I attended a class on interviewing at a church a few years ago. The speaker boiled it all down to something deceptively simple - the people doing the hiring want their choice to be as risk-free as possible. Nobody in their position wants to make a gamble, because when gambles go bad they cost money and reflect very badly on them. Keep that basic fact in mind. The speaker developed his own mnemonic for approaching interviews - PPQ. Passionate, prepared, and qualified. Note that it’s not “most qualified.” Being passionate and prepared goes a long way toward making up for relative shortcomings on your resume.
See bumped thread Interview Close Ratio.
Aside from having the appropriate quant skills and knowledge of the industry, I feel the most important aspect you want to display in genuine enthusiasm for the position. Often, people are nervous in interviews, and to outsiders this can appear as disinterest. When interviewing, you need to make a concerted effort to smile, be personable and confident, and make it obvious that you are very excited about this opportunity.
I wouldn’t say that expressing “genuine enthusiasm” about the position is key. Actually, if you are interviewing, it is granted that you are interested (to a certain extent). But you need to be very confident in yourself and act accordingly.
>In ER, how many Associates per Senior Analyst? >Posted by: Soda Popinski (IP Logged) [hide posts from this user] >Date: January 29, 2009 11:39AM >------------------------------------------------------- > I’m currently interning
It’s important to demonstrate that you genuinely want to have the job, because such people are - other things equal - easier to manage and better performers. And no, just showing up to the interview is not sufficient proof of that.
JohnThainsLimoDriver Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > >In ER, how many Associates per Senior Analyst? > >Posted by: Soda Popinski (IP Logged) > >Date: January 29, 2009 11:39AM > >------------------------------------------------- > ------ > > I’m currently interning Are your panties still in a bunch after I called you out for resorting to spelling critiques in a message board argument? LOL, you’re quite sensitive.
bchadwick Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > It’s important to demonstrate that you genuinely > want to have the job, because such people are - > other things equal - easier to manage and better > performers. And no, just showing up to the > interview is not sufficient proof of that. Agreed, I find that its good to ask questions pertaining to future promotions/job reponsbility within the position. How long have the current person been in the position? What did the last person who did this job do after he/she left? What kind of future job responsibilies am I expected to take over? What do I need to do to get to the next step? etc. Like a eager beaver. Also if the CFA ever comes up I like to talk about your favorite sections on the exam, your study methods, what was hard, etc. so people can get a feel for how you work to learn info.
I think i can do that. the only worry i have is that i think i was too eager on the phone interview in that i nailed it but then i also said things like: i am a slef starter and self motivated and i can pick up things fairly quickly. then the MD asked, what do you expect from us and i said, i am looking at it as my next step, i can learn a great deal from this group and it can help me enhacne my career. i am afraid that this many have come across as weak.
frisian Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I attended a class on interviewing at a church a > few years ago. The speaker boiled it all down to > something deceptively simple - the people doing > the hiring want their choice to be as risk-free as > possible. Nobody in their position wants to make > a gamble, because when gambles go bad they cost > money and reflect very badly on them. Keep that > basic fact in mind. > > The speaker developed his own mnemonic for > approaching interviews - PPQ. Passionate, > prepared, and qualified. Note that it’s not “most > qualified.” Being passionate and prepared goes a > long way toward making up for relative > shortcomings on your resume. There’s been a lot of good advice passed around on this thread. In particular, I’d like to highlight frisian’s ideas as something I personally agree with as well. Minimizing risk is something that all employers try to do, so you want to come across as someone that’s as dependable and reliable as they come. The other thing that has worked well for me not only in interviews, but also in social situations, is to come across as someone that has a good balance between confidence and humility. There’s something to be said about an individual that’s quietly confident – they don’t need to self-advertise because they let results speak for themselves. They are in control of their situations at all times because they know what they can bring to the table, yet they’re never quite satisfied with what they’ve accomplished in the past. There’s always more that they can do. Sometimes it helps to look at a character that you think embodies the ideal of “quiet confidence.” Quiet confidence may mean different things to different people, but it often helps to look at someone with high visibility as an example. For me, a few names come to mind, such as Cary Grant (cinema), George Clooney (cinema/philanthropy), Derek Jeter (sports/philanthropy), and so forth. Guys want to be like them, and girls want to be with them. Why? Because they’re at the top of their craft and they know it, and they don’t need to go out of their way to sell themselves. They’re reliably good at what they do, and their products on the big screen, on the field, or in the charities speaks for themselves. Outside their professions, they allow themselves to be perceived as “just one of the guys.” And the average person can identify with that, because there’s something incredibly humanizing about being humble while also being so confident and accomplished. I find that when I’ve been able to exude these sentiments, I’ve been the most effective in my interviews and job performance; similarly, when I’ve surrounded myself with people that have similar traits, we become that much more effective as a team. A careful balance of humility and confidence is important to professional and personal success, because you need to appeal to people of all types – and you also need to show that you not only have the modesty and character to allow yourself to be led, but also the initiative and confidence to step up when it’s your own time to be a leader.
TheAliMan Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > No jewelery, no cologne Are you including watches when you say jewelery?
No, sorry, I should have mentioned that. I mean like bracelets and things that make noises