- An online application
-10 -15 minute telephone interview.
- Face to Face interview.
- Branch Visit.
- Assessment Day.
The face to face interview was held with the recruiter who was friendly and asked lots of questions about my interest in the position, what I knew about the company and the job role, my background and skills, my hobbies, my expectations and aspirations. She also gave me the opportunity and time to ask lots of questions.
The Branch visit gave me the chance to meet successful graduates and ask them about their experience of the interview process and the job role. It was a chance to show I could interact with both staff and customers. The other trainees were really helpful, running through some of the tasks, how to use the computer system, what they'd be doing next for customers etc.
I also had an interview with the area manager here,
At the assessment day, I decided to stay in a hotel just up the road so I could be there bright and early without a panic. Before the day kicked off I was able to sit, meet and talk to the other candidates which was a great ice breaker. I found this interesting as we had all come from different experiences and studies and not all business related.
We were shown in the conference room where the recruiter and managers (four) introduced themselves, before we were given 5 minutes to pair up and get to known our partner who we would introduce to the managers. (Tip: have an interesting fact about yourself that can be shared, smile, relax and listen- don't sit reading your notes about the other person before your introduction).
The managers all left the room, the recruiter went through a short presentation/facts about ERAC and soon enough the really process began: two role plays, with 10 minutes to prepare for both, ran one to one with a manager in private office. Next came 'A day in the life of a manager' assessment involving 30 minutes prep and 20 minutes justification to another manager in private office (Tip: read everything before writing, and then read it ALL again. Take your time, and spread your papers out if your can!). Then we had the 'Investments assessment', 10 minutes to prepare, 20 minutes total for everybody together to share why we should choose their investment and come to a decision at the end (Tip: keep your proposal speech short and to the point i.e. 60 seconds, any longer and you wont have time to discuss, listen and agree which plans to invest in. Make sure you listen to each other, don't shout or talk over anybody, be confident and professional.)
We then had a Q&A over lunch while the managers sat with us. (Tip: this is a great opportunity to get more information about the role, the managers roles, what is expected, how the company is performing etc. Leave your phone in your pocket, pay attention and make sure you have some questions to ask.)
This was followed up by a final one to one interview with one of the managers again.