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Interview Tips for the Financial Services Sector
Before the Interview
Know Where You Stand in Relation to the MBAs
Most of the time, we are competing with MBAs
to get a position. We need to realize that many students with MBAs also have several years
of relevant work experience. If you do not have work experience you should consider very
carefully what qualifications you possess that compensate for these disadvantage. This
could be country specific knowledge, fluency in a foreign language (or languages), or a
great summer internship.
Plan Ahead
The time commitment required to conduct a job search is more than one class worth. Plan
ahead; don't take four demanding classes if you want to be successful.
It could be the case that you will have to go through ninety-one interviews altogether. This may sound like a lot, but it happens and could be that forty of them are for one company.
Many times you will have to fly from one to another place six times in four months. This is the kind of
time commitment you have to be ready for.
Getting an Interview
Sending out resumes is not enough to get interviews. You have to be active in the job
hunting process and find your own way. Interviews don't just fall from the sky, you have to earn them.
Sometimes you will send more than 30 resumes and you will get no response, try to get an interview through consistently
going to company presentations and career events.
At HBS company presentations, speak to the representatives there about your particular
interests. Go early and speak to the reps before they present--they often have more time
than if you wait until afterwards. Usually, they can get you in touch with the right person in
the company. Sometimes, I had to call and e-mail many times before they responded. You
have to be ready to go to more than ten company presentations to get one interview.
During the Interview
Make Sure to at Least Appear Focused
Be sure to be able to explain what you learned from the classes you took and how they fit
into the bigger picture (your past, present and future). Don't let them suspect that you
might not be sure if you really want the job.
Mention your Harvard Classes but Be Careful
It is always good to mention the Harvard classes -if you are taking them- you are taking but be careful not to look
like an HBS “wannabe”. Also, always keep in mind that the interviewer might be an HBS graduate and have taken
the same class. They might ask you to talk about your favorite case. It is important to know one or two cases very well.
You Cannot Miss the Technical Questions
The one thing you have to prove in your interview when going for
an MBA position is that you have enough knowledge. Interviewers might not ask technical
questions to MBA students because they know what to expect from MBA students, However,
they will most likely ask you technical questions. You need to be prepared for those questions because not being able to answer
those questions will be a good reason for them to reject you.
After the Interview
Use Your Interviews to Gain Knowledge for the Next One
Gain as much knowledge as you can from interviews. Never make the same mistakes
again.
What I often did was to ask the question that I am often asked in interviews. For example,
"Why do you like working for XYZ Company?" Then you have some hints in terms of what
to say when the next one asks you, "What do you like about XYZ Company?"
Since the question "What do you think of the Japanese economy?" was often asked, I made
sure that I asked the interviewer’s opinion at the end. So my answer got better and better
as I went through more interviews.
Finally, in those interviews where I had trouble solving a case or answering a specific
question, I later asked the interviewers what kind of response he or she was looking for.
By asking these questions, you never make the same mistakes twice.
 Typical Interview Questions for Financial Services Firms
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