Finally, I didn’t take notes. I only used my portfolio to put the business card of the potential employer in. It is an entry level position. I asked him about the biggest challenge of this position and what he described didn’t seem to be that challenging. I think this position is like all candidates are able to do the job therefore it is really a matter of ‘fit’.(Or if you have some connections, even better!)
Anyways, I highlighted my biggest achievement at my current position and my daily tasks (how they are related to this new position), and mentionned how interested I was in working at this position, and this company and why.
He asked me some questions, and talked about his background, and the company culture, blablabla.
And the interview lasted for an hour even though it became more like a casual talk at the end.
Then I sent him a thank-you letter later that day.
During the interview he told me the interview process will be done around the end of November hopefully. Therefore, I will do a follow-up in three weeks…
So…I dunno!!
I wish he can remember me after seeing all candidates!
There is nothing more important than first impression, you want to project a professional image and wearing sharp outfits also boost your self confidence.
I always write notes about the company i am interviewing for in my notebook, anything from stock prices, recent announcements, names of executives, mission statement, etc.
As well, i always go to interviews with at least 3-5 questions to ask, which i would also write in my notebook. It shows that you put in some thought about working for the company and you are an organized person.
As for writing things down, i think you can write down specific things about your position like a job requirement, or skill set, software they use, etc. it’s not mandatory to write things down but ifyou feel like you will forget some information they provide, write them down quickly so you can research later.
ALWAYS REMEMBER INTERVIEWERS’ NAMES! you may not want to write them down right away, but when you have a chance you should, because they don’t always give you their cards right away (they sometimes give you a card at the end of the interview, or not at all, depending how many people are there)
What notes do you take during an interview? Hadn’t heard of that before. Is it more for appearance sake or is this something people actually find useful?
I always bring a note pad to take questions during potential Q&A or if they ask me “case studies” about stocks or how I think about businesses. In the hedge fund industry it’s important for me to figure out whether I will align with the philosophy and process of a fund, and I’d prefer to write things down during our discussion so I don’t forget my impressions about whether the firm is a good fit for me.
Also, anyone here should wear a suit to an interview, unless you know for sure that the place is casual in which case I might recommend a sportcoat and slacks. But seriously, why take the chance?
Most of the comments are spot on. Wear a suit. For a woman it can be ok to wear a dress/skirt suit (per my fiance, who does this for a living) if you are going to a place that you know is not conservative (advertising, fashion, pure marketing, etc). If you are going to finance company, up to and including a bank, investment manager of any type, finance role in a non-finance company then you should wear a suit. The below lady really knows how to rock a black suit. Make sure to wear a smile too.
I wore a Hugo Boss Blue suit to an internal interview for a new job I applied for (cross-function finance role) with a tie.
The partner of the firm (ended up being the N. American divisonal lead) who interviewed me was wearing kakis with a black polo shirt. He immediately laughed and asked me what was with the suit and tie. I calmly replied that I usually don’t wear suits but I wanted to dress in a manner that showed how serious I was about getting this job. He stopped laughing and gave me a respectful nod.
The suit didn’t get me the job, but it sure as hell made me stand out among the masses.
Always dress formal unless told explicitely not to (this would not happen in banking anyway, but it could happen on the buy side in a some small firms). Take notes, ask nicely if you could have a business card after breaking the ice and if you feel that the interviewer likes you. Try to follow up with a personal touch such as "I hope you do not mind the email and you are fine, by the way I remember last time you mentioned that you were looking into ETF and I read this very interesting analysis which I attached to this email, hope you will like it. Also, I was wondering if you could provide me a feedback for the last interview and if you could tell me when we could meet for the next interview. " … etc etc
