Application questions: From the research you have done on our industry, how does our firm fit in with your career aspirations?

From the research you have done on our industry, how does our firm fit in with your career aspirations?

David Schwartz, Former head of graduate recruitment for Europe at Goldman Sachs and founder of D N Schwartz & Co advises:

Every firm likes to think of itself as unique, whether it is or not! So go to the firm's website, and get a sense of its culture and history. Find out what they think makes them unique. Then think about your own objectives and career goals and see if there is a fit.

Of course there might not be a fit in which case, I would argue, you should not be applying for them at all. I often wonder why people interview at two firms that are completely different - in the old days, you were either a Salomon person or a Goldman person, but almost never both.

A huge place such as Citi is involved in every aspect of financial services, while a smaller 'boutique' firm such as Perella Weinberg is involved in advisory investment banking and asset management.

The so-called 'bulge-bracket' firms - the largest US investment banks - are mainly involved in huge transactions involving the largest companies in the world, while others, such as Jefferies, are involved in 'middle market' transactions involving the vast number of companies that fall below the Fortune 100.

So, think carefully about what you prefer, and what the firm you are applying for is good at. The rest will come naturally!