Common First Investment Banking Interview Questions: Crafting Your Story
There are no excuses for not perfecting what is in your control. Irrespective of the bank, the position, or your region, you can be sure these 2 questions will be asked as theyre a standard in the industry.
Anticipating both of these questions beforehand, crafting a compelling narrative around them, and selling yourself on it will make you stand out from amongst the pool of potential candidates.
3 How many times in a day does the clock’s hand overlap?
While hearing this question for the first time, it might sound very simple but it could also be complex. Interviewers do not generally look for the correct answers. They would just want to see how well you are capable of analyzing a problem and what is your thought process to approach a problem.
Some tips to answer this question:
Sample answer:
3 What qualities are required in order to be effective in an SEO role, in your opinion?
This is a question requiring a subjective answer, but you might want to think through all of the different skill sets required to be good at this kind of job. An SEO professional must have good research skills, for one thing, as well as strong analytical skills. An ability to spot trends and adapt to change is also important. As you think through the answer to this SEO interview question, consider your own strengths as an SEO professional. Could you weave those into this answer?
The SEO interview questions listed above are aimed towards professionals with about a yearâs worth of experience. Theyâre likely transitioning into SEO as part of establishing a digital marketing career and perhaps have only a certification and not a reputed track record. For those with more experience, read on for advanced SEO interview questions.
If youâre applying for an SEO analyst or specialist position, you should review the more advanced SEO interview questions below, because you probably wonât be asked about the beginner level SEO topics covered above.
1 What Are These Behavioural Questions
These questions are mostly of the format “Tell me about a time…” where you would be asked to share your experience based on certain scenarios which would help the interviewer judge how well you handled various work situations thereby reflecting your skills, capacity, and personality.
Always answer such types of questions using the STAR format to provide structured answers. STAR has the following questions to be answered in the same order:
Avoid bragging and exaggerating at all costs.
What are some common SEO mistakes youâve seen in other organizations?
If youâre an experienced SEO executive or manager, this should be an easy question for you to answer! You can talk about the obvious mistakes such as using the wrong keywords (which is possible in so many ways), not keeping up with changes made by Google, not optimizing for mobile, ignoring analytics, and so on, but mention others that are particular to your experience too.