Marcus is a business strategy analyst in ANZ bank’s global financial markets division, which has sales and trading functions across global markets. He specializes in foreign exchange, commodities and investment products. Marcus joined ANZ in 2005 after completing a Bachelor of Commerce and gaining First class honours in Applied Finance from at Deakin University in Victoria. While studying, he took an internship with AON, a US insurer, and worked with them for the final two years of his degree.
What was the application process?
Initial online applications are standard now and involve your CV and answers to behavioral-based questions. Then a phone interview with HR people, which was pretty brief, just to gauge the veracity of the online answers. This is not done so much now.
There was then an aptitude test which covered spelling, grammar, general competencies and numeracy but also tested our skills in interpreting data and thinking laterally.Having got through all these there was then a group interview with five or six other candidates.
What did the bank reveal of itself in the interviews?
ANZ uses interviews to introduce people to the bank. Senior managers gave 30-minute presentations on the ANZ culture.
What was required in the interviews?
We had to do a group exercise which involved a problem-solving process with about 40 minutes to collaborate and present our solutions. It was to see how we related to each other and worked in a group. At the end, we each had a short one-on-one meeting with an HR person. I had given a bottle of blood by that stage, but got through to the shortlist.
Depending on the candidates and the sectors there are then either one or two interviews with two senior managers and an HR person. These are behavior-based and ask for real-life stories and applications that show your leadership qualities, knowledge of finance sectors and specifically of ANZ.
After that there is THE OFFER!
There is a tight timeframe for acceptance.
What did you have that helped you get the job?
I had a really good knowledge of the ANZ, and of its particular products and the culture of the bank. My experience at AON helped. I also paid close attention to detail, and didn’t leave it till the last minute to prepare myself.
Marcus’s tips:
- Be very clear about what the division does and how it fits within the larger organization.
- Have a clear career objective behind why you are applying to this particular division and how you can add value.
- Have a deep knowledge of external factors: the markets the bank operates in, the climate of those markets and be abreast of what is happening.
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