Tips and Tricks To Ace The Goldman Sachs Interview Process

As a global financial powerhouse, Goldman Sachs has a highly competitive and demanding process for interviewing and screening candidates.

If you aspire to join Goldman Sachs, you’re in the right place. This 4 Day Week guide will discuss the company's hiring process and some of the questions that may be thrown your way. We also offer some tips to help you ace your Goldman Sachs interviews.

So, let’s dive in!

Goldman Sachs Hiring Process Overview

Goldman Sachs is one of the world's leading financial institutions specializing in banking, securities, and investments. As a result, the company’s hiring process is quite a rigorous journey that begins with an online application.

You’ll need to provide:

• Resume (CV)
• Cover letter
• Contact information (phone number, email, address)
• Education history (including GPA, awards, if any, and examination results)
• Language proficiency

The process lasts 54 days (on average). The first interview round is conducted by a recruiter over video. The second (and final) interview round (also known as Superday interviews) is conducted onsite and usually involves 3 to 5 interviews with employees and hiring managers.

Goldman Sachs interviews rarely last more than 30 minutes.

Here’s What Interviewees Say

Overall, interviewees rate the Goldman Sachs interview process as average difficulty and generally positive.

On Glassdoor, 62% of interviewees rate their experiences as positive, 27% as neutral, and 11% as negative. The difficulty rating is 3.1 out of 5 (with 5 being hard).

• “Call with a recruiter and then a call with an Associate and then a Superday. Everyone was pretty nice, and they were willing to answer all of my questions. Overall, it was a pretty good process.”

• “Two Interview rounds—one HireVue and one Superday. The super day was with 3 rounds with 2 people from 3 different teams. This was for an operational role, so it was determining which team you were the best fit for.”

• “Long and thorough was an intense process that you would expect from a firm like Goldman Sachs. Multiple Interviewers, with some being more difficult than others. It was a Zoom process at the time, and the notification of whether you passed the final interview took a little too long, about two weeks.”

Goldman Sachs Hiring Process Timeline

The Goldman Sachs hiring process takes about 54 days on average, according to data from Glassdoor. In a survey on Indeed, 39% of people said it took over a month, 27% mentioned it was around a month, and 16% got hired within two weeks.

Ultimately, the length of the process varies for each individual based on the role being filled and which office they are applying to.

1. Resume and Cover Letter: Once Goldman Sachs has reviewed your application, it can take anywhere from 1 month to 6 months, depending on the position you’re applying for. Senior and Managerial positions usually take longer due to the comprehensive screening process of your related work experience and your skills.

2. Video Interview: During the HireVue stage, think of it as a preliminary interview. You'll be given 3 to 6 predefined behavioral questions, as well as discovery questions from Goldman Sachs. You'll get 30 seconds to prepare and around 2 minutes to answer each question.

3. Final Interview Round(s): The final interview round(s), also known as the Goldman Sachs “Super Day” is an on-site assessment center day where candidates are evaluated by a panel of three individuals.

The panel of interviewers can include individuals such as analysts, associates, and often VPs. Each candidate is given a maximum of 30 minutes to briefly discuss their motivations for application and their work experience. The final round of interviews can also consist of tests, focus groups, and case studies.

This stage usually lasts 0 to 2 months.

Goldman Sachs Interview Stages

Stage #1: Initial Screening

During this stage, the GS recruitment team assesses your qualifications, such as your education, work experience, and skills, to determine if you’re qualified for the position you’re applying for.

You may also be asked to answer certain tests with different sections, such as Quantitative Aptitude, Comprehension and Language Proficiency, Reasoning, and Technical (for engineering roles only).

After completing the online assessment, you can expect to receive the results within three weeks.

Stage #2: HackerRank Assessment (for Engineering roles only)

Goldman Sachs uses HackerRank, a platform for testing coding and technical skills, to evaluate Engineering candidates. When you apply, you can select a technical assessment to complete.

You have two options: a programming assessment or a combined programming and math assessment. This assessment helps Goldman Sachs gauge your technical problem-solving abilities and the kinds of challenges you can tackle in the role.

Stage #3: Video Interview

This stage involves answering preset questions using your computer, phone, or tablet. Even if you applied for multiple roles, you'll only do one video interview, lasting about 30 minutes in total.

While Goldman Sachs uses the HireVue p[platform to conduct the interviews, their recruiters will still review your responses. It usually includes general and behavioral questions and a few specific ones related to the role you applied for.

Stage #4: Superday

In the final interview stage, usually called a Superday or assessment center, you'll go through various interviews and assessments. This may include the following:

Technical Interview

For the first round of interviews, you'll have to go through at least two face-to-face technical interviews. However, more rounds may be added depending on how you perform in the initial ones.

These interviews will focus on technical topics and revolve around your knowledge of accounting, finance, and other relevant areas.

Case Interview

In a case study interview, you’ll be given problems that relate to real-world business scenarios. As part of this stage, you’ll have to come up with an analysis of those problems and provide a fitting solution.

This interview evaluates your ability to analyze situations, solve problems, and articulate your ideas under pressure.

Behavioral Interview

In this round, you'll primarily answer behavioral questions to gauge your attitude and understanding of emerging trends. The interviewers will also assess your personality traits and examine your strengths as a future employee.

Additionally, you might encounter questions about your willingness to relocate, your career goals, and your motivation for wanting to work at Goldman Sachs.

How To Nail the Goldman Sachs Interview Process?

Securing a role at Goldman Sachs involves thorough preparation and an understanding of their unique interview process. Now, we'll provide you with targeted strategies and insights to navigate each stage effectively and stand out as a candidate.

1. Use STAR Method To Adapt Your Resume and Cover Letter

The STAR method is a well-known interviewing format that helps you give deeper, more meaningful responses to behavioral questions.

It’s an acronym that stands for:

• Situation: Describe the situation and give background information.
• Task: Describe the task you faced.
• Action: Describe the action(s) you took in response to the situation and task.
• Result: Describe the result in concrete terms (metrics, KPIs, outcomes, etc.).

By aligning these stories with the specific requirements and skills sought by the employer, you provide clear evidence of your abilities, making your resume and cover letter more appealing and persuasive.

2. Practice Answering Behavioral and Technical Questions

Practicing your answers to commonly asked questions can help build your confidence and improve the clarity of your ideas. It also helps refine your storytelling skills, manage nervousness, and ensure consistency in your responses.

For example:

• Q: What are your strengths and weaknesses?
• A: During my time at XYZ Company, we faced a situation where our project was delayed due to resource limitations (S). I took the lead in analyzing the issue (T) and came up with a strategic plan to streamline the workflow and reallocate resources (A). Thanks to this, we were able to meet the project deadline and increase overall efficiency by 20% (R).

3. Build Your Network To Get Your Foot in the Door

Getting a referral from someone already working at the company can increase your chances of getting hired. At Goldman Sachs, 9% of applicants who receive an offer are referred by a current employee despite only making up 6% of total applicants. In other words, having a good network is key to getting your foot in the door.

Goldman Sachs Interview Questions

General Interview Questions

• Why do you want to work at Goldman Sachs?
• Describe a time you faced a tight deadline with high stakes.
• What do you think is the most important quality for success at Goldman Sachs?
• How do you handle working on multiple projects with tight deadlines?
• Describe a time when you had to solve a complex problem and walk me through your decision-making process.

Analyst Interview Questions

• Derive the put-call parity formula.
• Walk me through a discounted cash flow (DCF).
• Find all pairs with a certain sum in a given array.
• Please walk me through a three-statement model.
• Explain what a swap is and why they are used.
• What is the difference between an ETF and a mutual fund?
• Describe the Gaussian copula function and its application in finance.

Engineering Interview Questions

• Please debug the following code.
• Describe a software development project you worked on.
• Explain the process of creating an API.
• What is the importance of automated testing?
• Please explain the concept of Big O notation.
• How would you go about optimizing a slow algorithm?

While preparing for the demanding Goldman Sachs interview process, don't forget the importance of work-life balance. At 4 Day Week, we understand the value of having more time for personal pursuits and relaxation.

Explore our job listings offering a better work-life balance, often with a four-day workweek and no salary reduction.

Summing Up

Securing a job at Goldman Sachs is undeniably challenging. Their interview process is quite competitive and involves multiple interviews and assessments. Understanding the process will increase your chances of landing your dream job.

Looking for a more flexible working arrangement? At 4 Day Week, we connect talented applicants with the best 4-day workweek opportunities. A better work-life balance means more time to relax and enjoy the things you love, with no reduction in salary!

Visit our job listings today for your perfect job.