Prepping for IB interviews and struggling to explain DCFs clearly under pressure. Heard the community has templates with margin notes from ex-bankers highlighting common pitfalls. Tried skimming them, but how do you actually apply those annotations in live mock settings? What parts of the commentary made the biggest difference in your explanations? Also, any tips on adapting their technical insights to different interviewer styles?
those templates? lol they’re just recycled from 90s pitchbooks with some yellow highlights. real trick is to fake confidence when you get lost—interviewers can’t tell if you’re following the notes or winging it. pro tip: skip the terminal value fluff, they stopped caring after 2008
tried them once!! the margin notes about revenue growth assumptions helped me avoid a major oops in mocks. still struggle with timing tho. need to practise more maybe
Focus on the commentary around sensitivity analysis. Veterans often annotate where candidates oversimplify driver relationships. In my experience, interviewers probe assumptions hardest when you mention CAPEX/revenue ratios—be ready to defend your working capital choices using the template’s scenario examples. Adapt by mirroring the interviewer’s jargon: ‘value drivers’ vs ‘levers’ depending on their background.
Had an MD interrupt my DCF spiel last year asking why I used 2% perpetuity growth. Pulled a template note about healthcare vs tech norms from the margins—she nodded and moved on. Felt like cheating tbh, but hey, template footnotes are your secret weapon when brain freezes hit.
Analysis of 23 mock interviews shows candidates using annotated templates reduced technical corrections by 38%. Prioritize sections flagged with ‘Consistency Check’—they address 72% of common pushbacks. The terminal value debate annotations are less critical—only 14% of interviewers dig beyond exit multiples in first-rounds.