Professional Banking Job Interviews

Your guide to professional banking job interviews
November 27th, 2008

Thoughts on Interviews

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Interviews can be formal or an informal meeting. Sometimes, there are questions that are tough to answer and others can be as light. One thing to do to take away the fear from a prospective interview is preparation. Nothing beats a person who is prepared to do battle with everyday life and with every situation he faces. Usually these are the people that do not experience overwhelming problems when they are interviewed. These are the people which are able to relax after the meeting and can proudly say that they nailed it. now its just going to be a matter of a decent follow up to the person in charge. This helps them decide who is truly interested with the work and who is not.

October 6th, 2008

One step to success - The Application

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First impressions last. Your overall appearance will play a crucial role in landing the right job, even when it comes to as simple and unimportant as, submitting your Application. One effective way to dress is to think you are already going to work on that same company you are applying in. Who knows, maybe in passing your application, the interviewer maybe looking for an employee to fill up a certain postion and would need to interview you immediately. As much as possible, even when you are just submitting your application form, bring all the necessary stuff as if you are to be interviewed.

Bring the following when you submit the Application form.

Ball Point Pen
Fact Sheet
Copies of Resume

In filling out any form, you should remember to read the entire application before actually filling it out. Follow the instructions. Interviewers often review the filled out application form and based on the appearance too, for whom to schedule for an interview.

September 28th, 2008

Stand out from the Rest


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There is a secret formula of success that every job interview candidate should be aware of and understand before going to the interview. The job market is stiff. you need to stand out from the rest.

  1. Presentation is Everything. First impressions really are important most importantly to potential employers. Make sure your resume presents yourself well. Sell your strong points as you would sell your own products. Show them that you can be an asset to their company.
  2. Research on the company and the job you are applying for. Be sure to know every ins and outs of the word. It earns you a certain respect from the employer.
  3. Prepare answers for the most commonly asked questions in an interview. It certainly brings out a wise impression on you.
  4. Professional image means simply dressing up right for the occasion. You must present yourself with the right amount of confidence.
  5. Interact with them. Interview is a two way street. They talk, you listen. And then you talk, they listen. Be sure to evoke self-esteem when you speak.
August 8th, 2008

Banking Career interview is not as easy as others


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Interview for professional banking career is not that easy unlike interview in other career like marketing, sales, accounting, and etc. because banking career is crucial for it holds big amount of money from different people. That’s why we should need to know everything just to pass that interview:

1) we should at least know something about the company so that you can answer when they ask and as well as for you to prepare yourself in case you have been accepted.
2) You should know or master the types of interview like behavioral, panel, one on one, or phone interview. So that you will be flexible to what interview you will undergo.
3) You must know how to dress well so that you will look presentable to the interviewers and that’s a plus factor
4) You should know all aspects of interview process like opening, interview proper, and closing so that you can effectively communicate.

July 6th, 2008

Selling yourself

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I know that having a job interview is like conducting a sales pitch. This time, instead of convincing a consumer to buy a certain product, you are convincing a company to buy YOU! Like all god sales pitch, the important thing is that you leave a good and lasting impression on your interviewer. Just remember that although you should sound confident, do not over assert yourself so you won’t be coming off as too arrogant. Anyway, here are some tips on how you can close the deal:

Emphasize your skills and traits that you think will be of importance in the job you are applying. Make sure that the interviewer knows about this by giving examples when asked for your experiences in certain situations.

State your interest. Do not be anxious but don’t sound that you don’t care if you don’t get the job.

Ask if you need to provide them with other requirement such as references, etc. Ask also about the next step in the process and how to contact them so you’ll know when and how to follow up.

June 1st, 2008

Arriving for the interview

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One particularly simple but critical factor to consider when preparing for a job interview is arriving on time. You may be shocked to know that there are many applicants who actually make the error of arriving at the interview site late. Remember that you must grab all the opportunity in making a good first impression, and what better way to do so than to being on time. Doing otherwise is not only unprofessional and rude, as if you have complete disregard for other people’s schedules, but it also shows your lack of time management. Sure the traffic is terrible, but you should have anticipated it and might have made an effort to make an early start. If there is an unavoidable circumstance and you have no choice but to arrive late, then extend the courtesy to call ahead and ask if it’s possible to reschedule for a later time or another date.

May 24th, 2008

Know Your Target

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When going to an interview, researching about the company will give you an edge in the application and interview process. Putting effort in getting to know the company you’re applying to will show that you are interested about them. Also, conduct research on the position you are vying for, as this will show them that you are determined to get the job and that you have more than a superficial interest in it. With the number of applicants that are likely to be applying for the same job that you want, the time and effort you will put in learning about your prospective employer and position can certainly give you that defining point between being hired and being told to try again.

May 21st, 2008

Remember This Golden Advice

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Prepare, prepare, prepare! There’s no more better advice than this. Be sure that you are dressed appropriately for the interview and plan your clothes a day before the interview itself. Check if you have the necessary things which you have been asked to bring. Confirm the schedule of the interview so that you know how to organize your time around it. Go over the questions which would most likely be asked during the interview, and make sure you have ready answers for them. Don’t sound like you’re speaking from a script though, just be certain that you have an idea of what you’re going to say.

May 18th, 2008

Interview Styles

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There are a variety of interview styles which may be employed during your interview. It’s not always the straightforward question and answer norm. To be sure that you are ready for any of them, here the kinds of interviews that companies use in order to screen potential new employees.

• Behavioral Interviews – your experienced is what will be asked here; the questions typically revolved on how you handled conflicts, challenges and problems with relation to your job.
• Situational Interviews – with this, you will be asked to give answers based on hypothetical situations
• Unstructured interviews – these are free-flowing conversations where the topics and flow of discussion are based mainly on your answers
• Panel Interviews – here, you will be asked to appear in front of a panel consisting of a number of employees who come from various departments of the company

May 15th, 2008

Interviewing the Interviewee

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Interviews do not have to be one-way conversations. Interviewees who show genuine interest in the position and the company are more favorably perceived than those who look as if they’re only going through the motions. Some questions you can ask the interviewer are:

• If accepted, what responsibilities will be given to me?
• How will my performance be assessed?
• For what reason did the current vacancy open up?
• What growth opportunities does the position offer?
• Who will I be reporting to?
• Will I be in charge of other people?
• Would this position require me to travel?
• What are the factors in deciding this appointment?