Turning your interview into a "conversation"
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okay, lets say he asks you for an opinion on the market, you could end your answer with 'would you agree?' s/he, if playing ball, will give you his opinion, you say 'that's interesting, i've always thought xyz, do you see x regulation/market even/trend/liquidity having a greater affect going forward?' Now this is all very finance base, and not ideal. you really want a conversation to stem off an activity / shared interest. for example, i did a ski season for 5 months before joining FT, every subsequent interview, i've ALWAYS dropped it in there, this will more often than not lead to a convo about skiing, a convo where there is no MD interviewer dynamic, you're now just two people talking about skiing.
I've had those types of interviews and they always come out naturally. Usually I drop a small comment about a personal experience when answering to a question and if the interviewer makes another comment, it usually turns up in a conversational interview. If your interview is a competency-based one and you give good interesting examples, it will end up being a conversation for sure.
It takes a lot of practice. You get better at doing this with the more interviews you do.
I've found my best interviews start off in a more conversational manner rather than the typical Q&A. It sounds simple but try asking how their day is going (as opposed to how are you), they typically will ask you the same in return and you can make some offhand comment about coming in from x state or busy with x hobby etc. That part you'll have to fill in yourself based on the situation (and potentially your homework on the interviewer) but even a couple sentences in the beginning can help you settle your nerves and create a more natural shift into the actual interview.
JENS88, I really like that specific advice. I'm just not sure when I would fit in "how's your day going" without feeling like a little awkward.
"Hi, Firstnamelastname, good to meet you, how's your day been going so far?" Would seem a little odd to me
I typically do that while we're walking to the interview room during the few seconds of awkward silence after the initial greeting. However if it's a Superday where they're waiting for you in the room already you're right it would be a little weird. The point of the "conversational" interview is that you act naturally, respond to and ask questions in a genuine manner, and don't have anything memorized to where you sound like a robot. Bottom line is once you pass the technicals, at least at the analyst level, they just want to hire somebody they like and would get along with. Be yourself and turn it into a relaxed, yet professional conversation about why you're the right person for the job.
This isn't a knock on the OP or anyone else in the thread, but this is a great way to take the focus of the interview off of your resume if you're not exactly a strong candidate on paper. Proving to the person across the table that you're not a social retard and are a person that others can actually stand to be around can go a long way in compensating for your other weaknesses.
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