Why should I hire you instead of the people outside?
so I got this interview question during an interview with a MD.
How would you guys answer it?
I basically just fed the bs.
- teamwork - gave example
- dedicated - gave example
- attention to detail - gave example
- interest in finance - gave example
Or are they looking for something out of ordinary like I play chess professionally or something?
thx
As long as your examples were semi-interesting/impressive, then you should be fine. It's just one of those "sell yourself" and "show us you know what we're looking for" questions... If someone answered w/ something about chess professionally, I'd wonder why they aren't answering my question.
Try not too bs too much. By asking that question MD probably has a specific answer in ind that he wants to hear. As I'm pretty sure there are 20,000 former bankers on the street who can display examples of teamwork, dedication, attention to detail, and interest in finance faaarrr better than you can.
Just my 2c.
this was for a SA position actually. But how do you tell what the MD has in mind ? lol
pretty much you have to convince him that you'll get the job done, even if it means shining his shoes, with a fucking smile on your face.
Just put it on the table and be like that is why... I am a BSD
i'd give an example :)
LOL nice one
I think a few great answers are:
I also made the argument that though students with liberal arts or non-finance backgrounds are great and come from impressive schools, in this market you've got to take someone who has shown a dedication to the field by studying it.
Remember you need not believe all these things, just sell them like you do. I found these two impressed many MDs who usually said "Usually people just give me some bullshit answer. Thanks".
I hope that helps. I think this question is really a chance for them to see if you get nervous easily, or if you can get excited when you really have no business being upbeat. You can remind them that showing this kind of gumption for a question as tough as that means you'll be in the right mindset when it really counts for the next two years.
Definitely interested in what others say/have said.
I agreed with everything except for this. I personally don't think it's a good idea to knock on non-finance majors because who knows, the guy interviewing you may have majored in a non finance degree..or maybe his son/daughter. I think there are ways to convey your passion for finance without saying this.
I think what the interviewer wants to hear is something unique. 9/10 guys will talk about how they are hardworkers/communicators/etc. but you wouldn't have made it to the interview without having that. I know these details are not what they want to hear because often interviewers will now preface this question with "aside from the obvious answers....what differentiates you/why do you deserve the position". I think it's silly that most people will answer with the generic detail/hardworker whatever answer because they are literally asking what make YOU better than these people.
I would typically talk about how I am willing to go the extra 2 steps and endure in order to achieve my goals. Talked about ********/****** (two high endurance sports) then talked about how I transferred schools and double majored to increase my knowledge base and technical background and then moved beyond a part time internship to a full time in order to gain more deal exposure.
Hopefully this helps and I have not given away too much information about myself.
edit removed details that may reveal who I am
Agree with this.
double post
"Why should I hire you?" (Originally Posted: 01/30/2013)
Heya monkeys,
Through intensive networking attempts (cold e-mails and such), I was recently able to sit down with a director from a top MM and he offered to do an internal transfer of my resume to the Capital Markets division as well as regional head of research. That seemed to be a potentially big thing for me and could really give me a leg up in scoring an SA or an off-cycle internship in those areas. I'm a sophomore at a non-target, by the way.
Thing is, after I forwarded him my resume, he asked for "two lines on why they should take you for an internship". I'm having a spot of a problem with this question, not because I don't know how to sell myself, but because I'm very concerned with giving the best possible representation of a reason, since this opportunity is pretty big to me.
Has anyone ever given a kickass answer to that golden question? Or BSDs who've encountered said kickass answer from internship applicants, please do come in and share!
uh I am actually an engineering major lol. But thanks for the input anyways.
Because I am passionate about working in Research. And, it's passion what leads you to excel in any field.
Old thread I know...but here would be my answer:
"I don't need two lines. I am the one."
Sounds like a pickup line you'd use in a dive bar.
there's only 3 answers to this. 1. you're smarter than the other candidates 2. you're harder working 3. you're better connected (i.e. a revenue source for the bank)
I always use a mix of 1 and 2 for this question. Highlight my academic success and also talk about my background and how i've worked that much harder to make sure I could compete with people who had more opportunities than I did to get to this point.
btw just in case you're stupid and actually tell him you're better connected, that was a joke. if you're that connected, people will already know by the time you walk into the interview.
the ultmate BSD reply would be "I'm fucking smart"
You should try to come with something a little bit more specific than the traditional platitudes, IMHO. Everyone says stuff like "I'm passionate about this job" and "I'm hard-working". Even if you are all those things, it would be impossible to differentiate you from all the other people saying the same thing. Try to come up with something specific and somewhat unique that qualifies you. Obviously, there should be a limit to your creativity and if you can't come up with anything that sounds convincing, you should fall back on the "hard-working" and "passionate" bits.
My Z$2c...
Because you actually enjoy the work, and you're willing to work harder to prove yourself as a non target.
I agree with Martinghoul, but one little caveat: don't try too hard to be different. If your honest answer is that you'd work really hard and you're passionate, go ahead and tell him, even though it may sound platitudinous
Why should we hire you? (Originally Posted: 08/04/2013)
Hi,
This is my first post as a long time lurker, and I would like to get your views on what kind of an approach should be taken to answering the question above.
Would a standard answer including attributes bankers are looking for (eg. attention to detail, ability to burn the midnight oil, intelligence etc) along with examples be better?
Or would bankers want more of an answer which skips the above, but shows that you have drive be more well received. (eg. strive to excel, setting high standards and achieving them; this mindset would allow me to contribute to this firm..)
Any opinions would be appreciated. Cheers.
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