"Outside the Box" Questions Flashcards
What type of animal/vegetable would you be?
I would be an ant because of my dedication to hard work, attention to detail, and ability to collaborate effectively with a team. Just as ants work together to achieve their goals and build complex structures, I thrive in a collaborative and high-stakes environment, ensuring that every detail is meticulously handled and every team objective is met. [Think back to and reference A Bug’s Life]
Let’s say that in the future your name turns up as the front page headline of a newspaper one day – what would the story be about? [WORK IN PROGRESS]
Zibran Julhan Revolutionizes Investment Banking With AI-Driven Processes
Tell me a joke.
So I have a younger brother who also wanted to be a banker, but then he lost interest.
What’s your personal Beta?
I’d say my personal beta is around 1.5. I’m someone who embraces risk and seeks out new opportunities, but I always ensure that my risks are well calculated. For instance, I chose to delay my graduation to give myself more time to break into investment banking. While there’s always a chance that it won’t pan out, I weighed the potential payoff—the learning opportunities, the connections I could make, and also took my own personal work ethic and capabilities into account, determining that it was a risk well worth taking.
What’s the riskiest thing you’ve ever done?
I’d say the riskiest decision I ever made was during my junior year when I had to choose between two finance summer internships. One was with Year Up, where I’d gain more general business knowledge and develop more diverse skills with things such as Excel and project management. The other was a finance/accounting position with a department store brand, which was more technical but involved repetitive work and fewer networking opportunities. I carefully weighed the pros and cons of each. While the department store role was more specialized, I realized that Year Up offered a broader skill set and better networking opportunities. I ultimately chose to go with Year Up, and my decision paid off. It was due to one of the connections I made that led to my interview with PJT Partners.
Let’s say that you have $1 million, but you are NOT allowed to invest it or otherwise use it to create more money. What would you spend the capital on instead?
My family. I would first spend it on my family, friends, and the people who have been there for me and had my back. I would then allocate some of it to a cause I believe in and towards bettering my community. I’d also put some towards treating myself—probably by purchasing a BMW M4 Competition—and the rest I’d save for a rainy day.
