·         She has a technical and sales background and is said to have excellent writing and articulation skills.

·         Her performance rating has grown over the past 3 years. She received an upcoming a ‘true’ up and coming mention (8^th rank) from Institutional Investors (II) in the semiconductor industry and would have the potential to become one of the best analysts on Wall Street if provided a better platform like RSH.

·         She has extensive connections with the CEOs of major companies, but also has connections with divisional managers and staff who can have more insights or knowledge about the business than top management sometimes.

·         Her previous firm, being of smaller size, had limited research and administrative resources. But with RSH’s considerable tools, trained junior aides and assistants and global reach, she would be able to exploit her talent and potential and develop her global outlook.

·         She showed a major interest in the organisation culture of RSH, indicating she was looking for a long-term position and compensation did not appear to be a driving point for her.

·         Her interest in and approval of the organisation culture and the team-based and cooperation approach of RSH, lead us to believe she would be a good fit in RSH.

·         In addition to this, she was not aware of the kind of compensations offered on Wall Street, so she would most likely be immensely pleased and motivated with the compensation RSH would offer her.

·         She appears to be an adaptable person who could manage her work-life balance successfully, even with two small children and so we expect she would be able to acclimate herself to a large firm like RSH.

·         Also, the buy side director to whom Stephan had spoken said that even though she didn’t prefer to travel extensively, she provided solid, insightful and reliable work and arranged conference calls in which she explained her research report in ‘exquisite detail’. This implied that even though she didn’t travel as much as required, her clients were satisfied and delighted due to the quality and depth of her research.

Q2. Imagine yourself in the place of each of the candidates. What strength would you bring to light during the interview with Stephen? How would you distinguish yourself from other candidates?

Ans. Ankit Babel:

I believe that I have certain qualities which make me a good fit as the semi-conductor analyst at RSH. Having completed my Bachelors in Electronics Engineering, I carry a strong foundation in the domain knowledge and I am familiar with the industry. I have over 1-year experience in IT Sector and 1 year in Finance Sector which makes me the expert in the domain. Throughout my professional career I had negotiated several successful deals with clients and bankers which resulted in more business to my organization. Apart from negotiation skills which makes me a perfect sales person, I have strong communication and presentation skills as well. Having spent enough time in a client facing role I feel that my industry connections are quite strong which makes me an asset for any organization. As the Senior Equity Analyst of Samnidhy, I have experience in stock picking and writing good industry reports and analysis. I am ambitious and self-motivated. Challenges excite me very much which is why I am eager to take up the role of semi-conductor analyst at RSH.

Nipun Abraham:

I have completed my Bachelor of Engineering which gives me good technical understanding of semiconductors and my interest in technology has always ensured I am well informed about the industry. I am a team-oriented person and would showcase my interest and ability to adapt to the organisation’s culture. I am a punctual person and would at least apologize in case of tardiness. In addition to this, indicating negativity towards previous employers is not something I would do as it indicates a negative attitude. Instead I would enquire about the role, the growth opportunities and the organisation culture, and avoid focusing on the potential compensation as it would lead the interviewer to believe my primary concern is money.

I’m meticulous, an excellent communicator and a go-getter which enables me in performing my responsibilities efficiently.  I would also avoid being too dominating or too eager in the interview to avoid making the interviewer feel uncomfortable or believe that I could be easily manipulated. I would also show my enthusiasm and energy for research, as this sector and work tends to burn people off and can get immensely tiring for those who have been doing this for long.

S.Seemanthini

As the post demands an extremely intelligent candidate having incredible analytical skills, a star analyst. I consider myself competent for the post of the analyst. In my career span as an analyst I have been exposed to adverse situations and I am well trained to handle difficult situations. I have always been an achiever and I am highly conscientious in my work. I am a reflector by nature and ponder before implementation of an idea. I am adept at analysing performances and have a knack for maintaining close relations and writing quality reports. I have a very vast industry knowledge and good interpersonal skills to maintain a good client base. I think about long term growth and I do not like to be rushed which is very much required for the job of an analyst. Because of the same reason I have not switched many firms and have performed phenomenally well in the firms I have worked so far. I am very punctual and organised in my work. I am not very money-minded and for me time is money. I believe in treating everybody with equal respect. I believe an analyst opinion is highly demanded and sought after by traders, clients and sales force and hence he doesn’t have the privilege to be wrong. I am bright and articulate well while conversing with clients and enthusiastic about learning new things any day. In today’s complex business environment, it is required and expected of an analyst to give absolutely correct recommendations all the times. I have very good writing and expressive skills which are very much required for this job. I have a very amiable personality and I leave a lasting impression. Also, I do not have any problem in travelling and I am well aware of the work culture at small firms as well as the big firms. I have very good technical and sales background and I believe in the work culture of an organisation. My performance rating has grown over the past and also I have good connections with the CEOs of major companies. I have the potential to be one of the best analyst if given a better platform. I am dependable, logical, self-assertive, organised and sympathetic. In today’s world I believe traditional methods can no longer lead to reaching objectives when economy is unfavourable. That’s where analysts can be helpful by doing their due diligence and making it happen effectively and efficiently. I believe I am such an analyst to take the organization towards success by aligning my goals and the firm’s goals on the same page.

Rakshith G.:

It is said that a judgement is made by the other person within 15 seconds. Coming late even if the delay is just 5 minutes would reflect a perception that you do not value another person’s time and, in turn, reflect a careless attitude towards work. I believe in the value of another person’s time and hence would never come late. If I were to come late, I would give a call or send a message to inform the other person of my delay. This is basic business etiquette.

After extensively working in groups, I realized that I am a resource investigator- always looking to bring new ideas onto the table and a shaper- thrive on pressure, provide the necessary drive to the team and help to keep the momentum going. Moreover, I would always try to speak positive things about my team, company and the work place ecosystem. By complaining, I would be tarnishing my own reputation. My employer might even feel that I would not be suited for client interactions because of my high neuroticism.

I believe that if you want to grow you need an innate passion for the organization to grow as well. Although I do not have vast experience as does David Hughes, I am a pragmatist, have lot of energy and enthusiasm, have high conscientious, open to criticism and a very good hustler. I am flexible and have great openness, hence I would not demand a guarantee compensation and worry less about job security or compensation.

From college days, I have worked in many forums such as Commerce and Finance Forum that has developed my networking and bargaining skills and since I am not yet married, I have the luxury to travel far and wide to negotiate with current and prospective clients. This would give me a competitive advantage at least in the short run. I strongly believe that negotiation and acceptance levels are far faster in a physical meeting than a virtual meeting. It is one thing putting in the substantial amount of hard work and it another to portray this hard work in positive light and get recognition for this. One important thing I have learnt over the years is if you cannot market yourself well your work will not get the recognition that it deserves. Unlike Seth Horkum, I have a low wanted inclusion. But, I would not change my job if my employer does not recognize my hard work and abilities. Rather, I would ensure that I try my best to subtly portray my work and convince the top management of my skill sets. For these reasons mentioned above, I strongly feel that I can contribute immensely as a star analyst for the semi-conductor industry.

Vijeta Singh:

Although I do not have technical knowledge due to completing my graduation in business administration (BBA), my interest in this industry more than makes up for it. My past record of performing under pressure is demonstrated by my completing a professional qualification from CIMA(UK) simultaneously with my graduation. In addition to this, I would bring to light my extensive contacts in the industry, as it would be an advantage to the firm hiring me.

I would try to give the best first impression possible by being punctual or being apologetic for my tardiness. It would be a reflection of my attitude towards the interview. Also, hinting at negative relations with my previous organisation would lead the interviewer to believe I’m inflexible or generally dissatisfied, while positive mentions may make the interviewer question my seriousness to move. I’m a sincere, and straightforward person and would avoid portraying a cocky, dominating or over-eager attitude in the interview. Also, I would be interested in asking questions regarding my responsibilities in general, the organisation, its culture and work ethic etc and would not ask for the details of compensation upfront as it would imply my motivation may be money. It could also lead the interviewer to wonder if I would move if higher compensation was offered. In addition to these, I would also showcase my interpersonal skills to convince the interviewer in my ability to work in a team culture and my fitness for the organisation.