Interview #4 The bank

This post is a continuation of Getting Hired. Caution, very long post.
Read Interview #1
Read Interview #2
Read Interview #3

Before I begin sharing the general tips I've compiled, I think its a good idea to share my interview experiences. I haven't attended a lot, but every session I've attended provided me with valuable information and contributed to the next. So here's longest that I'd experienced, an interview with a bank:

Like the previous interview, I was offered an interview slot at the career fair after posting my CV online, through MASCA-GRADUAN site. Chit-chatted with the friendly interviewer as she went over my certs. At the end of the day, I received a conditional letter of employment.

I'd graduated and passed the CGPA requirement mentioned in the offer. Hence, was called for the next stage at its headquarter. First there was this written assessment, where I was asked me to pick a topic from a given list and write an essay on each topic (in Malay and English). What were the topics about? General issues. If a candidate reads the news, is able to express his or her views and structure essays well, this shouldn't be a problem. The behavioral assessment, which came later, was done by filling in a questionnaire. No right or wrong answer since they want to assess your personality, to see how you will fit in the organization and the that department may suit you best.

A few weeks later I was called for the final stage! Arrived in the wee morning and sat outside the function room. More and more of the candidates arrived, up to the point that it seemed like a mass-interview. Got the chance to get to know the candidates on my table - mostly graduates from top unis majoring in accounting and finance. Then the session began.


I was told that usually this stage involves an interview with a panel of three. I have no idea why it was different for our batch. We were in for five assessments in a day!

The panel number was more than I'd expected! Twenty of them or more, maybe? Reps from different departments were giving a talk on what they do - sort of like an introduction to the four departments that were head-hunting at that time. We were then given an article from the news and asked to summarize and highlight key points on a piece of paper within the time frame that was set. This is when our summary-writing skill  from high school came in handy.

Since the number was large, we were divided into three groups and each group went into separate rooms. My group had to be further divided into smaller groups for the case study. I didn't major in accounting, wasn't a fan of it. Imagine my horror when they handed us a thick annual financial report to discuss - that was the case study! How was I supposed to assess a financial report?! Given a marker and a white board, each group was asked to present their findings in front the panels in the room, at the same time answering all their queries.

I won't ruin possible candidates' excitement by spilling on what we had to do with the reports - but you know what, whatever your major is and in any circumstance, leverage on your abilities. They just want to see how you participate and how you fair among a group of people.

After the presentation, we sat in a row facing the panels for the group interview. Each of us had to introduce ourselves to the whole room and state where we came from, what our majors were, where we've interned, co-curriculum activities we were involved in, interests, etc. At the same time the panels were viewing our CVs and certs. When a panel introduced himself, the panels began shot questions when necessary:

• "What are your strengths?"
• "How can you contribute to this organization?"
• "What problems did you face when you were...?"
• "What was the outcome of the time when you...?"
• "Are you willing to...?"
• "Why are you here?"
• "Why should I hire you?"

Panels were intimidating. The fact that we're doing it in a room of more than twenty people made it more intense! They further questioned what we said or the things we'd put on our CVs and they we concerned with our interests or perceptions, they raised it - my involvement in more creative extra-curricular activities and past part-time jobs were questioned at one point. They checked, too, if we've been reading the news.

Anybody who made the cut would be called into another room individually and be assessed again by a different set of panels. It felt like America's Next Top Model - I was about to meet the judges and be told whether I'd go through or be eliminated.

In a short while, my name was called.

I was led to a room with a panel of five, some of them I hadn't met before in the previous room. This time it's an individual interview. Repeated back what I had said in the previous room to the new panels - it was like going through it all over again... but with more questions and it was more personal at this stage. One of the most important things to remember when you're being interviewed, is to know what you had learned from your past experiences. I did some reflecting of how I fared over the years, how I've improved over time and what I can offer them - that realization helped me a lot in convincing me that I was worth it.


As that session ended, I was escorted out and was told that I got it.