How to handle job applications and interviews

Only by doing this will

you present yourself in the best light and

cover up any weaknesses.

Graduate recruitment at many investment

banks is a three-stage process:

1.Competition for jobs has never been been

more intense. To succeed you must

research every step of the process that

will lead you to a job, meticulously and

well in advance.On-line applications that request CV

information are now common. There is

often a numerical reasoning test, a personality

questionnaire and even an essay

question.

2. First-round interview with representatives

from relevant business areas. Interviewers are trained to look for key

abilities among the candidates, such as

communication, problem-solving, leadership

and self-development.

Sarah Watson, head of campus

recruiting Europe for UBS, says: 'One of

the key competencies is team-working

ability. Candidates will be asked to give

examples of when they worked in a team

and how they contributed to achieving

team goals.'

3. Assessment centre - this involves a further

interview plus a group exercise, case

study and presentation.

Questions at first-round interviews may

include:

· What is the greatest challenge you

have faced?

· Provide an example of a time when

you defused a difficult situation

between colleagues.

· Describe an occasion when you

persuaded someone to do something

they did not want to do.

· Of which accomplishment are you

most proud?

· In which activities have you been

involved at university?

· Why do you want this position?

Tony Tucker, a headhunter at the Executive

Resourcing Group and a former

investment bank human resources executive,

stresses the importance of interview

preparation.

Banks increasingly use competency-based

interviews designed to be objective

and based around the fundamental skills

needed for a job, he says. After establishing

what these skills are, recruiters devise a

series of questions to determine whether

they are present. Every candidate is asked

the same questions.

Tucker says: 'If they want to probe

your sales skills, they might ask you to

provide examples of incidents in your

past when you've successfully sold something.

It helps if you have an idea of

what kinds of skills are required before

you go into the interview, as you can then

prepare examples of when you have

demonstrated those skills - so you won't

be left speechless when an interviewer

fires a question at you.'

Lesley Wilkinson, a recruitment executive

at Citigroup, says: 'At graduate level,

we look for core competencies including

analytical skills, relationship-building,

self-awareness, team-working and a global

mindset.'

Nadia Capy, head of graduate marketing

at Deutsche Bank, says students filling

out the application form need to refer

to real life experiences that demonstrate

their skills.

'Try to relate to experiences

you have had. If a question is asking

about teamwork, you might mention a

sports team, or a joint project you

worked on.'

Capy advises against going

into too much detail: 'You might say, 'I

was nominated to run the finance society

for a year at my university, which

involved getting sponsorship and funding

from organisations as well as setting

up the team of society members', or 'I set

up a girls' hockey club where one didn't

exist before'."

She says candidates may

be asked to elaborate on these points during

interview.

Beware, however, of over-preparation.

Faye Farrant, a recruitment officer at

Bank of America, says: 'Textbook answers

are the worst thing and they are

quickly revealed when further questions

on the subject fail to elicit a response. It is

not so much about market knowledge and

experience but motivation, teamwork and

inter-personal skills.'

Watson at UBS says: 'While we are not

expecting candidates to have a huge

amount of technical knowledge about

banking, they need to show they are passionate

about learning our business. Any

candidate coming for interview should

demonstrate evidence of research into the

business area to which they have applied.'

One way to impress is to make sure

you have spoken to bankers who work in

the sector you are interested in.

The keys to success are:

· preparation: searching the internet

and newspapers for information about the

company, as well as looking at the organisation's

own website.

· remembering that enthusiasm and

motivation will get you a long way.