Key Takeaways
- Rothschild & Co is the world's largest independent financial advisory firm, with 4,200 employees across 40+ countries and a 200+ year heritage. The firm completed 351 M&A transactions in 2024 — 43% more than its closest independent competitor.
- The firm operates three divisions: Global Advisory (M&A, restructuring, debt and equity advisory), Wealth and Asset Management (€124 billion AuM), and Five Arrows (€31 billion in alternative assets including private equity and direct lending).
- Apply through rothschildandco.com/careers (experienced) or rothschildandco.tal.net (campus). The experienced hire portal runs on Workday at rothschildandco.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com.
- The hiring process averages 23 days and typically includes: application, SHL online assessments (SJT, behavioral, numerical reasoning), video interview with HR, Assessment Centre (campus) or panel interviews (experienced), and final-round interviews with senior bankers.
- Interviews are rated 3.2/5 difficulty on Glassdoor with 65% positive candidate experience. Prepare for both technical questions (DCF, comps, precedent transactions, LBO) and behavioural questions aligned to Rothschild's values of concordia, integritas, industria.
- The 'Why Rothschild?' question is critical — articulate the specific appeal of the independent advisory model, the firm's heritage, its global network, and the early deal responsibility that comes with lean teams.
- Rothschild values quantitative ability, commercial awareness, exceptional communication, cross-border mindset, and genuine interest in advisory. International experience and European language skills are strong differentiators.
- Assessment Centre group exercises test collaborative skills as much as analytical ones — Rothschild explicitly evaluates how you listen, build on peers' ideas, and handle disagreement constructively.
- The firm's independent, family-controlled structure means no quarterly earnings pressure — Rothschild takes a genuinely long-term view of client relationships and employee development, making it a distinctive employer in investment banking.
About Rothschild & Co
Application Process
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1
Apply through the appropriate Rothschild & Co career portal
Apply through the appropriate Rothschild & Co career portal. Experienced professionals apply via rothschildandco.com/en/careers or the Workday portal at rothschildandco.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com. Students and graduates apply through the Campus Application Centre at rothschildandco.tal.net/candidate, where you can track application status and set up job alerts. Tailor your application to the specific division — Global Advisory, Wealth and Asset Management, or Five Arrows — as each has its own recruiting team and requirements.
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2
Complete an online assessment if shortlisted
Complete an online assessment if shortlisted. Rothschild & Co uses SHL-administered assessments consisting of three components: a Situational Judgement Test (SJT) presenting workplace scenarios where you choose the most appropriate response, a Behavioral Assessment using a sliding-scale format aligned to the firm's values, and a Numerical Reasoning Test lasting 20-25 minutes covering statistical, graphical, and financial data interpretation. The numerical component is straightforward but time-managed — practice SHL-style questions in advance.
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3
Participate in a video interview with HR
Participate in a video interview with HR. Successful assessment candidates are invited to a recorded or live video interview focusing on motivation, cultural fit, and commercial awareness. Expect questions about why you want to work at Rothschild & Co specifically, your understanding of the advisory business model, and examples demonstrating the firm's core values of unity, integrity, and industry. Basic technical questions on valuation and accounting may also be included for advisory roles.
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4
Attend an Assessment Centre (for campus recruiting)
Attend an Assessment Centre (for campus recruiting). The Assessment Centre is typically held at a Rothschild & Co office and includes a group discussion on current affairs and market developments, an individual case study analyzing a transaction or business scenario, a group case exercise testing collaboration and problem-solving, and a final one-on-one interview with a senior banker (typically an Associate or Managing Director). Experienced hires may skip the group components and proceed directly to panel interviews.
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5
Complete final-round interviews with senior leadership
Complete final-round interviews with senior leadership. Advisory candidates typically meet with 2-4 senior bankers across multiple rounds, with interviews covering technical competence (DCF, accretion/dilution, comparable company analysis, precedent transactions), behavioral fit, commercial awareness, and your ability to discuss recent Rothschild & Co transactions and market developments. The entire process from application to offer typically takes 3-8 weeks, though IB Analyst roles may take up to 90 days.
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6
Receive an offer decision
Receive an offer decision. Rothschild & Co communicates outcomes at each stage. Final offers include details on compensation, location, and start date. The firm runs structured onboarding programmes including a global training week in London or Paris where new joiners from across the network meet and train together, building the cross-border relationships that define Rothschild's collaborative culture.
Resume Tips for Rothschild & Co
Lead with transaction experience and quantifiable deal metrics
Lead with transaction experience and quantifiable deal metrics. Rothschild & Co is an advisory-first firm — demonstrate your M&A, restructuring, or capital markets experience with specific deal sizes, sector focus, and your role in each transaction. For experienced hires, include the number and value of completed deals, sectors advised, and any cross-border dimensions.
Highlight academic credentials and quantitative rigour
Highlight academic credentials and quantitative rigour. Rothschild & Co places significant weight on demonstrated quantitative ability, including academic achievement (GPA, degree classification, honours), analytical reasoning skills, and technical financial knowledge. For campus applicants, strong results in quantitative subjects (mathematics, economics, finance, engineering) are particularly valued.
Demonstrate genuine interest in independent advisory
Demonstrate genuine interest in independent advisory. Rothschild's competitive advantage is its independence — it advises clients without conflicts from lending, trading, or underwriting businesses. Show that you understand and value this model. Reference specific Rothschild transactions or the firm's advisory-only positioning in your cover letter or professional summary.
Emphasise cross-border experience and languages
Emphasise cross-border experience and languages. With offices in 40+ countries and a culture built on global collaboration, Rothschild values international exposure. Include language fluencies, international work or study experience, and examples of working across cultures. European language skills (French, German, Italian, Spanish) are particularly relevant given the firm's Paris and London headquarters.
Showcase collaboration and long-term relationship orientation
Showcase collaboration and long-term relationship orientation. Rothschild's culture rewards team players who build lasting client and colleague relationships, not individual rainmakers. Frame your experience around team contributions, mentor relationships, and multi-stakeholder projects rather than solo achievements.
Keep formatting clean and concise — one page for campus, two pages maximum for e
Keep formatting clean and concise — one page for campus, two pages maximum for experienced hires. Rothschild's Workday ATS parses standard formatting well. Use reverse chronological order, clear section headers, and bullet points with action verbs. Avoid graphics, tables, or non-standard layouts that may not parse correctly.
Include relevant extracurriculars and community involvement
Include relevant extracurriculars and community involvement. Rothschild values well-rounded candidates who demonstrate interests beyond finance. Investment clubs, financial modelling competitions, leadership roles in university societies, and volunteer commitments all signal the breadth of character the firm seeks.
ATS System: Workday + Tal.net (Campus)
Rothschild & Co uses a dual ATS setup: Workday (at rothschildandco.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com) for experienced professional hiring, and Tal.net (at rothschildandco.tal.net) for campus and early careers recruiting. The Workday portal handles lateral hires across Global Advisory, Wealth and Asset Management, and Five Arrows, while the Tal.net Campus Application Centre manages student applications, Spring Weeks, internships, and graduate programmes.
- Experienced professionals apply through the Workday portal — use clean formatting and standard section headers for optimal parsing
- Students and graduates apply through the Tal.net Campus Application Centre where you can track application status
- Tailor your application to the specific division (Global Advisory, Wealth and Asset Management, or Five Arrows)
- Create a candidate profile on the relevant portal to receive job alerts and monitor application progress
- Upload your resume in PDF or Word format — avoid graphics, tables, or multi-column layouts that may not parse correctly in Workday
Interview Culture
Rothschild & Co interviews are rated 3.2 out of 5 for difficulty on Glassdoor — moderately challenging, with approximately 65% of candidates reporting a positive experience.
What Rothschild & Co Looks For
- Demonstrated quantitative ability and analytical rigour. Rothschild evaluates candidates across academic achievement, technical financial knowledge, and structured problem-solving. Strong performance in numerical reasoning, financial modelling, and valuation analysis is non-negotiable for advisory roles.
- Genuine motivation for independent advisory. The firm wants people who understand and are excited by the advisory-only model — advising clients without the conflicts that come from lending, trading, or underwriting. Candidates who view Rothschild merely as a stepping stone to private equity or hedge funds are less likely to succeed.
- Exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal. Advisory is a communication-intensive business — you must articulate complex ideas clearly to boards, CEOs, and committees. Rothschild looks for candidates who can present, write, and persuade with precision and polish.
- Commercial awareness and intellectual curiosity. You should be able to discuss recent M&A transactions (especially those involving Rothschild), understand macroeconomic trends affecting deal flow, and demonstrate genuine interest in how businesses operate, compete, and create value.
- Cultural fit with Rothschild's collegial, long-term-oriented environment. The firm's motto — concordia, integritas, industria — translates to unity, integrity, and industry. Interviewers assess whether you are collaborative, honest, and hardworking through behavioural questions and Assessment Centre dynamics.
- Cross-border mindset and international perspective. As a truly global advisory network, Rothschild values candidates with international experience, cultural adaptability, and language skills. The ability to work seamlessly across London, Paris, Frankfurt, New York, and other offices is a genuine competitive advantage.
- Resilience and drive to deliver exceptional results. Rothschild's teams are lean compared to bulge brackets, meaning analysts and associates carry significant responsibility on live deals. The firm seeks candidates who embrace that intensity and take pride in delivering outstanding work rather than simply logging hours.
- Integrity and discretion. Rothschild advises on some of the world's most sensitive and high-profile transactions. The firm places paramount importance on trustworthiness, sound judgement, and the ability to handle confidential information with absolute discretion.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Open Positions
Rothschild & Co currently has 106 open positions.