Started off with a campus interview (they Skyped in), which was very basic and mostly behavioral. Just be able to intelligently speak to everything on your resume and you’re guaranteed to get to the Superday.
I heard back just a couple days after the Skype - flew into San Diego a couple weeks later. The night before interviews is a dinner with some of the other Brandes employees (ones you won’t be interviewing with the next day). Very relaxed vibe. Make sure you have a drink, loosen up, and be personable. If you can have a couple people from this group that like you, you’re in good shape.
The next day was back to back interviews. Got interviewed by pairs. Some took good-cop, bad-cop approach, some were both good and some were both bad. Again, none of the questions were too difficult. More technical questions this time, but still know your resume well. Study financial statements and know how they link together (there’s an accounting test where you fill in blanks in three statements).
If you have any sort of investing experience on your resume, be prepared with at least one stock pitch. AND MAKE SURE ITS A VALUE PITCH. Always always remember that this is a value shop, so even when they ask you a question like “would you rather invest in a new food truck that has awesome food or a laundromat,” SAY THE LAUNDROMAT.
It was an enjoyable experience, they treat you well (awesome dinner, black car service, lunch after interviews), but it’s a very silo-type culture in the office, which btw is old and gross looking. Great place if you like to sit alone and read through 10-k’s all day, but if you’re looking for a fast-paced, collaborative environment, this isn’t it. The firm is in San Diego, which is mostly a retirement city, so you also have to factor that in if you’re a college grad. It is not a big city at all (the office isn’t in downtown).
Last but not least: pay. Although they treat you very well during the Superday, salary is fairly low. Yes they’re a value shop, but a larger contributing factor is the fact that they are facing massive redemptions. Would not be surprised if they’re no longer in existence in 5-10 years.
Keep all of the above points in mind. I am very neutral/slightly negative about this company because of work culture, pay, and location. But you do learn how to think like an investor. Just make sure you’re prepared to grab an MBA after the associate stint, because you likely will not be able to move to another firm outside of Cali without one.
