How adaptable would you say you are to learning new systems and quickly getting up to speed?

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This question is aimed at how well you know yourself as a professional. EY defines adaptability as, "The ability to anticipate, adjust and evolve to be effective in your environment." How you answer should inform them of how familiar you are with the position, as well as the accuracy of your expectations. Your response will also inform them whether you are the type of individual who asks questions.

While preparing for the role, and determining how your professional character is aligned with theirs, read some of the articles and blogs EY offers. They even have a few articles on adaptability on their Workforce page, "Adaptability has been voted in the top five skills that companies need most in annual LinkedIn surveys year after year. We each have our own unique challenges and changes to which we need to adapt. These changes may be personal or professional, big or small, chosen or forced upon us. Every person, at every level of an organisation, must be able to adapt quickly and effectively. Adaptability is the key skill needed in a world where we don't know what tomorrow's challenges will bring."

EY is looking for enthusiastic and determined candidates who are eager to learn and contribute to the team. Prepare for your interview by researching everything you can about the role, the work environment, the culture, and the onboarding process at the company. Come prepared with all the questions you were unable to answer on your own. Then, when you have a clear understanding of what to expect, answer according to your prior experience. This is also a great opportunity to showcase your time management skills, detailing how you would strategically approach this learning period, and padding the timeframe with the aim of becoming an expert and exceeding expectations, or at the very least allowing for contingencies while still meeting your deadline. Emphasize your willingness to learn and master new skills and your motivation to succeed at EY.

"In my current role as a senior analyst at XYZ Firm, I've accrued a wide array of experience with many of the different types of financial and risk analysis software. The company has gone through some incredible transformations, and with how fast technology is evolving, you have to keep up, which I do in my spare time as well. I'm a quick learner and am open to learning any new tools that are unique to EY to be successful in this role."

Anonymous Answer

"In my current role, I utilize a lot of Microsoft Excel and VBA to build macros and efficiently present data. I also use a lot of SQL since the company I work for extracted most of their data through that platform. Additionally, I've gotten a lot of exposure to Power BI, Tableau, and Bloomberg throughout my previous roles and through my classes as well. I would say I'm highly adaptable in learning and using new programs since I'm always curious about new software when I'm exposed to it and that curiosity forces me to research everything about it so that I'm well-informed and can apply the skills I've learned."

Marcie's Feedback

Excellent! This is a strong answer. You clearly list all the programs you're accustomed to using, in addition to indicating that you're adaptable and a fast learner - just what the interviewer wants to hear. Great job!