How To Appear More "Interested" In BO Positions?
(Senior Orangutan, 379
Points)
on 5/17/12 at 10:26pm
Background - Graduated last Friday. Can't afford to wait around for the "perfect" role, taking what I can get.
I've had a couple BO interviews so far and I'm pretty sure it's obvious I'm not truly interested but instead just trying to get a job.
I have an interview set up for a compliance position next week. I do fine until I get asked the "So why XXXXX position". Does anyone have some standard cheesy answer that usually works in this scenario? I can answer why AM/ER/Corp Fin but completely blank on BO positions





If you're having a hard time
If you're having a hard time with that question, you may want to reconsider. Imo, there's nothing worse than waking up every morning hating what you do. Is there no way you can land some ER or AM position at a boutique? I'd take that over a BO compliance gig at a BB but that's just my .02
Genetic: If you're having a
If you're having a hard time with that question, you may want to reconsider. Imo, there's nothing worse than waking up every morning hating what you do. Is there no way you can land some ER or AM position at a boutique? I'd take that over a BO compliance gig at a BB but that's just my .02
My lease ends July 31st and after that I'm on my own. Trust me, I'll take ER/AM/Corp Fin over BO but I'm not going to turn down a BO offer with nothing in hand. I'm still currently sending resumes everywhere and will continue until I get the best possible offer by july
No way am I moving back in with my parents in bum fuck egypt
Honesty might be the best
Honesty might be the best policy. You want to have this position because you want to be in banking. If they press you about why specifically you want this BO position, say your goal is to build a career in banking, and that you'll work your butt off in this position just for the opportunity to be in the industry. Telling them that this is a great opportunity is completely true - you wouldn't be wanting this position if it wasn't the greatest opportunity you have at the moment.
Good luck turning this into something better. Learn what you can from where you are. At least a BO role will give you more time to study for the CFA, or whatever else you choose to do to jumpstart your career.
http://www.wallstreetoasis.com/group/big-4-accounting
http://www.wallstreetoasis.com/group/entrepreneur
808: Honesty might be the
Honesty might be the best policy. You want to have this position because you want to be in banking. If they press you about why specifically you want this BO position, say your goal is to build a career in banking, and that you'll work your butt off in this position just for the opportunity to be in the industry. Telling them that this is a great opportunity is completely true - you wouldn't be wanting this position if it wasn't the greatest opportunity you have at the moment.
Good luck turning this into something better. Learn what you can from where you are. At least a BO role will give you more time to study for the CFA, or whatever else you choose to do to jumpstart your career.
I'm going to go ahead and say that this is really bad advice and have to comletely disagree. I used to interview people for BO jobs at a BB bank and someone who comes in with the "honest" approach you list above is automatically done before I can get them out of the room. No compliance department wants an FT employee that is not looking(or at least pretending to look) at this as a career option and will work to advance themselves. If I was looking for someone like what you list above, I would look through a temp agency.
Now, to respond to the OP, if this is all you have and your situation does not allow you to remain unemployed while lookin for jobs and you absolutely NEED the compliance gig, you better go into the interview and figure out how you can convince them that this is he right position for you, (which unfortunately you will need to figure out on your own).
trailmix8: 808: Honesty
Honesty might be the best policy. You want to have this position because you want to be in banking. If they press you about why specifically you want this BO position, say your goal is to build a career in banking, and that you'll work your butt off in this position just for the opportunity to be in the industry. Telling them that this is a great opportunity is completely true - you wouldn't be wanting this position if it wasn't the greatest opportunity you have at the moment.
Good luck turning this into something better. Learn what you can from where you are. At least a BO role will give you more time to study for the CFA, or whatever else you choose to do to jumpstart your career.
I'm going to go ahead and say that this is really bad advice and have to comletely disagree. I used to interview people for BO jobs at a BB bank and someone who comes in with the "honest" approach you list above is automatically done before I can get them out of the room. No compliance department wants an FT employee that is not looking(or at least pretending to look) at this as a career option and will work to advance themselves. If I was looking for someone like what you list above, I would look through a temp agency.
Now, to respond to the OP, if this is all you have and your situation does not allow you to remain unemployed while lookin for jobs and you absolutely NEED the compliance gig, you better go into the interview and figure out how you can convince them that this is he right position for you, (which unfortunately you will need to figure out on your own).
To clarify, I'm not advising you to say you want the BO position in order to get the FO career in banking; I'm advising you to say your reason for wanting the BO position at the bank because you want a career in the banking industry. This way, you're being honest and coming across as sincere, but you're smoothing over the fact that you don't really want be in BO. This is a delicate way of threading the needle in your situation. I completely agree with trailmix8 that you don't want to go right out and say you just want to be in BO just to get into FO. That would be ridiculously idiotic.
http://www.wallstreetoasis.com/group/big-4-accounting
http://www.wallstreetoasis.com/group/entrepreneur