Professional Financial Services Interview Questions & Answers:

1. Tell me about a difficult decision you've made in the last year In Financial Services?

We all have difficult decisions in our lives. Show how you were able to arrive at it and then how you decisively acted.

2. Describe a time when you put your needs aside to help a co-worker understand a task. How did you assist them? What was the result?

The key is to show that the mentoring of a co-worker was first a higher priority than the task you had at hand (remember, you want to show that you focus on highest priority tasks first). Then, describe in detail how you helped them not only complete the task but learn to do it on their own. You want to teach them HOW to fish and not to simply fish for them.

3. How do you think your colleagues at your last job would describe you?

While your CV will say a lot about your work history In Financial Services, the interviewer will most likely look for greater detail with questions such as this. Be positive about previous experience, highlighting your own strengths.

4. Describe your work ethic?

While discussing this, be sure to stress specific examples of what you bring to the company. Good qualities include resolve to fulfill job responsibilities, optimism, and a desire to be as efficient as possible while at work.

5. What is more important to you money or success?

First ask yourself that question before the interview - what are your priorities? Are money and success actual one in the same goal for you? If not, what's more important based on how do you define success?

6. Tell me about a time when you successfully handled a situation?

For this question, the interviewer wants to know what you do in a situation that doesn't have a clear answer. This will help the interviewer know how you respond to unforeseen challenges.

7. What is your typical way of dealing with conflict? Give me an example?

First, find out what the root of the problem is. Second, determine the best steps to remediation with the best possible outcome. Third, take action to put remediation plans in place.

8. How do you keep others informed on work issues?

Possible methods:
Talking to them, emailing them, sharing best practices in meetings

9. What can you offer us that someone else can not?

Bad Answer: Going negative - if the candidate starts trash talking other candidates, it's a sure sign of a bad attitude. Also, if they can't provide a solid answer, it may show that they lack thorough knowledge of the skills the job requires, and an understanding of where they fit in.

Good answer: The candidate can name specific skills, abilities or understandings they have that apply directly to the job that other candidates are unlikely to have, or are in short supply.

10. Explain me about a problem or disagreement you had with previous supervisor?

This question is trap. It is meant to see whether or not you'll speak poorly of an employer. No one wants to hire someone who's going to speak poorly of them down the road. Stay upbeat and positive - and most of all don't say anything negative about a previous employer.

11. If you had enough money to retire would you?

Just be honest. If you would retire then say so. But since you can't retire, and the interviewer already knows this, simply answer that since you can't this is type of work you prefer doing. However, if you wouldn't retire if you had the money then explain why. Work is an important element of happiness for most people and many won't retire even when they can.

12. Tell me about a time you failed?

Everyone has failed, so don't play dumb or claim you've never messed up In Financial Services. Think of a time when a work-related situation didn't turn out quite as you had hoped. An interviewer is interested in seeing how you took responsibility for your failure, what you learned from it, and how you would prevent similar failures from happening again.

13. Why did you select the University _______?

Discuss the academic program, the extracurricular program(s), the school spirit, the quality of your peers, and the professors.

14. What have you done to improve yourself in the last year In Financial Services?

Discuss how you've improved yourself through work experiences, books you've read, classes, club(s) / extracurricular activities and describe the process on how it's happened. For example: I've improved my presentation skills tremendously because I've had to do 2 presentations this year for my communications class.

15. What do you expect from this job In Financial Services?

Talk about the potential career development, your career aspirations, your work relationships and the learning you'll receive.

16. What are you looking for in a new position In Financial Services?

I've been honing my skills In Financial Services for a few years now and, first and foremost, I'm looking for a position where I can continue to exercise those skills. Ideally the same things that this position has to offer. Be specific.

17. Tell me about a time when you were forced to make an unpopular decision?

Not every decision is popular. In fact, almost every decision is bound to make someone unhappy at some point. The key is to demonstrate how it impacted others positively and why you chose it.

18. How do you adapt to new working environments In Financial Services?

It's important that you demonstrate that you can adapt to changing environments quickly. You want to stress that you can manage change. The one thing in life that is constant after all, is change.

19. Top 12 Stress Based Interview Questions In Financial Services:

Some jobs require employees to work under stress, and some interviewers just like to see how applicants handle stressful questions.

There are many questions designed for putting the interviewee into an awkward situation, or throwing them off, to see how they do under stress. Here are some samples.

1. How do you feel this interview is going In Financial Services?

2. How would you handle undeserved criticism from a superior?

3. How many other jobs are you applying for?

4. What would you do if you saw a colleague stealing supplies or equipment?

5. What did you do when you had a boss you didn't get along with?

6. What would you do if a colleague took credit for your idea, and got a promotion?

7. Was the stress of your previous job too much for you?

8. What would you do if a colleague admitted to lying on their resume to get the job?

9. What would you do if a customer verbally insulted you in front of co-workers?

10. What would you change about the design of a baseball hat?

11. Why were you fired from your previous job In Financial Services?

12. How successful do you think you've been so far?

20. What have you learned from mistakes on the job?

Candidates without specific examples often do not seem credible. However, the example shared should be fairly inconsequential, unintentional, and a learned lesson should be gleaned from it. Moving ahead without group assistance while assigned to a group project meant to be collaborative is a good example.

21. Explain me what do you know about our company?

Bad Answer: They don't know much about the company. If a candidate is serious and enthusiastic, they should have done some basic research.

Good answer: An answer that shows they've really done their homework and know what the company does, any important current events that involve the company, and the work culture.

22. What specific steps do you utilize in solving workplace problems?

Analyze the problem In Financial Services. Discuss possible remedies and resulting outcomes. Decide on the remedy and track results. Re-visit problem if it's not resolved.

23. What has been your biggest professional disappointment?

When discussing a professional disappointment, make sure to discuss a scenario you could not control. Be positive about the experience and accept personal responsibility where applicable.

24. What do you do in your spare time?

If you want to show your fun side, discuss your extracurricular activities. If you want to show your ambition, discuss the work / school projects you do in your spare time.

25. Tell me about a time when you helped resolve a dispute between others?

Be sure to discuss a very specific example. Tell the interviewer what methods you used to solve the problem without focusing on the details of the problem.

26. You are not given the tools you need to be successful. How would you change that In Financial Services?

State a business case to your manager / leader as to why you need the tools and make the request for them.

27. How would you impact the company?

Consider first the role that you're applying for and then think of 3 ways where you could potentially impact the company's bottom line and top line. Then consider how you impact the company in a creative manner (how do you help productivity, the development of new products, marketing etc - of course this part is specific to the role you're applying for)

28. What type of mentors do you seek out and why?

Think of your top 3 mentors and what attributes they exhibit that you want to emulate. Common attributes include passion, desire, will, leadership, ability to influence others, intelligence.

29. Describe to me a time where you had to make a hard decision In Financial Services?

Hard decisions are hard for a reason. It could dramatically effect the company. It could affect other workers. So if you have a story about how you made a hard decision and had a good outcome, share that. If you have one where the outcome wasn't great, explain how you would have changed the way you approached the decision to show you learned how to improve.

30. How well do you multi-task?

Multi-tasking is an important part of most jobs. You want to show that you're good at it but not overwhelmed with it. So discuss just a few things you can multi-task well on - for example: "I'm good at multi tasking between work email and working on projects In Financial Services and the reason it because I'm good at prioritizing my work emails.