.
Interview Questions
Other Details
I Applied Online and the interview consisted of a 1:1 Interview, a Group/Panel Interview, a Presentation and an IQ/Intelligence Test.
Helpful Interview?
Yes |
No
Inappropriate?
Summer Analyst at Lazard
Posted Jan 14, 2012 — 0 of 1 people found this helpful
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3.0
Average Interview
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Overall Neutral Experience
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Interviewed and No Offer
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Interviewed Jan 2012 in Houston, TX (took a day)
30 minute interview, 2 bankers present, conducted on-campus. More emphasis on "fit" than other banking interviews. I was asked 2 finance questions that were not complex. (1 accounting, 1 valuations) I happened to grow up in Houston and attended private school from preschool through high school. I mentioned this as an offhand comment, and one of the interviewers actually wrote it down. Do they really care where I went to preschool? Also, they had a good cop/bad cop attitude. Having done behavioral/fit interviews for other industries, I didn't think it was that bad, but it caught some others off-guard, who were expecting more of a focus on the financial questions.
Interview Questions
Other Details
I got the interview through a College or University and the interview consisted of a Group/Panel Interview.
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Helpful Interview?
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Analyst at Lazard
Posted Dec 2, 2011
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4.0
Difficult Interview
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Overall Positive Experience
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Received and Declined Offer
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Interviewed Nov 2011 in London, England (United Kingdom) (took 3 weeks)
1. Online application via Lazard website
2. Numerical reasoning test (online)
3. Verbal reasoning test (online)
4. First-round interview
-- This consisted of a written case study, a numerical test and a 1:1 interview with HR
5. Assessment centre
-- There were 6 people in my assessment centre
-- The day began with lunch and a chance to speak with current analysts, then a group discussion exercise and finally a 1:1 presentation task
6. Final round interview
-- The final round comprised two 1-hour interviews with Directors (one fit, one technical)
Interview Questions
Other Details
I Applied Online and the interview consisted of a 1:1 Interview, a Group/Panel Interview, a Presentation and a Skills Test.
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Helpful Interview?
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Investment Banking Analyst at Lazard
Posted Nov 19, 2011
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4.0
Difficult Interview
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Overall Neutral Experience
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Received and Declined Offer
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Interviewed Oct 2011 in New York, NY (took 1 week)
Normal on-campus recruiting process. First round was a two-on-one interview with Associates. Mainly technical questions, fairly intense. One interviewer would ask a question and the other would interrupt my response with another technical question. They were nice enough guys though, as after I answered a bunch of technicals correctly the tone of the interview shifted and became much more lighthearted. Nothing unexpected though. Invitation to superday a few days later. Superday consisted of 4 one-on-one interviews with VPs and Associates. Fewer technical questions, more fit questions as well as some brainteaser/probability questions.
Interview Questions
Reason for Declining
Have heard bad things about culture and bonuses. Had another offer at a similar firm.
Other Details
I got the interview through a College or University.
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Investment Banking Analyst at Lazard
Posted Aug 23, 2011
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3.0
Average Interview
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Overall Neutral Experience
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Interviewed and No Offer
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Interviewed Apr 2011 (took 1 week)
Applied online through email and received first round interview a few days after. First-round interview took place in office with 2 analyst/associate. It was a general fit type of interview, questions about resume and knowledge of deals. Whole interview lasted for half an hour; went really smoothly.
Second-round interview was with 2 directors at the firm's office again: covered more technical and fit-based questions as well as questions on Why Lazard etc. Process went really smoothly and made it to the next round which was a group case study. Most of the participants did not know much about pitchbook presentation, valuation and modelling. As the sell-side advisor, we had to recommend whether to sell the company given its the strategic rationale, risk, valuation appropriate for the company, and how we should approach the offer etc. The whole case study lasted for 2 hours and presentation for 15mins with 10mins Q&A. Then we had a networking event with the senior bankers.
Perception of the culture of the firm was quite neutral personally. Firm had around 15 people at the office which I found was not my fit. Didn't click with the bankers at the office. Work culture I heard was quite rough (heard stories of many all-nighters there)
Interview Questions
Other Details
I Applied Online and the interview consisted of a Phone Interview, a 1:1 Interview, a Group/Panel Interview, a Presentation and a Personality Test.
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Analyst at Lazard
Posted Jun 25, 2011 — 1 of 1 people found this helpful
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4.0
Difficult Interview
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Overall Positive Experience
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Interviewed and No Offer
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Interviewed Oct 2010 in New York, NY (took 1 week)
A lot of fit and mental math. Definitely need to know the basics of accounting and finance. They really want to know why IB because they expect you to stay on for 2 years. Very nice guys in general. Really have to show a passion for what you are applying to.
Interview Questions
Other Details
The interview consisted of a Phone Interview.
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Summer Analyst at Lazard
Posted May 26, 2010
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4.0
Difficult Interview
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Overall Neutral Experience
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Interviewed and No Offer
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Interviewed Feb 2010 in City of London, England (United Kingdom) (took 3 weeks)
When applying on their website I recall a standard mathematical aptitude test. Next step was a phone interview with an external recruitment firm. Quite technical to be a phone interview, with the interviewer asking detailed questions on the steps of a DCF valuation and which factors could affect the outcome. The final step was an assesment center at their London office, with approximately 25 applicatants fighting for what I believe were 7 spots. The day started off with a math test, after which we were split into groups of 8. In the group we recieved two separate cases which we were to discuss and present an outcome. The bankers present seemed to have created a pre-concieved picture of the candidates, as the criticism I recieved was that I didn't perform the way they would have wanted me to - not saying that I performed badly. After eating a lunch with a few of the analysts present, half the group was cut, and the other half had 1-1 interviews with MD's.
Interview Questions
Other Details
The interview consisted of a Phone Interview, a Group/Panel Interview, a Presentation and an IQ/Intelligence Test.
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Helpful Interview?
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Analyst at Lazard
Posted Mar 8, 2010 — 1 of 1 people found this helpful
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4.0
Difficult Interview
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Overall Positive Experience
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Received and Accepted Offer
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Interviewed Nov 2009 in London, England (United Kingdom) (took a day)
Recruitment was organized by the Cornell Partnership. They conduct the first round interviews. If successful, you are invited to an assessment centre at the Lazard Offices.
Structure of Assessment Centre:
1. Numerical Test
2. Group Exercises
3. Cut
4. 1:1 interview with two senior employees
The offices are very nice and located in Mayfair. The people who interviewed me were really looking for a personal fit rather than your technical skills. As Lazard places very high importance on the strategic aspect of M&A transactions, commercial awareness is one of their number one criteria in selecting candidates.
The analysts and associates I met during the networking lunch all seemed to be very happy about working at Lazard even though one of the employees told me that "the work is brutal". Nevertheless, he noted that it is extremely rewarding, especially in terms of the board level exposure you get.
Interview Questions
Other Details
The interview consisted of a 1:1 Interview, a Group/Panel Interview, a Presentation and a Skills Test.
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Helpful Interview?
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