Solomon Partners Interview Questions: What They Look For and How to Ace Them

The right answers to the Solomon Partners interview questions are what separate an offer from a polite rejection. As a leading independent advisory firm, their process is designed to test your technical depth and strategic thinking under pressure. This guide will walk you through real questions from their interviews and show you how Cook'd AI can give you the practice and feedback needed to land the job.

15+ common Solomon Partners interview questions

Accounting & valuation questions

1. Walk me through the three main valuation methodologies. Which one would you rely on most when advising a client at Solomon Partners, and why?
2. How does a $10 increase in depreciation flow through the income statement, cash flow statement, and balance sheet?
3. If Solomon Partners were advising a fast-growing, pre-profitability tech company, how would you approach valuing it? What multiples would be most relevant?
4. What is the difference between Enterprise Value and Equity Value, and how do you move from one to the other?
5. Let's say Solomon Partners is working on a deal where the target company has a significant amount of Net Operating Losses (NOLs). How would you factor those into your valuation?

Markets & macro questions

1. What are two or three major macroeconomic trends you're following, and how do they impact the deal flow for a firm like Solomon Partners?
2. We're in a volatile interest rate environment. How does this affect the advice you would give to a client looking to sell their business versus one looking to make an acquisition?
3. Walk me through a recent M&A transaction you've followed. What was your take on the deal, and how did the broader market environment influence the outcome?
4. How does inflation impact company valuations and the types of financing available for transactions?
5. If a client at Solomon Partners asked for your outlook on the M&A market for the next 12-18 months, what would you tell them?

Deal, client, & behavioral questions

1. How would you frame your answer to the "why this job" question specifically for Solomon Partners, differentiating it from other independent advisory firms?
2. Imagine a key client is getting cold feet about a transaction due to market volatility. Walk me through how you would manage that conversation.
3. Tell me about a time you had to persuade a team member who disagreed with your analysis. What was your approach?
4. Solomon Partners is known for its long-term client relationships. Give me a concrete example of how you've built trust with a stakeholder in a past role.
5. You find a significant error in a valuation model the night before a major client pitch. What is your immediate course of action?
6. Beyond the prestige or compensation, what motivates you to work on complex, high-stakes M&A deals?

Role-specific questions

1. As an Analyst, you'll spend a significant amount of time in Excel. Walk me through how you would build a three-statement operating model from a blank sheet. What checks would you build in to ensure it's balanced?
2. Which of Solomon Partners' industry groups interests you the most? Pitch a company in that sector and explain why it might be an attractive acquisition target in the current market.
3. Imagine you're an Associate on a sell-side deal. You discover a material misstatement in the data room provided by the client just days before final bids are due. What's your immediate action plan?
4. Solomon Partners is known for its senior-level attention on deals. How do you see yourself supporting a Managing Director in a high-stakes client negotiation?
5. If you were tasked with creating a one-page summary of a potential acquisition for a Solomon Partners client, what key pieces of information would you include to give them a comprehensive overview?

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How to answer interview questions at Solomon Partners

Answering questions at Solomon Partners is less about reciting formulas and more about demonstrating sound judgment. They want to see how you think under pressure and handle client-facing scenarios. Your goal is to provide clear, structured answers that showcase your competence and maturity.

• Use a Framework: For behavioral questions, rely on the STAR interview method (Situation, Task, Action, Result). It forces you to be concise and focus on what matters: your specific contribution and its outcome. This structure is essential when tackling the common Solomon Partners interview questions and answers.
• Emphasize Judgment in "Action": When asked about a time you found an error or dealt with a difficult teammate, the "Action" part of your story is critical. Don't just list tasks. Explain why you took certain steps. This reveals your thought process and shows you can think like a trusted advisor.
• Quantify Your "Result": Vague outcomes fall flat. Instead of "the project was a success," use concrete numbers: "My analysis identified a $15M valuation gap" or "We completed the model 48 hours before the deadline." This makes your impact undeniable and shows you know what makes you unique.

What Solomon Partners looks for in candidates

Solomon Partners looks for more than just raw intelligence; they want future advisors. This means they value candidates who demonstrate commercial judgment, a client-first mentality, and the maturity to handle high-stakes situations. Technical precision is the baseline. What sets you apart is showing you can think strategically about deals and build trust.

If you're from a target university

• Differentiate with commercial insight. Your peers are also technically proficient. Show you understand the "so what" behind the numbers. Discuss a recent deal with nuance, focusing on strategic rationale, not just the mechanics.
• Network with specificity. Move beyond generic coffee chats. Referencing specific deals or industry reports from Solomon Partners shows genuine interest and signals you've done the work.

If you're from a non-target university

• Make your technicals undeniable. You have less margin for error. Your modeling skills must be flawless to overcome institutional bias. Use Cook'd AI to drill concepts until they are second nature, bridging any perceived gap.
• Craft a compelling narrative. Your path is your strength. Frame your journey as a story of drive and resourcefulness. This narrative, backed by undeniable technical skill, is how you get noticed.

Solomon Partners interview tips

Before your Solomon Partners interview

• Your interview preparation must start with knowing the firm cold. Go beyond their homepage and dig into recent M&A advisory mandates to understand the specific deals and sectors where they are most active.
• Drill your technicals until they are automatic, but don't stop there. For every valuation or model, practice explaining the "so what" to a client; this is the judgment they are testing for.
• Prepare your "Why Solomon Partners?" story with specific, defensible points. Reference a particular deal, industry report, or senior banker's commentary to prove your interest is genuine, not generic.

During the interview with Solomon Partners

• Pause before you answer. A structured response to a complex technical or behavioral question signals composure and is far more impressive than a rushed one.
• Frame it as a professional conversation, not an academic test. Your interviewers are evaluating you as a future colleague; listen actively and build rapport.
• Your questions for the interviewer should be specific. Inquire about a recent deal or a strategic challenge to show you've done the work and are thinking like an advisor.

After the interview with Solomon Partners

• Send a concise, professional follow-up email within 24 hours. Reference a specific point from your conversation, like a market trend or a detail about a deal, to reinforce your engagement and leave a final, sharp impression.
• Immediately debrief and write down the technical and behavioral questions you were asked. Use this fresh intel to identify any weak spots and continue drilling those specific topics for the next round.

Get the Cook’d AI advantage for your Solomon Partners interview

Your Solomon Partners interview doesn't have to feel like a high-wire act. With the right preparation, it can feel like a conversation where you get to demonstrate everything you've worked for.

Cook'd AI functions as your personal career mentor, anticipating exactly what you'll face in Solomon Partners's rigorous interview process — from behavioral questions to technical deep dives — and managing every detail of your preparation so you can focus on what matters: showing up confident, prepared, and ready to impress.

Through personalized coaching, behavioral simulations, and real-time feedback, you'll build the kind of clarity and consistency that makes interviewers remember you for the right reasons.

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