Recruitment was organized by the Cornell Partnership. They conduct the first round interviews. If successful, you are invited to an assessment centre at the Lazard Offices. Structure of Assessment Centre: 1. Numerical Test 2. Group Exercises 3. Cut 4. 1:1 interview with two senior employees The offices are very nice and located in Mayfair. The people who interviewed me were really looking for a personal fit rather than your technical skills. As Lazard places very high importance on the strategic aspect of M&A transactions, commercial awareness is one of their number one criteria in selecting candidates. The analysts and associates I met during the networking lunch all seemed to be very happy about working at Lazard even though one of the employees told me that "the work is brutal". Nevertheless, he noted that it is extremely rewarding, especially in terms of the board level exposure you get.