How to Ask for Help Without Looking Unprepared in Investment Banking

Asking questions is part of learning investment banking, but how you ask matters. The goal is not to solve everything alone; it is to get the right guidance while showing that you listened, investigated the issue, and respected your teammate’s time.

Author: Michael Harris Updated 4 min read

Know When to Investigate and When to Ask

Before asking for help, spend a reasonable amount of time trying to solve the issue yourself. Review the instructions, prior versions of the analysis, relevant emails, model notes, and team templates. Many questions can be answered by checking how the same task was handled previously.

Continue reading with a Guides subscription

Purchase Guides or Guides + Question Bank access to unlock the rest of this article.

View pricing Log in

Continue Learning

Explore more on the job guides or practice with the question bank.

More On the Job Guides All Guides Question Bank