Why Nomura Interview Questions
How to answer the question "Why Nomura?"
What would you do if you were shortlisted for a renowned financial services firm, such as Nomura? Well, that's an outstanding achievement because getting selected for Nomura is not a joke. Before getting to the main topic, let’s get a brief introduction to Nomura Holdings.
Nomura is a multinational financial service company that offers a wide range of financial services to its clients across the globe. It has branches worldwide and headquarters in the:
- United States
- Asia
- Europe
- The Middle East and more
The company was founded in 1925 and has spread across its financial services in 30 countries.
The company provides a wide range of services, including investment banking, equity and debt capital markets, wealth management, asset management, and research.
In addition to serving corporations and financial institutions, the company also serves governments and high-net-worth individuals. Want to know more about Nomura and its services and products, you can check via this link: Nomura Holdings.
Interview Tips
- Research the company thoroughly to demonstrate your knowledge and interest.
- Understand the job description to align your skills with the role effectively.
- Prepare for technical questions related to the position you're applying for.
- Focus on highlighting your soft skills, as they are essential for successful collaboration.
- Practice behavioral questions and use the STAR method to structure your responses effectively.
What’s unique about Nomura?
As we have got an idea about Nomura financial services, we must learn what's unique about Nomura that makes it special to every shortlisted candidate.
- Global presence: Nomura has a wide range presence around the world; it has Headquarters in the United Kingdom, the United States, India, and Asia Pacific countries. They also have a wide range of client connections across the globe, and they provide financial services to their clients.
- Diversified business model: Investment banking, asset management, and retail banking are basically all part of Nomura's various business strategies. Nomura provides a broad range of financial services to a spectrum of customers, thanks to its diversification, including both big enterprises and individual investors.
- Strong focus on risk management: Risk management is a key area of focus for Nomura, as seen by the company's cautious approach to taking risks and dedication to uphold a healthy balance sheet. Due to this, the business has been capable of withstanding challenging market conditions and keeping its position as a top financial services provider.
- Innovation: Innovation is a core part of Nomura. As they always try to give the best financial services to their customers, they also spend most of their time establishing some innovative ideas in business. And as they apply them in their work life, the results of their hard work always pay off.
Where to begin if you've been shortlisted for the interview rounds
And this is where your interview preparation comes into play. How do you prepare for a prestigious firm like Nomura? You have nothing to be concerned about. You only need to remember the following points:
1. Research the company
It's a common point, isn't it? Is it possible to go for an interview without researching the company?
You should know for which position you have applied in Nomura, and from that point, you can gain more access to what is currently happening in Nomura and Co.
2. Review the job description
In this sense, you will get an idea of your responsibilities for the job role. Read through the job description and know your responsibilities, the department in which you are going to work, the qualifications required, and CTC. Remember to read every single word of the job description.
3. Brush up your skills
Technical skills and Soft skills are core things to remember while giving an interview.
Technical skills are an individual’s affinity or ability to complete tasks related to a specific science or technology, and soft skills are your way of communication, attitude, and confidence for that particular event.
After going through the company's background, websites, and work culture and also going through the Job description, let's proceed toward our next step.
Why Nomura Interview Question
Now it comes down to a fundamental question they frequently ask their candidates. It's a simple but rhetorical question that tries to evaluate a candidate's ability to understand Nomura and its functions.
Besides that, they try to find out why a candidate wants to join Nomura. There are some basic things you have to remember while giving answers to this type of question.
- Research the company
- Reflect on your goals
- Your primary goals should be coherent with those of the companies
- Highlight your strengths
- Be straightforward about yourself
Sample answer:
“Nomura conducts a large variety of transactions and would give me the exposure I need to advance my industry knowledge. It is also more nimble than its competitors, and this would give me more exposure to transactions and access to senior bankers.
I'm impressed by the firm's track record of success, particularly in M&A and equity capital markets, which aligns with my interests and goals.
I believe that joining Nomura would allow me to work on complex and high-profile transactions while also learning from some of the industry's most talented and experienced professionals.”
Other Nomura Interview Questions
Generally, they always conduct 3 to 4 rounds of interviews, and the procedure might go for 2-3 months. As the statistical database shows that interview rounds' difficulties are not that hard, they are generally average and sometimes might be easy.
The main focus during the interview is the Behavioral and Technical skills of a candidate. Now it comes to the interview question which can be asked by them.
Other Nomura Interview Questions
It’s the most common interview question which is asked by all organizations to know the candidate's background and communication ability.
In this first question, they try to find how a candidate can describe himself and what his academic qualifications are, and how much relevant experience he holds.
Here are some tips for preparing questions like this:
- Keep it brief
- Explain relevant experience
- Focus on your strengths
- Be specific and logical
The firm wants to know why Investment banking is your choice. And why do you want to pursue a career in Finance/investment banking?
Some quick tips to include:
- Focus on reasons that revolve around career growth, progression, taking things to the next level, more challenges, more opportunities, working with bigger companies, and the excitement of deal-making or closing significant transactions.
- Being in the company of people who run the world economy and showing them what you can offer for the company.
Sample answer:
“The fast-paced and dynamic nature of the investment banking industry, as well as the challenging work that comes with it, intrigues me. I am captivated by financial markets and have a strong desire to assist clients in achieving their business objectives through strategic financial advice.
I believe that investment banking provides me with the opportunity to learn a wide range of skills and build a rewarding career in a rapidly changing field.”
As we have discussed, you should know about the company's background and its products/services in detail because it comes in handy while giving answers to questions like these. You can access their services and products via their website: Nomura Holding.
- Go through the background of the company, such as when it was established and who is the CEO, CFO, and COO of the company.
- You should know about the services and products on which the company works.
- Nomura provides the best financial services to its clients, so you must know which products and services regarding investment banking they hold.
- Learn more about mergers and acquisitions, equity research, financial analysis, financial modeling, etc.
Sample answer:
"Yes, I am familiar with Nomura's products, particularly those in investment banking, asset management, and equity and debt capital markets.
I've looked into the company's various services, such as M&A advisory, underwriting, and structured finance, and I'm impressed by its ability to provide clients with innovative solutions. I'm also intrigued by Nomura's dedication to sustainability.
Overall the firm intrigues me to know in depth about its work culture and environment.”
Here comes a tricky question. This question can sometimes be fetal or the other way around. It can also be the easiest question you will face during the interview. Simply, If candidates know what he has written in his/her resume, it would be a piece of cake for them.
But if you have prepared enough for the interview regarding companies background, products, and services and forgot to go through your resume, then here are some tips that you can use during the interview.
- Do not panic, and give them a brief introduction about yourself.
- From where you graduated.
- Tell them in brief about your skills and hobbies.
- What your achievements and past work experience are.
- Highlight your skills and experience.
With this, you would be able to avoid awkwardness.
Here are some videos which can boost your communication and confidence skills.
Regarding this question, you should have a thorough knowledge of financial statements.
- The Income Statement (also known as the Profit and Loss Statement) shows a company's revenues, expenses, and net income or loss over a specific period, typically a quarter or a year. It provides information about a company's profitability and operational effectiveness.
- The balance sheet shows the company's financial position at a specific point in time. It displays a company's assets, liabilities, and equity, as well as information about its liquidity and solvency.
- The cash flow statement shows a company's cash inflow and outflow. The main focus of the cash flow statement is increasing the cash equivalents of the company.
A multi-step income statement is a financial statement that displays a company's revenues, expenses, and profits or losses in a series of steps.
This type of income statement distinguishes between a company's operating and non-operating activities, allowing for a more detailed examination of its financial performance.
Multi-step income statements provide a more detailed view of a company's financial performance by classifying revenue and expenses.
This can assist investors and analysts in better understanding a company's revenue and expense sources, as well as identifying areas of strength and weakness in its operations.
Sample answer:
“If we are talking about multi-step statements, then simply, it is a financial statement which shows a company’s revenues, expenses, and profit and loss in a series of steps. It provides a more detailed view of the company's statement.
This way, we can grasp the company's various categorized cash flows, such as revenue, expenses, profit, and loss. This statement typically includes sections for revenue, cost of goods sold, gross profit, operating expenses, non-operating income or expenses, and net income.”
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