Common Sense and Truthfulness are 2 important pillars of cracking any bank interview. General financial knowledge will improve your chances but not without the prerequisite of the first two pillars. Why I say this; Highly experienced jury who is sitting in front of you is not there to check if you answered any answer to the exact pin point accuracy, what they want to see in you is whether you have the related knowledge to the question and much more importantly whether they will be able to teach you something which you would be willing to learn or not in the future.
Some important things the interviewers gauge are that how open you are to change, the sin-qua-non of any banking job is a very dynamically changing life. One day you are in a big city the next day you may have to pack your bags and start for a hamlet far away from the city. How you react to such change is what the people want to see in your eyes and the more truth you speak the better it is for all.
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Some questions in an interview are like starters which help any candidate to feel comfortable. Try to calm your nerves while answering such question. Questions which are general in nature like introduction about you will be served in some form or other before you. Be candid and speak your heart, do not just tell them about the numbers you got. Tell them the reason for those numbers, good or bad. Be truthful in case you are unaware of the answer. Please do not try to fool them. They asked the question and they definitely know the answers to it.
Some questions are shot at you to check your reflex, reflex of your mind. This is where spontaneity blended with common sense comes in very handy. One good answer seals the deal. One answer which makes the moment light without trivializing it goes a long way in getting you selected for the post of a bank employee. What it shows that there is a lighter side of you even in pressure situations, a great way of showing that you handle pressure in a confident way and with a smile on your face.
(checkout our post on How to prepare for Private Bank Interview)
Always remember one thing, interview in not a one way process where the interviewer is sitting there to grill you and make you feel like a fool when you are not able to answer correctly. It is a 2 way process where an organisation has needs which can be fulfilled by a person like you. They need you equally as much as you need them, otherwise they would not be sitting in front of you.
Some Frequently Asked Questions
1. Introduce Yourself – This is your playground, tell them about yourself and in the process bring out your strong points. Bring them to question you on what you consider your bastion. It is the perfect way to make the interviewers think the way you want them to think. Don’t stop till you are asked to but don’t make it boring. Add Spice, Humour, and Emotions; create the perfect dish and let them have a taste of it.
2. Why do you want to join banking in general and our bank in specific? – Tell them that you always wished for such a job and that today your dream is one step away from being achieved. Tell them the good points of their organization and how it has done more than just being a bank by contributing to social causes and issues. Do some basic research about the organisation before going for the interview.
3. What value can you add to our organization? – Be truthful and tell them how you can help in various ways to improve the work culture and give more to the customers in specific and banking in general. You may be good in computers and may add a lot of value by helping others not so conversant in it.
4. Are you open to working in rural areas? Are you speaking the truth? (Cause every one answers Yes to the previous question :-)) – Maybe rural areas were what you always wanted, free picnic for life, sitting beside a stream. Tell them how you always wanted to help the not so privileged and financially weak people. That can be a part of your personal social responsibility towards development of the nation.
5. How will you manage your family if posted in rural areas? – Tell them that your family has been very supportive and have cooperated in every part of your life and profession. Add a touch of dialogbaazi “Sometimes being away from family…brings you much closer to them” 🙂
6. Where do you see banking progressing in future? – Again your playground, bring all your creativity to the fore. Ideas related to what you think can bring about a positive change in banking. How the current situation can be altered for optimal utilization of resources.
7. What is more important to you? (Job Security / Salary) – Always give a midpoint answer. e.g. “What I look forward to in life is a balance between monetary benefits and a peaceful sleep at night, balance between work and life, balance between career growth and happiness of family. Customer satisfaction is as important as happiness on the face of your loved ones”
8. Any question you would like to ask us? (Always Ask, it shows your participation in the process and willingness to know more about the organization) – Alert, do not ask about how much salary you will get 🙂 Ask about what social responsibilities that the organization is involved in and how you can be a part of it. Some specific domains that you always wanted to work on like financial planning etc.
Be Confident of what you speak; and have a good interview all of you.