Fit and behavioral questions: answers with structure

Why it matters

By the final round most candidates are technically strong, so fit answers often decide who gets the offer. Interviewers are asking themselves one thing: would I want this person on my team at 2am before a deadline?

"Tell me about yourself"

1. 1

   Start

   One line on who you are: your degree and university, or where you're from if it matters to the story.

2. 2

   The path

   Two or three experiences that led you here, each with what you did and one result.

3. 3

   Why now

   Why this role at this firm is the logical next step.

4. 4

   Keep it short

   About 90 seconds. End on something they'll want to ask about.

"Tell me about a time…": the STAR structure

1. 1

   Situation

   One or two sentences of context. No more.

2. 2

   Task

   What you had to achieve, and why it was hard.

3. 3

   Action

   What you did, step by step. Say "I", not "we": they're hiring you.

4. 4

   Result

   What happened, with a number if you can, and what you learned.

ConseilPrepare six stories (leadership, teamwork, failure, conflict, pressure, initiative) and practice bending each to fit different questions.

"Why this firm?"

• Something specific about the business: a recent deal, a desk's strength, its strategy, from public sources.
• People: someone you met or spoke to, and what you learned from them.
• The program: how its structure (rotations, training, office, size of teams) fits what you want.
• Avoid: prestige, pay, "the best bank", or anything that's equally true of every competitor.

Strengths, weaknesses and questions for them

• Strength: one, relevant to the job, proved with an example.
• Weakness: a real one that won't sink you, plus what you're doing about it. Not "I work too hard".
• Questions at the end: two or three you actually want answered, ideally about the interviewer's own experience.

Common mistakes