How to Apply Successfully to

an Investment Bank
Sarah Hart
Cambridge University
9 November 2007

Application Workshop

Why are we here?

getting a job in an investment bank has long odds
36,000 applications 1,200 jobs
Today, we want to help you maximise your chances of success:
Avoid common pitfalls
Know what were looking for
Conduct yourself with confidence

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Workshop Outline

Application form/CV

Testing

Interviews

Selection Events

Group Exercise

Q&A

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Why is a CV important?

Provides information about you

Matches you to a job
Opportunity to sell yourself to someone you dont know
To get you an interview, and hopefully the job
To provide the basis for the interview discussion

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How to complete an application form/CV

Dos and Donts

Include all necessary

information
Chronological order
Give yourself time
Prepare a draft
Have a friend review the
application
Spell/grammar check
Consistent formatting dates
etc
Comprehensive yet succinct

Wait till the deadline

Rush completion
Typos etc automatic rejection
Short on details of work
experience, extra-curricular
activities
Incomplete sections
Lies!

Lets take a look at some examples.

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What should a CV contain? (Part 1)

Personal Information:

Education:

Full name
Current address, Telephone number and Email address
NO date of birth

Which school, which location, what sort of studies, if you have studied financial options
mention these.
Dates attended

Qualifications/Skills these are checked so dont lie!

School exams (summary of overall qualifications only)

Others (e.g. languages, IT)

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What should a CV contain? (Part 2)

Work experience:

Interests:

Location
Dates
Description of work make it relevant!

Make yourself sound interesting!

Elaborate include more than one line of information

References:

Dont waste space on a CV for these

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Testing
Numerical Reasoning

Which country had the highest number of people aged 60 or over at the start of 1985?
UK

France

Italy

Germany

Spain

How many live births occurred in 1985 in Spain and Italy together (to the nearest 1,000)?
104,000 840,000

1,044,000

8,400,000

10,440,000

What was the net effect on the UK population of the live birth and death rates in 1985?
Decrease of 66,700 Increase of 84,900

Increase of 85,270 Increase of 752,780 Cannot Say

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Testing
Numerical Reasoning

Which country had the highest number of people aged 60 or over at the start of 1985?
UK

France

Italy

Germany

Spain

How many live births occurred in 1985 in Spain and Italy together (to the nearest 1,000)?
104,000 840,000

1,044,000

8,400,000

10,440,000

What was the net effect on the UK population of the live birth and death rates in 1985?
Decrease of 66,700 Increase of 84,900

Increase of 85,270 Increase of 752,780 Cannot Say

Think about Barclays Capital

Testing
Numerical Reasoning

Which country had the highest number of people aged 60 or over at the start of 1985?
UK

France

Italy

Germany

Spain

How many live births occurred in 1985 in Spain and Italy together (to the nearest 1,000)?
104,000 840,000

1,044,000

8,400,000

10,440,000

What was the net effect on the UK population of the live birth and death rates in 1985?
Decrease of 66,700 Increase of 84,900

Increase of 85,270 Increase of 752,780 Cannot Say

Think about Barclays Capital

Testing
Numerical Reasoning

Which country had the highest number of people aged 60 or over at the start of 1985?
UK

France

Italy

Germany

Spain

How many live births occurred in 1985 in Spain and Italy together (to the nearest 1,000)?
104,000 840,000

1,044,000

8,400,000

10,440,000

What was the net effect on the UK population of the live birth and death rates in 1985?
Decrease of 66,700 Increase of 84,900 Increase of 85,270 Increase of 752,780 Cannot Say

Think about Barclays Capital

Testing
Verbal Reasoning

Physical stimuli usually win in the competition for our attention

True
False
Cannot Say
The capacity of the human brain is sufficient to interpret nearly all the stimuli the senses can
register under optimum conditions
True
False
Cannot Say
Eyes are able to cope with greater input of information than ears
True
False
Cannot Say

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Testing
Verbal Reasoning

Physical stimuli usually win in the competition for our attention

True
False
Cannot Say
The capacity of the human brain is sufficient to interpret nearly all the stimuli the senses can
register under optimum conditions
True
False
Cannot Say
Eyes are able to cope with greater input of information than ears
True
False
Cannot Say

Think about Barclays Capital

Testing
Verbal Reasoning

Physical stimuli usually win in the competition for our attention

True
False
Cannot Say
The capacity of the human brain is sufficient to interpret nearly all the stimuli the senses can
register under optimum conditions
True
False
Cannot Say
Eyes are able to cope with greater input of information than ears
True
False
Cannot Say

Think about Barclays Capital

Testing
Verbal Reasoning

Physical stimuli usually win in the competition for our attention

True
False
Cannot Say
The capacity of the human brain is sufficient to interpret nearly all the stimuli the senses can
register under optimum conditions
True
False
Cannot Say
Eyes are able to cope with greater input of information than ears
True
False
Cannot Say

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Practising psychometric tests

www.shl.com

GMAT tests

www.efinancialcareers.co.uk

University careers services

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Interviews
The obvious
Be punctual
Neat appearance/business attire
Turn mobile phones off
Behave as if you want to be there - have the right attitude
You will be nervous

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Interviews
How can you prepare
Think about questions you will get asked
Ensure youve been reading the FT/Economist for at least 3 months
Think about questions you should ask your interviewer
Make sure you know lots about Barclays Capital

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Competency Based Interviews

What are they?

Past behaviour predicts future behaviour
Relates to essential criteria/competencies for post
Only one part of recruitment/interview process

Interviewers look to:

Past behaviours and performance

Learning from past behaviours
Future adaptability to new post
Knowledge and understanding of issues in relation to post

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Competency based Interviews

Common Competencies to assess:

Conflict and pressure
Team work
Personal Motivation
Communication
Creativity
Risk taking
It is advisable to prepare at least one example for each of the
above

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Selection Events

Why do we run assessment events?

Why are assessment events good for candidates?
Learn more about our culture
Interact with senior management and recent graduates
Demonstrate your abilities, aptitudes and potential

Are we right for you?

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Selection Events

What might an assessment event involve?

Interviews
Group exercises
Role plays
Trading games
Case Studies
Role Plays
Formal social event e.g. dinner

Last between half a day to a day

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Group Exercise

High Society

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Group Exercise Additional Information

Newspaper journalist:
School teacher:
Farmer:
Red Cross Aid worker:
Retired builder:
Retired pilot:
Trainee doctor:
Chef:
Full time mother:
Surgeon:

Won Booker Prize for first short novel

Severely visually impaired
Agricultural only
Amateur rugby coach
Relieved of professional accreditation for misconduct
Runs officer recruitment & multi-discipline training agenda
Re-sitting his second year exams for the third time
Runs own culinary school and has published several books
Qualified architect
Cosmetic surgeon

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Next steps
Associates
Masters in Finance and MBA candidates studying at business schools with a period of
professional work experience, in which they can demonstrate evidence of progression,
responsibility in terms of project work, teamwork and leadership, international awareness /
exposure, etc.

Quantitative Associates
A candidate studying for a PhD or equivalent degree in a highly technical discipline (e.g. Maths,
Physics, Engineering) with limited work experience (as defined above). Candidates will be hired
specifically for technical positions.

Analysts
All other campus hires. Typically will hold a Bachelors (or equivalent) or a Masters degree, with
limited (usually internship) work experience.

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Next steps
Hiring areas for Analysts (mostly summer internships now)
Investment Banking and Debt Capital Markets
Research
Sales
Structuring
Trading
Barclays Wealth
Infrastructure
Compliance, Corporate Communications, Corporate Real Estate Services,
Finance, Global Financial Risk Management, Global Marketing, Human Resources,
Information Risk Management, Legal, Operational Risk Management, Operations,
Technology

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Next steps
What we offer
Full-time positions (programmes starting in February, July and September)
Internship positions for penultimate students (summer and off-cycle)
Spring session
Our training programmes
Initial Training Programme (ITP)
Continuous Professional Education (CPE)
Mentoring

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Next steps
Application and selection process

All applications have to be made online

Online numerical and verbal reasoning tests
First round interviews
Final round assessment events

Application deadlines
Full-Time:
Internships:

30 November 2007
31 January 2008

Bear in mind
Apply early we recruit on a rolling basis
Research Barclays Capital and the industry before you apply
Practice the online tests

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Thank you
Q&A

August 08