“By whom do you see yourself in 5 years?”: Wall Street top manager's advice on the answers to the cunning questions of recruiters

What do employers really want to know by asking the applicant about his strengths and weaknesses? Carla Harris, deputy chairman of Morgan Stanley, the largest US bank, spoke about what is behind most of the questions and singled out among them those that are most often asked for interviews, which often seem to be meaningless candidates, but in fact are quite cunning.

1. “Tell me about yourself”

This question will most likely be asked first. However, the applicant should not go into the details of his biography or retell the text of the summary: you need to talk about the experience, which can be described as suitable for the job of the candidate. Show that you understand how to succeed at work and what is needed for that.
')
Tip : We need to talk about those personal qualities that fit the job description. It is important for the interlocutor to understand how the applicant meets the requirements.

2. "Describe yourself in three words"

This question is asked to understand how a person is oriented in the specifics of the position , and whether he has the qualities necessary for this role. For example, intending to do an internship on Wall Street, during an interview, you can characterize yourself as a person with an analytical mindset, attentive to detail.

Tip : It is necessary to support self-characterization with real examples in case the employer wants to know what are the particular personal qualities of the applicant.

3. "What are your weaknesses?"

This question often leads people into confusion, at the same time it is almost always asked, so it’s better to be ready for it. It is best to call that weakness, which is not a key characteristic for potential work. Having named it, it is worth telling about what has been done or continues to be done in order to overcome it.

Tip : Do not talk about your perfectionism: this is a cliche. A candidate may mention something that can help him in a new job: for example, tell that he is coaching the skill of public speaking.

4. "Why should we hire you?"

In response to this question, the employer wants to know what distinguishes his interlocutor from other candidates in the best way.

Tip : The candidate needs to imagine that he is a product, and his potential employer is a buyer. What the applicant will talk about is somewhat similar to the text of the cover letter . You need to talk about your special skills, about the love of the profession - that will surely interest the "buyer".

5. “Tell us about your failures”

We are all human, which means we all made mistakes. When asking this question, the employer wants to see in the candidate the ability to reflex, recognize their failures and work to eliminate them.

Tip : You need to talk about the actions that were taken to reverse the situation. For example, if earlier a candidate did not always understand what requirements his job should meet, now he has learned to ask questions in order to properly fulfill the assigned requests.

6. “Why are you interested in us?”

Here the employer wants to see how much the candidate knows about the company and the field of its activities. This question is also aimed at understanding whether the applicant is not communicating with competitors.

Tip : When answering this question, you need to show how strong the sides and personality traits are in line with the position of the company and its corporate culture. The employer is proud of the values ​​of his company and will be happy to see his associate in the applicant.

Other materials on finance and stock market from ITinvest :

• ITinvest educational resources
• Analytics and market reviews
• Big Jackpot: Why hackers attack SWIFT financial transfer system
• Lazarus: Who is behind the attacks on the SWIFT bank transfer system
• How Russian hackers have robbed the Nasdaq
• Russian hackers hacked Dow Jones and seized insider information