I applied for an analyst position at Barclays Capital this year. Sadly my application was rejected (but I've been invited to make another attempt). I am posting my answers to competency questions. Please go through them and comment whether they are up to the mark or lack depth.1.What makes you suited for the role to which you applied? (90 words max)My undergraduate study in <my college> exposed me to advancedmathematical concepts, statistics and elements of software programming,which will hold me in good stead as the analyst position demands strongquantitative and analytical skills. Also, during my undergraduate studies, Iwas an integral part of institute-level committees and have learned a lotabout working in teams during crunch situations. Apart from academics, Ihave proven my time-management skills by excelling in numerousextracurricular activities. Finally, I have a strong desire to learn theintricacies of finance.2. From the research you have done on ourindustry, how does our firm fit in with yourcareer aspirations? (90 words)Of all the major investment banks today, I find Barclays Capital to be mostbullish in terms of future growth and corporate strategy. Barclay plc's bidfor ABN AMRO Bank is a glowing testament to this. Even if Barclay's bid isturned down by ABN AMRO's shareholders, the aggressive growthstrategies charted by the management in new markets, like India, willcreate plenty of challenges and opportunities to be explored. And workingin Barclays Capital as an analyst would enable me to grow along with arapidly growing company.3. Describe a recent development in thendustry. What implications might thdevelopment have for our firm or thedivision to which you have applied? (90 words)The proposed merger between Barclays plc and ABN AMRO, if approved bythe latter's shareholders, would propel Barclays into the league of top fivefinancial services firms. Apart from Barclays, a RBS-led consortium is alsoin the fray. The outcome will have significant impact on Barclays Capital. IfBarclays plc's bid is accepted, then Barclays Capital will get access to ABNAMROs extensive network of clients in critical markets - especially Asia.Also, this inorganic route will also catalyze the growth path outlined by Mr.John Varley.Text

QuoteOriginally posted by: cnayakQuestion 1: You to invididualize the response. Don't tell. Show. Instead of saying "I was part of a committee" say "I joined the Finance Commitee of the student government, and one of my proudest moments, was to find an extra $1000 in the budget after staying awake all night with my coworkers."One quick question you need to ask yourself is "does this response sound like something someone else could have written?" Instead of saying, "I excelled in numerous extracurricular activities" say "I was president of the tuba society and we successfully did a bake sale fundraiser and doubled our membership."The thing to avoid here is to avoid looking like a "resume politician" (i.e. someone that has lots of credentials, but really didn't do anything with them).Question 2:"Of all the major investment banks today, I find Barclays Capital to be mostbullish in terms of future growth and corporate strategy."Stop there. You probably need to rephrase/remove this sentence since it lacks credibilty. My reaction to this is "Would you be saying the same thing to Goldman-Sach and JP Morgan?""Barclay plc's bidfor ABN AMRO Bank is a glowing testament to this. Even if Barclay's bid isturned down by ABN AMRO's shareholders, the aggressive growthstrategies charted by the management in new markets, like India, willcreate plenty of challenges and opportunities to be explored."This doesn't make any sense, first you are saying that X is important, then you say that X isn't important. If X isnt' important, don't mention it."And workingin Barclays Capital as an analyst would enable me to grow along with arapidly growing company."Ask not what your company can do for you, also you can do for your company. If you look carefully at question two, it's a chance for you do say what you can do for Barclay's. You mentioned India. Have you done anything in your coursework that specializes in India?The problem with question 3 is that I think they were looking at some general trend, like "subprime." Instead of talking about the specific "Barclays buys ABN" you might want to start with "The consolidation of banks in the industry...."

"My undergraduate study in <my college> exposed me to advancedmathematical concepts, statistics and elements of software programming,which will hold me in good stead as the analyst position demands strongquantitative and analytical skills. Also, during my undergraduate studies, Iwas an integral part of institute-level committees and have learned a lotabout working in teams during crunch situations. Apart from academics, Ihave proven my time-management skills by excelling in numerousextracurricular activities. Finally, I have a strong desire to learn theintricacies of finance."Did you study maths only as an undergraduate? If so, that might be the reason why they refused, no ?

"My undergraduate study in <my college> exposed me to advancedmathematical concepts, statistics and elements of software programming,which will hold me in good stead as the analyst position demands strongquantitative and analytical skills. Also, during my undergraduate studies, Iwas an integral part of institute-level committees and have learned a lotabout working in teams during crunch situations. Apart from academics, Ihave proven my time-management skills by excelling in numerousextracurricular activities. Finally, I have a strong desire to learn theintricacies of finance."Did you study maths only as an undergraduate? If so, that might be the reason why they refused, no ?

Traditionally at UK schools you only study one subject. E.g. If you have a Mathematics degree, you will have studied Mathematics for 3/4 years.

I studied Mechanical Engineering btw. I think I made a big mistake in the third question - my answer was completely off the mark. Actually, I had thought about writing the credit crunch earlier, but I though a BarCap-specific answer would earn me brownie points . Well, this has been an important learning experience. Hopefully, subsequent applications will be better. Thanks a lot guys for your valuable feedback.

I studied engineering btw. I think I made a big mistake in the third question - my answer was completely off the mark. Actually, I had thought about writing the credit crunch earlier, but I though a BarCap-specific answer would earn me brownie points . Well, this has been an important learning experience. Hopefully, subsequent applications will be better. Thanks a lot guys for your valuable feedback.

QuoteOriginally posted by: arTraditionally at UK schools you only study one subject. E.g. If you have a Mathematics degree, you will have studied Mathematics for 3/4 years.Ok, but doesn't one need some graduate course(s) in Maths in order to have a chance if applying to an analyst position ?