Deutsche Bank second round, interview 2
(one on one)
Haven't read your CV. Tell me about yourself.
What have you been doing on your course recently?
[Gave examples, he asked me to choose one and expand on it. I did, but struggled to explain the highly technical content, and he struggled to understand my explanation, so let me off the hook on this question]
Why IB, why not IT?
Always my intention, no deals in IT so less rewarding.
How did your skills from Imperial help you at UBS?
At UBS I did a lot of software testing. At Imperial, we all test each other's programs to try to find bugs, so I'm very experienced when it comes to breaking software [in retrospect I think he was looking for a more soft skills answer, that would carry over to IB rather than just be limited to IT].
What do you think you would do here - how would it progress over 2-3 years?
Initially using excel and powerpoint a lot. Gradually some client contact.
I have a bunch of candidates here - why you (30 second pitch)?
Numeracy, team worker, dedicated, attention to detail.
We don't have much time left. I have some boxes to tick. Give me examples of when you have shown teamwork/proactivity, intellectual curiosity and leadership
Proactivity: UBS - took the initiative to create a solution to a problem I had observed - using custom forms to reduce/eliminate problems caused by having descision makers dispersed across global time zones. Suggested it might be rolled out to the entire IBD.
Intellectual curiosity:....... ...... .. . .... vedic philosophy - I have read the Bhagavad Gita and the Upanishads, and I have learned about the central elements to this ancient philosophy the 'texts' of which were passed down through the oral tradition for thousands of years.
Leadership: When doing what is widely regarded as the most challenging project in the second year at Imperial, I was the least good programmer, but I played a central role in ensuring that everyone was working together, and keeping temperatures cool. We completed the project 2 weeks early, the first out of the 35 groups, and achieved an A+.
Running out of time - just one more thing before you go. How much is UBS worth?
I would say that they're doing quite well, they have avoided large losses and scandels..........
Ok, give me a range
Well they bought PaineWebber for about 10bn. And it was a good acquisition according to analysts (good price). So I would guess at a lower bound of about 40bn, and an upper bound of about 80bn.
And where would you put them within that?
Near the lower end, because they haven't been hit too badly, but it is still a recession. 50bn. What is their actual value?
I don't know exactly, but I would say you've more or less identified the year's low, the years high, and the current price.
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