How to stand out with fit questions?
Hi guys,
As I reflect on a lot of my past interviews and failures, and big thing I noticed was that I didn't stand out or come off as being memorable. My answers were all pretty generic, and I felt like it was nothing bad nor was it anything good. Wanted to get any advice from people on the other side of the interview or people who really managed to thrive with fit questions. What makes a fit story or answer more compelling and better than someone else's? Everyone I feel like says the same thing. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks
I feel I'm having difficulty with this as well. While it's nice when there's no tough technicals to answer, that also makes it difficult to impress. I think a HUGE emphasis is therefore placed on the last 5-10 min of Q&A. Asking good, unique questions seems to be the make or break.
You're on the money.
I interviewed at a great shop in the fall and it came down to me and another guy. We were the only two of the interviewees that were actually friendly with each other and we both knew the bankers saw that. He and I ended up being on the same flight and we were talking afterwards and we both felt really good about how it went. He got the job later that evening and he told me his strategy. We had been given some pitchbooks on the bank and an article on the specific group twenty minutes before the interviews started and we all skimmed through them. At least that's what it looked like but this guy had gone through and picked out minute details about the biggest deals and then asked great questions to the senior bankers. They said in the offer call that it was that interest and intelligence that separated him from everyone else.
A few weeks later I had a first round with a group that I really wanted to join so I did so much research that I knew no one would have an advantage over me there. Needless to say, that interview went perfectly and the senior guy was actually visibly impressed. I did the same thing at the super and really dug into the material they gave us in the few minutes before interviews started. I walked out a few hours later and got an offer within minutes.
So do your research and let that drive your Q&A. But it can't be surface level stuff, it has to be something analytical, or at least thoughtful, and then make it all flow together. If you are personable and can connect with your interviewers, you'll be fine. Have a good Q&A with a connection and you'll get the job 9 of 10 times.
I know this is an old thread, but what types of questions did the other guy ask about the bank's deals that made him stand out?
I haven't interviewed in a very long time and don't read books on how to interview people so what are "fit questions" and what are you having troubles with specifically?
Just questions like "what was your biggest mistake" or "strengths and weaknesses". I feel like more or less everyone will give a strength like hardworking, analytical, good leader, ect. But I'm wondering what makes a good answer stand out or memorable?
As someone who went through IB recruiting recently, I can say that in the 15 or so interviews I had (first round and supers), I can't think of one interview where I was asked about my strengths and weaknesses or a failure. I did get "tell me about a time you worked on a team" pretty regularly.
It's a very easy question to rehearse an answer to and you definitely should have one/maybe a few ready to go at any time. Don't make a weakness actually a strength ("I work too hard" or "I care too much") and don't say any weakness that puts you behind ("I have trouble finishing things that I start" or "I procrastinate on everything"). A common tactic is to give a weakness, then talk about how you're working on that weakness. That is probably the best way to go but this is such a worn out question that no one asks it anymore because the responses are so canned.
Thanks for the advice. When you gave your responses, did you always tell a detailed story and center it around that?
Ya, more or less.
I had a story about a case competition that I would typically try and work in to most interviews, whether they asked about a team experience or not.
Every time you get a question about an experience/attribute/story/whatever, structure it using the STAR method. You are putting yourself at a severe disadvantage by not.
http://www.quintcareers.com/star-interviewing/
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