Interview tips
Interview preparation checklist
Interviewing for a job can be daunting — especially for those of us entering the working world for the first time.
If you’ve applied for a Bloomberg apprenticeship and are headed into an interview round, here are some pointers to keep in mind.
Our tips for interviewing for an apprenticeship at Bloomberg
- Find out what is the format of your interview – your preparation will differ depending on whether it’s face to face or virtually, competency or strengths-based, 30 minutes or an hour.
- Research the company, department, and the role so that you feel comfortable discussing their products and services, culture and responsibilities you will be given. What stood out to you about this company as opposed to their competitors?
- Think about your motivation – why do you want to be in this role? How can you demonstrate your interest? What makes you believe you will be successful? What sets you apart from other candidates applying? What challenges can you face and how are you planning to tackle them? What do you want to achieve?
- Reflect on past situations (your work experience, academia and extracurricular work) and identify times where you had an opportunity to demonstrate certain skills e.g. teamwork, problem solving, customer service. Try to describe them using STAR format to ensure your examples are well-structured and practise them multiple times before the interview – the more used to the format you get the more confident you will feel.
- Plan the logistics well in advance – if your interview is virtual, make sure you’ve got good Internet connection and test your technology. Remember to be professional even in private environment – find a quiet space and come as if you were attending in person. If you are meeting your interviewer in person, plan your journey and leave plenty of time for any unforeseen issues. You want to reduce the stress level to minimum.
- Prepare questions – think of the gaps in your knowledge and bits you need more clarity on. An interview is an opportunity for us to get to know you better but also a chance for you to find out more about the role and our working culture.
- Seek feedback from your interview to understand what to improve on in the next round (or in your next recruitment process). Good luck!
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