CQ_FinForte | Abhishek Kumar | JPMorgan Chase & Co

Interviewer: Hello, I’m Utkarsh, an Associate at Communiqué, IIT Kharagpur, and today we have with us Mr. Abhishek Kumar, who recently bagged an internship at JPMorgan Chase & Co. Hello Abhishek, Good Afternoon; how are you doing today?

Abhishek: Hi there Utkarsh! I am doing well, and how about you?

Interviewer: I am fine as well. Firstly, my heartiest congratulations to you for bagging an internship at JPMorgan Chase & Co., an American multinational financial services company which is also the world’s largest bank by market capitalization.

So, basically, in this short interview, I’ll ask you a few questions for our quant-oriented blog series. The blog will be shared with the KGP community to guide them about the selection procedure through your experience. So, if you are ready, can we start?

Abhishek: Yeah, thanks a lot, Utkarsh. Let’s begin.

Interviewer: So here’s the first question, what was the general interview process for the companies you interviewed? Could you also mention the number of rounds and the nature of the interview process?

Abhishek: So, for day 1, I got only one shortlist that was also extended in DC Advisory, but that was more finance-based, and I’ll be honest, I do not come from a finance background. They started with brief information about me and talked about my field of interest and some questionnaires related to it. Later, they asked estimation questions and some general thinking questions about the merging of two companies. Then, on Day 2, I got a shortlist in JPMorgan Chase and Co. There was a total of 4 rounds, including technical, statistical, or probability, CV-based (questions were also based on topics from previous rounds), and the last HR round. Also, the length of each round was approximately 45–60 minutes.

Interviewer: Could you please list down the questions you were asked in the different rounds? Puzzles, technical questions, and any other discussion, in general, will prove to be helpful for students.

i) First Round: This round was based on coding and more technical based problems. It included questions from image preprocessing(since I have done an internship related to this), DSA-based questions (they focus more on optimizing the complexity of a problem), and DP/recursion-based CP problems.

ii) Second Round: Questions from probability, expectations, and puzzles were asked in this round. These probability questions were directly from Heard on the Street, 50 Challenging Problems, Xingfeng, and BrainStellar (Medium and Hard).

iii) Third Round: Questions were mostly based on my CV. A brief explanation of my past internships and projects. Some questions were based on topics and methods used in those internships and projects. They also asked general questions related to coding and probability.

iv) Fourth round (HR): General questions like how was your day and all. They asked why I switched to this field from core and what are my expectations. Also, asked what your role is as a quantitative researcher at JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Interviewer: This information will definitely help our audience in making more informed decisions and prepare themselves accordingly.

What are some of the FAQs in most companies that you face and think students must definitely prepare for? More specifically, in the context of HR rounds.

Abhishek: “Why quantitative research” and “What are your expectations from this background” are some of the most frequently asked questions during the HR round. include generic inquiries about one’s strengths and weaknesses. Therefore, you must provide a perfect response here. In addition, it’s important to have a fundamental HR round preparation that works for all job profiles and employers.

In response to the previous question, I also discussed my experience.

Interviewer: What are things students sitting for placements next year can do from now until December to maximize their chances of getting through a company in this sector?

Abhishek: Revise Probability and Statistics. Additionally, there are challenges in books like “Heard on the Street,” “Fifty Challenging Problems in Probability,” “Xingfeng,” and “brainstellar” that must be solved. During the interview, you are checked on your approach to a question. Tell them the approach rather than the solution upfront. Try attempting daily coding challenges from ‘Interview Bit’ and ‘LeetCode’. DSA expertise is always desired.

Interviewer: This information will definitely help our audience in making more informed decisions.

How did your preparation for technical rounds evolve once you were shortlisted?

Abhishek: Revised graph, DP, and linked-list related CP problems. I took help from “Geeks For Geeks” for my interview preparation. And revised important questions from Heard on the Streets, 50 Challenging Problems.

Interviewer: Anything else that you’d want to share with the students?

Abhishek: This process can be extremely challenging. To avoid encountering any barriers or problems due to a lack of time, you must remain composed and start planning as soon as possible. You should work out with your friends, communicate frequently, and continue to inspire one another. Start preparing ahead of time because you will have a lot of tests during this period and little time to study. You should always ask your seniors for assistance. They can be of great assistance because they have been through the procedure and have sat for those companies. Additionally, as interview preparation is usually beneficial, you ought to conduct practice interviews with a few individuals. The secret is to be persistent and patient.

Interviewer: Thanks a lot for your suggestions. With this, the interview comes to an end. That’s all for the interview. It was great having a talk with you. Your insights and advice will be valuable to the students of IIT Kharagpur.

Abhishek: I appreciate it, Utkarsh. It was a delight to participate in this interview. Best Of Luck!