How to Answer: At Barclays Leveraged Finance, our team members often have to often work under a tight deadline. Talk about a time you had to work under a tight deadline in the past. How did you handle that situation and what made it a success?
Advice and answer examples written specifically for a Barclays Leveraged Finance job interview.
3. At Barclays Leveraged Finance, our team members often have to often work under a tight deadline. Talk about a time you had to work under a tight deadline in the past. How did you handle that situation and what made it a success?
How to Answer
Investment banking is notoriously demanding, and the LevFin division is no different. You can expect to work 70-80 hours a week minimum and ramp up towards 100 hours a week when facing a tight deadline. Your interviewer would like to ascertain if you can handle those demands or if you'll crack under pressure.
Choose a situation--ideally, one in the financial space--that demonstrates your ability to work efficiently and calmly under an impending deadline. You'll have a lot on your plate as a LevFin analyst. Make sure your interviewer knows that you can handle it.
Written by Rachel Hills on September 18th, 2021
1st Answer Example
"I'm well aware of the demands that Barclay's analysts face within this division. During my internship last summer with XYZ Investment Bank, I regularly put in 90 hour weeks working on a deal. I found that I worked well under pressure and met deadlines, even if it meant working late into the night. I appreciate that it's a part of the role and feel equipped to put in the time and effort. My references will echo this sentiment -- they know I stay calm under pressure and see tasks through to the finish line."
Written by Rachel Hills on September 18th, 2021
2nd Answer Example
"During the last semester of my MBA program last spring, I was nearing completion of my capstone project. The project was a case study of mergers within the manufacturing industry and was a great overall project to learn from. During the semester, the full-time job I was working to put myself through school was becoming much more demanding, and parts of my project got postponed to a point where I feared not being able to complete it to the best of my abilities with the final due date approaching. Right away, I rearranged my work schedule to work half time and began plugging away at the final pieces of the project. To complete it, I had to sacrifice some outside weekend events with friends. While sad to do that at first, I learned some great lessons on time management, project management, and sacrifice."
Written by Rachel Hills on September 18th, 2021