You may need to hit the books if you want to ace your next interview.
Jessica Pointing, a Harvard junior who received internship offers from companies like Google, Apple, Facebook, Microsoft, McKinsey, Bain, Goldman Sachs, and Morgan Stanley, notes that preparation is crucial for any interview.
She provided Business Insider with the list of the books she used to prepare for her marathon of interviews, along with an explanation of what makes each book so helpful. The list can also be found on Pointing’s blog, Optimize Guide.
If you’re looking to get ready for interviews in the fields of software engineering, quant finance, product management, consulting, investment banking, or sales and trading, it’s probably a good idea to check out some of these titles.
'Cracking the Coding Interview' by Gayle Laakmann McDowell
"'Cracking the Coding Interview' summarizes the fundamentals of algorithms and data structures, and contains more than a hundred practice questions. The book also contains various methods to solving programming questions. I like it because you can review the theory, and then practice interview questions with the book."
'Introduction to Algorithms' by Charles E. Leiserson, Ronald L. Rivest, and Clifford Stein
"Although 'Cracking the Coding Interview' provides a summary of the fundamentals of algorithms and data structures, it is important to know some of these algorithms in depth - which is why you should have a copy of an algorithms book handy."
'Cracking the PM Interview: How to Land a Product Manager Job in Technology' by Gayle Laakmann McDowell and Jackie Bavaro
"'Cracking the PM Interview' covers a lot of different topics for a PM interview; for example, the behavioral questions, the product questions, and the coding questions. The book gives useful examples for answers to some interview questions, and shows you how to structure your responses. I like it because it is a comprehensive book of the different aspects of a PM interview."
'Case In Point' by Marc P. Cosentino
"'Case in Point' is a classic for case interviews. The book covers an overview of cases, frameworks and practice cases. I like it because it contains techniques and frameworks that can be useful in a case interview."
'Investment Banking' by Joshua Rosenbaum and Joshua Pearl
"If you would like to do investment banking, you should know the primary valuation methodologies used at investment banks. The book 'Investment Banking' covers valuation, leveraged buyouts, and mergers and acquisitions. This book shows you part of what investment bankers do. I like it because it covers these topics in depth, and provides examples for you to follow."
'The 400 Investment Banking Interview Questions & Answers You Need to Know' by Mergers & Inquisitions
"'Mergers and Inquisitions' provides a list of 400 questions and answers for investment banking interviews. I like the format of this book because it lists questions, which you can practice yourself, and you can see suggested answers. The book covers behavioral questions, as well as technical questions."
'Vault Guide to Finance Interviews' by D. Bhatawedekhar, Dan Jacobson, and Hussam Hamadeh
"'Vault Guide to Finance Interviews' gives a basic overview of topics that could come up in a finance interview, such as options, currencies, and interest rates. The book contains additional sections, including brainteaser questions and a finance glossary. I like it because it contains some example questions that ask the 'why?' behind the financial theory."