Category: Career

Interviews have become the preface for any business institutions to judge candidates suitable for the job profile. What’s good about the interview is that they are an excellent source of data, but when it comes to analysing the situation, the interview takes a wrong turn. But this is not the end; there is an ugly part as well. People have now mastered the art of flattering and so you cannot truth words that voice. Often people say what you wish to here, so you cannot rely on what’s being said.
Having said all the above, let’s unbox each of these a little more.

The Good

Interviews are an excellent way of determining one’s behaviour. A valid reason to justify a decision made. Besides, an interview can be regarded as a medium to know more about the interviewee, his ideas, thoughts, and belief all can be identified just by interviewing an individual.
Getting the idea and preferences of an individual is a lot easier by interviewing. You might be seeking an explanation or a brief idea about something; then you can directly ask ‘ What opinion do you hold for this’. And then probe further. Questions such as tell me about yourself or state reasons why we need to hire you to reflect the excellent interview.

The Bad

All good until here. Right?
The tricky part of an interview is to convince the person to interview you. Gaining trust and inducing a sense of positivity among the interviewer is what requires immense attention. You might be well structured and decked up with the set of answers to thrust as soon as the board bombard questions. But this does not always work. A day interview preparation is still less if you are headed with items as :

• What opinion does your boss hold about you?: It’s quite tricky to answer this question. You cannot just go and brag about yourself and also you cannot defame yourself. You need to be a little more careful to present your answer that would portray a better image. Not good nor bad.
• State Your Weaknesses: Yet another controversial question. Once again you are in a dilemma. You can neither say no nor rattle a list of weaknesses. This positively portrays a negative image, and you are less like to be chosen.

The Ugly

Now comes the ugly and this directly deals with the truth factor. The extent to which you can trust an interviewee is mostly unpredictable. You cannot expect everyone to be cent per cent right or a Lia. Often it happens that you hear what you hope to. Sugar coated answers to please too. Humans tend to bias situation, and they would do so for ages. All you need to do is to be a little more careful what you ask.

Solution

Well after reading all of the above. You might be wondering what works well in an interview. What questions to be probed and how long. Can you trust all and if yes, then on what account. Interviews are undoubtedly the most efficient way to decide a person yet sometimes could hamper all. So, we plate a few solutions for you:

• Try to be a little sceptical. Like, do not assume that the person sitting next to you is lying. Open up to a conversation and try to intervene more to know more.
• The more you probe, the better for you. Why and how is the best way to dig deeper into an interview? It helps you to understand better. And not just the answer but the person as well. This would also put light on the real face of the person.

Know more to inquire better!
 

Once you have completed the studies, the next step involves looking for a job in the respective field. The first interview for the job can be quite challenging since you do not have any prior experience in the area.
There are a lot of confusions in the heads of the candidates and interview preparation can take a toll on your sleep cycle as well.
It is an entirely normal phenomenon that can easily be overcome if you pay close attention to the pointers mentioned below.

Understand the crux of the subject

When you are preparing for the process of the interview, you should understand and read up on the job profile beforehand. The meeting mainly revolves around the pattern of work and then how can you fit in the company. If you know how to conduct yourself in these situations, you will feel confident in giving all the answers and will be able to impress the interviewers eventually.

Defining the skill sets

Once you know the subject and have done your research on the job profile, you should look for skill sets that will be relevant in the line of working. Anything that remotely points towards the idea of you being a good fit in the job should be mentioned to the interviewer. For example, if you have a training or certificate of data science, it will prove useful for analytics department of the company; you will immediately rise above the rest of the candidates who have appeared for the interview.

Showcasing Confidence

The essential ingredient that can change the course of the interview is when you showcase confidence in front of the employer. There is a thin line between arrogance and overconfidence. You should give the answers in the language that you are most comfortable in and avoid grey areas in your responses. Anything that shows a hint of overconfidence can be a turn off for the employer and mislead them into thinking that you think too highly of yourself. Your target should be to show them that you are a good fit for the company and know how to work in the most difficult of the circumstances without any hassles. If you do not know answers to their questions, you must not sulk or look scared. Just mention that you do not know the answer to the line of questioning and steer the interview in your direction.

Pay close attention to Body Language

Your body language says a lot more than you do in the interview. It is entirely reasonable to be nervous. But if you confidently present yourself, you will be able to win hearts and woo the employers in no time. Always sit with your hands on your thigh and do not cross your legs. Cross legs and hands make the onlooker feel that you are not open to conversation. Do not lean in on the employer desk. It may make them feel like you are overpowering the presence with the personality type. Fidgeting and playing with a pen or hair can be demeaning to the interviewer as well. Ideally, you should sit with your back straight and have a smile while answering their questions.

Dress right

It is important to dress right for the part. If you are applying for an interview with a company that has a formal setup, you must pick your outfit accordingly and mix and match the gear to bring the best of the personality forward. Ill-fitting clothes do not show confidence and can give the impression of a person who does not know how to keep up with the spirit and nature of the work. It is best to go for tailored suits that are made to measure so that you can bring out the best part of your personality.

My name is Asharani Patel. This is the story of my journey from studying in a small town to a global bank ranked among the top 10 in the world.
This is a story about Imarticus learning, how it introduced me to the world of Investment Banking, made me who I am today.
But most importantly, it is the story of how I achieved my dreams by never giving up.
I did my schooling from St Mary’s school in Jharsuguda, in the state of Odisha. My school days were normal, I passed my class 10^th exams with good marks in 2013. In the year 2015, I cleared 12th class exam touching distance of the 1st division. I took admission in B.com in and people started making fun of me, how can a person who got a 2nd division the 12th Board Exam that two of science stream will do something in life.
To be successful in life you need to a Doctor or an Engineer. But I was determined enough to make my career in finance. Three years flew by and my final exams were over on March 10^th 2018. I always wanted to work for a bank. After the exams were over a lot of people suggested me to a lot of things. Some said for taking admission to MBA, Some asked to prepare for bank PO job of PSU banks. But I was not sure of those plans. An MBA degree might not help you land in a banking job. A bank PO job in a PSU, might not give you that satisfaction and learning opportunity in your life.
In the meantime, I came to know about Imarticus learning’s CIBOP course and I knew it’s the “Holy Grail” that I am looking for. I will be honest, I was hesitant enough initially to take admission for this. But then “Taking a leap of faith is better than taking a leap of doubt”. My exams were over on 10th March and I took admission on 12th March for the CIBOP-74 due to be started from 23rd of the same month.
My first class in Imarticus was a nervous one. But then the class was so interesting, I started enjoying them immediately. Imarticus introduced me to the world of Investment Banking, which was never a part of my University curriculum. Imarticus played a very important role in bridging the gap between education and corporate life. I had no clue about investment banks and its working but during my CIBOP course, I have learnt a lot about them. Imarticus introduced me to the world of equities, bonds, derivatives, forex and what not. Imarticus inculcate in you a sense of professionalism and guides you to the pathway of success. Apart from these, they helped me in improving my soft skills. They helped me, make me a confident person. The mock sessions helped me bring the best out of me. Finally, the first interview date came and it was with one of the top global banks. I was nervous to attend the interview, but then Imarticus has been well equipped to answer any question from them. The interview went well, but I want confident because, how many persons do crack their first interview of life. Finally, the D-day came and I was informed by the HR from the bank that I have been selected and I am on cloud nine. I feel proud of my achievement, all thanks to Imarticus learning for making this happen in such a short span of time which is beyond my imagination. How many people on earth can say I cracked my first interview of life in the first attempt at a top global bank without an IIT or IIM degree? I am indebted to Imarticus for the same.
I would like to end my story with a quote from the movie “Pursuit of happiness”, which says as below.
“Don’t ever let someone tell you, you can’t do something. Not even me. You got a dream, you got to protect it. People can’t do something themselves, they want to tell you-you can’t do it. You want something, go get it. Period.”
Student Details:
Name: Asharani Patel
Course: Certified Investment Banking Operation Program (CIBOP)- 74
Placed at: BNP Paribas

Seeking validation is a human tendency. All of us regardless of our age, gender or lifestyle preferences, would be more than interested to know what others (the general public, our acquaintances, and our family members) think about us. While the need for this varies among individuals, where some people might need feedback every now and then, others wouldn’t really be bothered as much about it. Now so far we were talking about feedback which is required in an individual capacity.
But when it comes to the world of business, the dynamics of seeking validation and approval change immensely. Any business would always answer in a resounding yes when asked about, ‘whether they would like to know what their customers think about them’. This need of knowing what their consumers think of them is translated into a formal vein into what we today know as sentiment analysis. Sentiments are nothing but the emotions that we attach to certain entities. These emotions become very valuable for those companies which provide us with goods and services in order to ensure faster, efficient and sophisticated delivery mechanisms.
So how does this whole mechanism of sentiment analysis work really? Let’s talk numbers first, Facebook has been able to achieve the impossible with its two billion users, Instagram is close behind with close to 700 million users and Twitter has about 317 million members. All of the three combined, make for an enormous human congregation which is ever ready to express its approval or grievances on these very platforms. Such vital feedback is exactly what forms an essential part of sentiment analysis. Because this concept has high appeal to all the social media platforms, the business owners need to pay close attention to whatever is being said about their brands.
There are many ways in which the concept of sentiment analysis can help you in improving and augmenting your brand. The first would be that it provides you with a lot of helpful insights. These insights then play a major role in the formulation of policies, objectives and strategies. One major thing that sentiment analysis does is, that it helps business leaders in understanding the motivation behind whatever opinions there are about their brand. These opinions could either be positive or negative or could very well be neutral.
You can even run relevant marketing campaigns, once you have figured out exactly what kind of audience takes after your product or service. This finding out your audience bit is also done with the help of sentiment analysis. Business leaders and their social teams are then empowered with the next path to follow on the basis of the kind of reactions that their product receives. You can also be able to scale the ROI rate of your various marketing campaigns once you do a thorough qualitative and quantitative measurement of the likes and discussion forums.
Sentiment analysis plays a major role in improving your customer care mechanisms and helping you build a great and reassuring brand presence as well. Data Analysts are the ones who conduct this sentiment analysis and they are very much in demand lately, especially the industry endorsed ones who are churned out of training institutes like Imarticus Learning.
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In this series, we at Imarticus Learning give you tips and tricks to land your dream job in the Industry.
Walking into an interview can be an unnerving task. There is a group of very important people looking at you from behind a very important looking desk and they seem to have a very important looking document – your CV – in front of them.
First things first – take a deep breath, smile and say Hello. Now, the hard part is over. For the rest of the interview period, keep these Dos and Don’ts in mind:
Do:
– Sit up, shoulders relaxed and align yourself to face your interview – if there are more than one than just pick the person in the centre.
-Smile ever so slightly as it shows interest and enthusiasm in the subject in question – your role in the company!
-Keep your hands on your knees in front of you. If you’re prone to fidgeting, keep one on top of the other in your lap.
-Nod in agreement when you are asked a question. But keep a hold of your head because bobbing too much might make you look like you lack concentration.
– Maintain eye contact, but remember to blink. Also, make sure you talk to all the people interviewing you rather than focusing on one person and speaking only at them.
– Shake hands before you leave. Saying things like, “Looking forward to working with you,” sounds too presumptuous. Asking for feedback on the impression you made shows you lack confidence. Just stand up, say a simple, “Thank you” and if necessary, ask when you can expect to hear back from them.
Don’t:
– Fidget with your bag, trousers or hair.
– Scratch your head unnecessarily, as it may come across as being clueless.
– Slouch in your seat or lean away from your interviewers. It shows disinterest and the inclination to be anywhere but there.
– Cross your legs and shake them. It distracts the interviewers.
– Touch your nose – a lot of people do this, surprisingly. It gives the impression that one isn’t being entirely honest.
-Space out. If you don’t understand something, say so and ask for the matter to be repeated.
-Use sounds like, “Err” and “Umm”.
Imarticus Learning prides itself in its industry relevant curriculum, and the stellar Placements Team we have in place to ensure our students get their dream jobs. Click here for the 8-step process in which we function.

Interviewing has changed a lot in the last few years. Ten years ago, interviews comprised going through your resume. Applicants were prepared for personal questions like ‘Tell me about yourself’ and “What are your strengths and weaknesses?”

Those days are long gone. Interviews in the finance sector are a grueling mental workout. It’s much like preparing for an exam and it makes sense.

Companies are going to pay you to be efficient and they are hiring you to make sure you can do the job. Hiring is a costly process. It requires time on the part of both the HR and line management. They take time out to interview you and then discuss the interview internally. That is time taken out of the business. Their time is expensive and ergo, the process needs to yield fruit. This is why you need to approach your finance interview like you would a marathon and not a sprint. Start well in advance and realize that these opportunities are hard to come by.  Wasting them is not an option.

Finance interviews today are usually divided into the following:

• An aptitude test – much like a GMAT, which tests your analytical and mathematical skills
• A domain interview – to test your finance knowledge and your analytical skills
• A personal interview – to gauge communication and organizational fit
• A group discussion – a topic is given to a group and the group is asked to debate it

While there may be many more rounds, the above can be taken as the minimum.

Preparing for an Aptitude Test

• Practice, Practice, and Practice

At Imarticus, we have a weekend aptitude test sessions where students are taught how to take them. After that, students are advised to practice every day. The India Bix site is a good place to practice.

Finance Domain Interview Tips

• Study, study, study
• Divide your study into parts

Be prepared for the kind of questions you can get on various topics. Here are a set of sample questions to give you an idea of the kind of questions you can expect.

Accountancy Basics

• Walk me through a cash flow statement
• How does FCFE flow from Net Income?
• Consolidate the two balance sheets
• Here are three financial statements. Now calculate ratios
• ROCE and ROE related questions

Valuation

• Discounted Cash Flow (DCF): We say Earnings Before Interest and Tax (1-tax) + depreciation/amortization- changes in working capital – capital expenditure. So should the amount of tax deducted be the actual amount paid or the one that is before giving the effect of interest?
• What is WACC? How is it calculated?
• What are the ways to value a company?
• What are the problems with DCF valuation technique?

Equity Research (If it is an Equity Research Role)

• Pitch me a stock
• What is your investing strategy?
• Give me three undervalued stocks
• Do you believe the Sensex is fairly valued at this point? What is the Price/earnings of the Sensex?

Mergers and Acquisition (If it is an M&A job)

• Walk me through the M&A process
• What is the difference between the buy side and the sell side and how does it matter for a banker
• What is an LBO?
• Talk to me about the Indian M&A market
• Describe the latest deal that piqued your interest
• Why M&A?
• How would you go about researching a new industry
• What is winner’s curse?

Analytical/Logical reasoning

• How many litres of paint are sold in Mumbai every year

General Questions

• Why Finance?
• What interests you about Investment Banking?
• What area of finance interests you? Be prepared for questions in this area?

The Personal Interview

• Walk me through your resume
• Talk about a time where you were disappointed with what you achieved. Tell me how you handled it?
• Tell me about a time you led a team?
• Are you ready to work the long hours?
• If you have included interests like tennis, basketball, music, reading and so on, be prepared to back them up. For instance, if you are interested in tennis, make sure you know the rankings, a little bit about your favourite players and your own tennis routine.

Don’t take anything in your resume for granted. Be prepared to back everything.

These are only examples of what can be asked. There are numerous websites that can help you prepare. Imarticus Learning has an entire Interview Test Preparation short course. We take mock interviews to make sure you are ready for your interview. Students are videoed so that they can understand what they are doing wrong.
To learn more about the Imarticus Learning Interview Process, email us at info@imarticus.org

In this series, we at Imarticus Learning give you tips and tricks to land your dream job in Investment Banking.
You may contrast your tie to your shirt perfectly, but the shine of your shoes or lack thereof might be the only thing your recruiters notice. Dressing up for an interview is not rocket science. So why then do so many of us get it wrong?
Truth is the very first impression you make when you walk into an interview is with your appearance. Recruiters who have been screening candidates all day long form a certain opinion of you the minute they see you walk in and then spend the rest of the interview confirming their impressions or changing them entirely.
Keep these tips handy to make the right impression from the word, “Enter”!
Men:
1. Make sure your hair is neat and tidy. Don’t overdo the hair gel. You don’t want your interviewers distracted by the light reflecting off your locks.
2. Try to wear minimal jewellery. Keep your gold chain tucked into your shirt, and wear a watch that is plain and simple – black or silver straps.
3. A long sleeve shirt is just the thing to make an impression. Go with a solid, sober colour – white, grey, or blue – with a nice tie to match. Remember, if your shirt has stripes or checks, make sure your tie is solid, and vice versa.
4. Wear a pair of trousers that fit well – as in neither too loose or too tight.
5. Wear black socks with professional shoes that have been polished to the tee.
Women:
1. Wash your hair on the day of the interview. Make sure it’s neat and stays down if you want to keep it open. Otherwise, tie it back with a rubber band and hold the stray strands together with flicks. A little hairspray to keep it together may not be such a bad idea.
2. Make sure your shirt is well ironed and tucked into your trousers or skirt.
3. Keep your jewellery minimal and simple. Interviewers don’t want to get distracted by large colourful earrings or rings.
4. Make sure your skirt/trousers fit you well – not too snug, not too loose.
5. Never wear slippers to an interview. Wear heels, or if you insist, a sober brown or black pair of ballet flats.
Imarticus Learning prides itself in its industry relevant curriculum, and the stellar Placements Team we have in place to ensure our students get their dream jobs. Click here for the 8-step process in which we function.

Make your CV effective with these 5 tips from the Imarticus Learning placement Team

Everyone wants a resume that will stand out from the crowd. But sometimes, candidates tend to go a bit too far to grab attention – Sometimes, to the extent of making some serious mistakes that can work against them. Want to ensure that your application doesn’t get thrown into the recycling bin before you’re even considered for the job?
The Placements team at Imarticus Learning chalks out 5 Don’ts for an effective resume.

Don’t Get Experimental

Using elaborate fonts and colors to make your CV stand out can be a bit of an eyesore. The more gimmicky you make your CV using different shapes and pictures, the more off-putting it will be to an employer. In terms of the fonts, you should ideally stick to Soft, gentle and modern, this is the default font of many email programs, so it’s familiar to the eye  Times New Roman or Arial – remember, the goal is to make it easy to read. Also, do not include any graphics such designs or photographs in your resume.

Don’t Ramble

Keep information relevant and to the point. A resume should be as brief as possible and include no extraneous information. An employer really doesn’t need or want to know all the one-day training courses or participation certificates you have received in life.

Do not Exaggerate

The bigger the lies you put on your CV the worse it will be for your career. After all, your employer is bound to notice if you aren’t performing as well as your CV promised. Also, you aren’t the only one telling tall tales. Most employers these days have seen it all when it comes to embellishments and are thus not fooled. Our advice is to always keep it as honest as possible. After all, if you manage to get a job based on exaggerations you could be let go of pretty quickly. That wouldn’t look good on your CV either, would it?

Stay away from Cliches

Phrases such as “I am a highly motivated individual who works well on my own or in a team” “I love challenges” and “I live for deadlines” are dull. Employers have to read them several times a day because they are so common. Make yourself stand out with carefully worded phrasing that is factual and captures your professionalism as well as the employer’s attention.

Check for Grammatical Errors

This is the most crucial point, one that will make or break your CV. Language and grammatical errors reflect directly on your persona so be careful of the spellings and language. Use words you know, stay away from using big fancy words just for the sake of it and at all times avoid jargons and abbreviations.
Imarticus Learning has a Dedicated Placements Team to help our students understand their ample career opportunities throughout the program. Click here to see how they can help you.